Florida Divorce Forms: What Each Form Does and When to File It

Florida Divorce Forms: What Each Form Does and When to File It

Florida provides every divorce form for free through the Supreme Court's approved forms library — but the library has dozens of forms, and nothing on the court website tells you which ones apply to your situation or the order in which to file them. That gap between "free forms" and "correctly filed case" is where most pro se filers run into trouble.

Choosing the Right Petition

Your petition is the single most important form. Filing the wrong version forces you to start over:

Form 12.901(a) — Simplified Dissolution. A joint petition signed by both spouses. Use this only if you have no minor children, the wife is not pregnant, neither spouse wants alimony, and you agree on dividing everything. Both of you must attend the final hearing together.

Form 12.901(b)(1) — Regular Dissolution with Dependent Children. The standard petition when minor children are involved. This path requires a parenting plan, child support calculations, and mandatory parent education courses.

Form 12.901(b)(2) — Regular Dissolution without Dependent Children. For couples who do not qualify for simplified dissolution (perhaps one spouse wants alimony or they cannot agree yet) but have no minor children.

Form 12.901(b)(3) — Dissolution Based on Mental Incapacity. Rarely used. Requires a formal judicial adjudication of incapacity for at least three continuous years.

Supporting Forms Filed with Your Petition

Every petition must include these supporting documents:

• Form 12.928 — Civil Cover Sheet (identifies the case type for the clerk)
• Form 12.900(h) — Notice of Related Cases
• Form 12.902(j) — Notice of Social Security Number (filed separately as a confidential document)
• Form 12.915 — Designation of Current Mailing and E-mail Address

Service of Process Forms

If your spouse does not sign a waiver, you need a summons issued by the clerk. After service:

• Form 12.910(a) — Summons for personal service
• Form 12.903(b) or (c) — Answer to Petition (your spouse files this within 20 days)
• Form 12.913(b) — Affidavit of Diligent Search and Inquiry (if your spouse cannot be located, used before constructive service)
• Form 12.913(a) — Notice of Action (published in a newspaper for constructive service)

Financial Disclosure Forms

Florida Rule 12.285 requires mandatory financial disclosures within 45 days of service:

• Form 12.902(b) — Short Form Financial Affidavit (gross income under $50,000/year)
• Form 12.902(c) — Long Form Financial Affidavit (gross income $50,000 or more)
• Form 12.932 — Certificate of Compliance with Mandatory Disclosure
• Form 12.902(k) — Joint Verified Waiver of Filing Financial Affidavits (available only when there are no children, no alimony, and a signed settlement agreement)

Default and Final Judgment Forms

• Form 12.922(a) — Motion for Default (when your spouse fails to respond within 20 days)
• Form 12.912(b) — Non-Military Affidavit (required before a default can be entered)
• Form 12.990(a) — Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage

The Sequence Matters

Knowing which forms exist is step one. The harder part is filing them in the correct order with the right deadlines — the petition and supporting docs first, then service within 120 days, then financial disclosures within 45 days of service, then the final hearing after the 20-day waiting period. The Florida Divorce Filing Process Guide maps each form to its filing phase so you never submit the wrong document at the wrong time.

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