Simplified Dissolution of Marriage Florida Online: 2026 Guide

Simplified Dissolution of Marriage in Florida Online

1. What Is a Simplified Dissolution of Marriage in Florida?

Florida offers two distinct procedural tracks for ending a marriage: the standard dissolution of marriage and the simplified dissolution of marriage. The simplified track, codified at Fla. Stat. § 61.2995, was created to allow couples who have no unresolved disputes and who meet a narrow set of eligibility criteria to move through the divorce process more quickly and with less paperwork than the regular process requires. Instead of exchanging financial disclosures, conducting formal discovery, or appearing at multiple hearings, a couple using the simplified track files a joint petition, submits a signed marital settlement agreement, and attends a single brief final hearing before a judge.

The phrase "simplified dissolution" accurately describes the reduced procedural burden, but it does not mean the process is without legal consequence. Both spouses sign documents under penalty of perjury, both permanently waive the right to seek alimony from each other, and both waive the right to appeal the court's judgment. These are substantive, irrevocable legal surrenders that take effect the moment the final judgment is signed. Couples who proceed without fully understanding what they are giving up can find themselves in a worse financial position than if they had used the full dissolution process with independent legal counsel.

The simplified dissolution process is also one of the most technologically accessible in the Florida court system. Florida's statewide eFiling portal allows couples to submit their petition, pay the filing fee, and in most circuits schedule the final hearing without visiting the courthouse until the hearing date itself. For couples who live in different parts of the state, work demanding schedules, or simply want to minimize courthouse trips, this online capability meaningfully reduces friction. That convenience, however, does not reduce the importance of pre-filing eligibility screening — confirming that every statutory requirement is met before uploading a single document is the most important step in the entire process.

2. Who Qualifies: The Six Statutory Requirements

Before completing any form, both spouses must confirm that every condition listed in Fla. Stat. § 61.2995(1) is satisfied simultaneously. The statute is conjunctive — all six requirements must be true at the time of filing. If even one is not met, the clerk will issue a deficiency notice or the judge will dismiss the case at the final hearing. There is no partial qualification and no waiver of a missed requirement.

The six requirements are:

• Florida residency: At least one spouse must have resided in Florida for at least six months immediately before the date of filing, as required by Fla. Stat. § 61.021. Acceptable proof includes a Florida driver's license, a Florida voter registration card, or a sworn statement from a Florida resident with personal knowledge of the spouse's residency.
• No minor or dependent children: Neither spouse has any children of this marriage who are minors (under age 18), and the wife is not currently pregnant. If any minor children of the marriage exist — even if they live out of state or with a third party — the simplified track is unavailable.
• No contested real property: Neither spouse holds an ownership interest in real property (a home, land, or commercial building) that has not been addressed, OR both spouses have already executed and recorded a deed that transfers or divides any such property. An agreement to execute a deed in the future does not satisfy this requirement.
• Full written agreement on all property and debts: The spouses have reached a complete written agreement on every marital asset and every marital debt. This agreement must be signed by both parties before a notary prior to filing.
• Mutual waiver of alimony: Both spouses agree to permanently relinquish any claim for alimony or spousal support. Under Fla. Stat. § 61.2995(3), this waiver becomes irrevocable the moment the final judgment is entered. Before agreeing to this waiver, each spouse should understand what Florida alimony law provides — see Florida alimony for an overview of the statutory factors courts apply in contested cases.
• Voluntary mutual consent and in-person appearance: Both spouses have genuinely and voluntarily consented to the dissolution, both have signed the petition, and both will personally appear at the final hearing. No default judgment is available on the simplified track — if one spouse refuses to sign or refuses to appear, the case cannot proceed.

Each requirement is a substantive legal gate, not a formality. Couples with any genuine uncertainty about even one of these conditions should consult an attorney or use the standard dissolution process before spending money on a filing that will be rejected.

3. Filing Online: Florida's eFiling Portal

Florida's statewide eFiling portal — accessible at myflcourtaccess.com — accepts simplified dissolution of marriage filings in every judicial circuit in the state. Creating a petitioner account is free. Because both spouses are co-petitioners in a simplified dissolution, there is no summons, no service of process requirement, and no additional fee for serving the other spouse. The petitioner logs in, selects the correct circuit and case type (Family — Simplified Dissolution of Marriage), uploads the completed PDF document package, and pays the filing fee electronically by credit or debit card.

After the submission is uploaded, the circuit clerk's office reviews it for completeness and form compliance — typically within one to three business days. If the submission is accepted, the portal generates a file-stamped copy and assigns a case number. If the clerk identifies a deficiency, a deficiency notice is issued specifying what must be corrected before resubmission. Common deficiency reasons include use of an outdated form version, a missing notary acknowledgment on one of the documents, failure to include the Notice of Social Security Number form, or a petition that is missing one or both signatures. Correcting and resubmitting quickly matters because most circuits hear simplified dissolution cases on specific days of the week, and a delayed resubmission can push the scheduled hearing out by additional weeks.

Once the case is open and a case number is assigned, either spouse can schedule the final hearing. Most circuits provide a link to an online scheduling tool from within the case portal. A smaller number of rural circuits still require a phone call to the division's judicial assistant, but this is increasingly rare. Confirm the local practice by reviewing the circuit's self-help resources or calling the clerk's office before filing. After scheduling, download and retain a copy of the confirmation — hearing dockets move, and having your own record of the scheduled date and division prevents confusion on the hearing day.

One practical step many self-represented filers overlook is saving every file-stamped document the portal returns after filing acceptance. If you later need a certified copy for a name change or financial account transfer, having the file-stamped version on hand makes the process faster. Certified copies carry a per-page charge under Fla. Stat. § 28.2221 and can take several days to process if ordered by mail.

4. Required Forms and Documents

The Florida Supreme Court has approved a specific set of family law forms for use in the simplified dissolution track. Using forms downloaded from unofficial or outdated sources can result in rejection because earlier versions may omit required fields or contain superseded language. All current approved forms are available free of charge at flcourts.gov. For a broader overview of the forms used across Florida divorce proceedings, see Florida divorce forms.

The core filing package for a simplified dissolution includes:

• Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.901(a) — Petition for Simplified Dissolution of Marriage. Both spouses sign as co-petitioners. The petition is signed under oath before a licensed notary and affirms that all six statutory eligibility requirements are satisfied.
• Marital Settlement Agreement — No single Supreme Court-approved form is prescribed for this document, but it must be in writing, signed by both parties before a notary, and either attached to the petition or filed simultaneously with it. The agreement must specifically identify and allocate every marital asset (bank accounts, retirement accounts, vehicles, household contents, business interests) and every marital debt (credit cards, personal loans, medical bills, and any joint tax liabilities).
• Notice of Social Security Number (Florida Family Law Form 12.902(j)) — Required in all Florida family law case filings regardless of whether children are involved.
• Proposed Final Judgment of Simplified Dissolution of Marriage (Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.990(a)) — Many circuits require this to be submitted at the time of filing so the judge has a draft ready for signature at the hearing; others accept it on the hearing day. Confirming the local requirement in advance prevents a deficiency notice.

Beyond the court filing package, certain transfers must be completed outside the court system after the final judgment is entered. Vehicle title transfers require processing through the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) and cannot be accomplished by the marital settlement agreement alone. Bank and investment accounts require each institution's own transfer documentation. Retirement accounts may technically require a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) for a division, though in most simplified dissolutions the parties simply agree that each retains their own retirement funds, eliminating the need for a QDRO entirely.

5. Step-by-Step Process from Filing to Final Hearing

Walking through the process in sequence helps both spouses anticipate what is required of them at each stage and prevents last-minute surprises that could delay the final hearing.

• Pre-filing preparation: Both spouses confirm that every eligibility requirement is met. They negotiate all terms, prepare the marital settlement agreement, and sign it before a notary. Both spouses also sign the petition before a notary. The proposed final judgment is drafted.
• eFiling submission: The petitioner logs into myflcourtaccess.com, selects the correct circuit and case type, uploads the complete document package as PDFs, and pays the filing fee by credit or debit card.
• Clerk review and case number assignment: The clerk reviews the submission within one to three business days and either accepts the filing with a case number or issues a deficiency notice.
• Deficiency cure (if needed): If the clerk issues a deficiency notice, the identified issues are corrected and the corrected documents are resubmitted within the time the notice specifies.
• Final hearing scheduling: Once the case is open, either spouse schedules the final hearing through the portal's scheduling tool or by calling the judicial assistant for the assigned division.
• Final hearing: Both spouses appear in person at the courthouse on the scheduled date. The judge places both under oath, asks a brief set of verification questions, and — if all statutory requirements are confirmed — signs the Final Judgment of Simplified Dissolution of Marriage.
• Post-judgment execution: Each spouse obtains certified copies of the judgment and uses them to complete the transfers, account updates, and name changes called for in the marital settlement agreement.

The total calendar time from filing to final hearing in most Florida circuits runs four to eight weeks for a simplified dissolution with no deficiencies. Circuits with high family-law docket volume — including Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Orange — can run closer to six to ten weeks. Checking the circuit's current scheduling availability before filing provides a realistic sense of timeline. The hearing itself, once scheduled, typically lasts five to fifteen minutes.

6. Court Fees and Total Cost

The filing fee for a petition for simplified dissolution of marriage is established by Fla. Stat. § 28.241, and the standard fee in the majority of Florida circuits is $408. Unlike a regular dissolution, there is no additional fee for service of process because both spouses are co-petitioners and no summons is issued or served. For a complete breakdown of what fees apply across different Florida divorce case types, see Florida divorce filing fee and a fuller cost analysis at Florida divorce cost.

Additional out-of-pocket costs that commonly arise include:

• Notarization fees: Notarizing the petition and marital settlement agreement typically runs $10–$25 per signature at a bank, postal center, or online remote notarization service. Florida permits remote online notarization under Fla. Stat. § 117.265, allowing both spouses to complete notarization via approved video platform from any location.
• Certified copy fees: Under Fla. Stat. § 28.2221, certified copies cost $1.00 per page plus $2.00 per certification. Each spouse typically needs two to four certified copies for name-change applications and financial institution transfers.
• Vehicle title transfer fees: The DHSMV charges fees based on vehicle value, payable at the county tax collector's office when processing a title transfer under the judgment.
• Optional legal consultation: Spouses who file without representation sometimes pay for a single attorney consultation to review the marital settlement agreement before signing. This cost varies by attorney and scope.

For spouses who cannot afford the filing fee, Fla. Stat. § 57.082 provides a process for applying for civil indigent status. The Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status is filed with the clerk at the time of or before the petition filing; the clerk applies income and asset thresholds to determine eligibility. A fee waiver, if granted, eliminates the $408 fee but does not waive fees for certified copies or other post-judgment charges.

7. The Final Hearing: What to Expect

The final hearing in a simplified dissolution case is brief by design. Most circuits schedule these hearings in a short-cause or uncontested docket, where multiple cases are heard in a single morning or afternoon session. A typical simplified dissolution hearing lasts between five and fifteen minutes. Both spouses should plan to arrive at the courthouse at least fifteen minutes before the scheduled time to allow for courthouse security screening and to locate the correct courtroom, particularly in larger multi-division courthouses.

Both spouses must appear in person. Fla. Stat. § 61.2995 explicitly requires both parties to appear before the court, and there is no provision for remote appearance by video or phone. If one spouse cannot attend on the scheduled date, the hearing must be rescheduled, which may add several additional weeks depending on docket availability. Only genuinely extraordinary circumstances — such as active military deployment overseas — might support a motion requesting an alternative arrangement, and any such motion would need to be filed and ruled upon well in advance of the hearing.

When the case is called, the judge will ask each spouse, in turn, a brief series of questions under oath. Typical questions cover whether the marriage is irretrievably broken, whether the residency requirement was satisfied, whether there are any minor children of the marriage, whether each spouse signed the marital settlement agreement freely and voluntarily without coercion, and whether each spouse understands the permanent nature of the alimony waiver. If the judge is satisfied with all answers, the Final Judgment of Simplified Dissolution of Marriage is signed on the spot and the marriage is legally ended as of that date.

If at the hearing a spouse expresses any reservation — indicating the agreement was signed under pressure, that a significant asset was omitted, or that they are no longer in agreement with the terms — the judge will not enter the final judgment. The case may be continued to a later date or, if the parties' disagreement is fundamental, converted to the regular dissolution track. This outcome is the court system functioning as intended: the simplified track is only appropriate when both spouses are genuinely and voluntarily in agreement on all matters.

8. How Property and Debts Are Divided

The simplified dissolution of marriage does not eliminate equitable distribution — it removes the judge from the negotiation. Florida is an equitable distribution state under Fla. Stat. § 61.075, which means marital assets and marital debts are subject to fair division between the spouses, generally equal in the absence of specific statutory factors justifying a different split. In the simplified track, the spouses negotiate their own distribution privately and present it to the court as the agreed marital settlement agreement. The court's role is to confirm that the agreement was signed voluntarily, not to evaluate whether the division is financially optimal for either party.

Because the court does not scrutinize specific terms for fairness, one spouse can agree to an unequal distribution — taking on more debt or accepting less property than a contested trial might have awarded — and the court will accept it if both parties confirm the agreement was signed freely. This flexibility allows couples to tailor outcomes to their own priorities, such as one spouse keeping the car while the other keeps the bank account, but it also creates risk for a spouse who is uninformed about the value of marital assets or who feels subtle pressure to agree. A one-time attorney consultation to review the settlement agreement before signing is worth considering for any spouse who has significant assets, meaningful retirement accounts, or a substantially different income than the other spouse.

Every identified marital asset and every identified marital debt should appear specifically in the settlement agreement. Omitting an asset does not remove it from the marital estate. Under Fla. Stat. § 61.075(9), any marital asset that is not disposed of by the final judgment can be the subject of post-judgment proceedings for equitable distribution. A forgotten brokerage account, a pending tax refund, or an overlooked pension benefit discovered after the judgment is entered can trigger additional litigation that costs far more than the pre-filing inventory would have. Conducting a thorough asset and liability inventory — including reviewing bank statements, tax returns, and benefit statements — before signing the settlement agreement prevents these post-judgment complications.

9. When the Simplified Process Is Not an Option

Several common circumstances categorically foreclose the simplified dissolution track and require use of the regular dissolution process under Fla. Stat. § 61.19 and related statutes. Understanding these limits before investing time in the simplified forms avoids spending the $408 filing fee on a petition the clerk will reject or the judge will dismiss. For a full overview of what the regular process entails, see Florida divorce filing requirements.

Situations that require the regular dissolution process include:

• Any minor children of the marriage: The court is required to enter a parenting plan addressing time-sharing and parental responsibility under Fla. Stat. § 61.13 and a child support order calculated under Fla. Stat. § 61.30. These obligations cannot be waived and do not fit within the simplified track regardless of the parents' private agreement.
• Pregnancy: If the wife is pregnant at the time of filing, the simplified track is unavailable until after the child is born and parentage and support have been addressed through the appropriate legal process.
• Unresolved real property: If either spouse holds title to real property and a deed transferring or dividing that property has not been executed and recorded, the simplified track is closed. An oral or written agreement to transfer the property after the judgment is entered does not satisfy the statutory requirement.
• One uncooperative spouse: The simplified dissolution requires both spouses to be co-petitioners who sign the petition and appear at the final hearing. If one spouse refuses to sign, refuses to negotiate, or cannot be located, the regular dissolution process is the only available path. That process can produce a default judgment under Fla. Stat. § 61.19 or service by publication under Fla. Stat. § 49.011 in cases where a spouse's location is unknown.
• Domestic violence or coercive control: The simplified track presupposes that both spouses are negotiating freely and from a position of genuine voluntary consent. If either spouse has safety concerns or if the relationship involves a significant power imbalance, the voluntary consent the statute requires may not be achievable. Independent legal counsel, a domestic violence advocate, and the regular adversarial process with notice and hearing rights provide better protections in those circumstances.

10. Common Mistakes That Delay or Derail Cases

Even in the most straightforward simplified dissolution, procedural errors can add weeks to the timeline or result in outright rejection by the clerk or dismissal at the hearing. Understanding the most frequent mistakes in advance allows filers to avoid them.

The most common mistake is using an outdated or unofficial form. The Florida Supreme Court updates its approved family law forms periodically. Forms downloaded from third-party legal websites frequently carry an earlier revision date that the clerk will not accept. The revision date is printed in small type in the lower-left corner of each official form. Always download forms directly from flcourts.gov, verify the revision date at the time of download, and print only from that verified source.

A second frequent error is filing documents without valid notarization. Both the petition and the marital settlement agreement must be signed before a licensed notary — not merely witnessed by a friend or signed in the presence of the other spouse. A signature without notarization is not a valid oath under Florida law, and the clerk will flag it as a deficiency requiring correction before the case can proceed. Florida permits remote online notarization (RON) under Fla. Stat. § 117.265, which allows both spouses to complete notarization through an approved video platform from any location. RON services are widely available and typically cost no more than traditional in-person notarization.

Third, some filers upload the petition before the marital settlement agreement is fully negotiated and executed by both parties. The simplified dissolution does not provide a mechanism for submitting the petition and then adding a completed agreement later. If a dispute arises between filing and the final hearing, the parties must resolve it before the hearing date or seek a continuance — and if the dispute cannot be resolved, the case may need to be dismissed and re-filed under the regular dissolution track, incurring a second filing fee and starting the timeline over. Filing only after the settlement agreement is signed, notarized, and final eliminates this risk.

Finally, some spouses assume that the final judgment and marital settlement agreement automatically transfer title to vehicles and close joint financial accounts. They do not. The settlement agreement creates a binding legal obligation to make each transfer, but the actual change of title or account ownership requires each institution's or agency's own separate process after the judgment is entered. Leaving post-judgment transfers incomplete can create ongoing legal exposure — for example, a vehicle that remains titled in both names after the judgment continues to expose both parties to liability for accidents involving that vehicle until the DHSMV title transfer is completed.

Bottom line

The simplified dissolution of marriage under Fla. Stat. § 61.2995 is a genuinely accessible option for Florida couples who meet every statutory requirement — no minor children, no unresolved real property, a fully negotiated and notarized written settlement agreement, mutual and permanent alimony waivers, and genuine voluntary consent to appear at a final hearing. Filing through the Florida Courts eFiling Portal at myflcourtaccess.com reduces the courthouse visits to one and allows most of the paperwork to be completed from home. The process typically resolves in four to eight weeks from filing to final judgment, at a total out-of-pocket cost close to the $408 filing fee. The trade-offs are legally significant: alimony rights are waived permanently, the right to appeal disappears, and the court will not evaluate whether the property division in the settlement agreement is equitable.

Couples with minor children, unresolved real property, meaningful income disparities, domestic violence concerns, or any coercive dynamic in the relationship should use the regular dissolution process and consider working with a Florida family law attorney to protect their interests. If you have questions about whether the simplified track is appropriate for your situation or want to understand how a full dissolution would address your specific circumstances, Louis Law Group is available to help you evaluate your options.

Attorney Advertising Disclaimer

This article is general legal information only and does not constitute legal advice. It reflects Florida law as of 2026 and is subject to change without notice. Reading this article does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and Louis Law Group, PLLC, or any of its attorneys. Every family law matter is fact-specific, and the information contained here may not apply to your individual circumstances. Past results obtained in prior cases do not guarantee or predict outcomes in any future matter.