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How much does it cost to file for divorce in Florida?
There is no honest single statewide figure for a Florida divorce: the total is assembled under Fla. Stat. §28.241 and published by each county clerk. The verified example on this site is Miami-Dade County at $409 — and any website quoting you one flat “Florida divorce fee” is guessing.
Florida divorce at a glance
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Filing fee — Miami-Dade County (verified example) | $409 |
| Filing fee — your county | Set by your clerk under §28.241; check the clerk's published fee schedule before budgeting |
| Service of process | $50–$100 typical for a private process server; the sheriff is usually the cheapest route |
| Reopen fee (case closed 90+ days) | $50 (Fla. Stat. §28.241) |
Why Florida has 67 answers
Florida's circuit-court filing fees are built from a statutory framework — §28.241 puts general circuit civil filings at up to $395 with additional statutory charges — and each clerk publishes the total their office actually collects. Name changes show the same pattern (Miami-Dade charges $401 for an adult name change, with a fingerprint-based background check under §68.07 and no publication). The practical rule: price your divorce from your clerk's schedule, not from a statewide average.
The layer divorcing parents forget: the parenting course
Florida requires parents divorcing with minor children to complete a court-approved parenting course (Fla. Stat. §61.21) before the divorce is final. The course is provided by approved private providers, and its price is set by the provider — there is no official statewide figure, so we do not publish one. Ask your clerk for the approved-provider list and compare prices there. Custody filings themselves are priced in the child custody filing cost guide.
How filing works in Florida
- Prepare the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage — Florida's courts publish the family-law form set, and clerk self-help centers will check paperwork.
- File with your county clerk of the circuit court and pay the county's filing fee $409 in Miami-Dade
- Arrange service on your spouse — sheriff or certified process server $50–$100 typical
- If you have minor children, complete the §61.21 parenting course and file the certificate.
- Attend the final hearing (many uncontested cases are short) and order certified copies of the final judgment — see copy and certification fees.
Can't afford the fee?
Florida clerks accept Applications for Determination of Civil Indigent Status, which waive or set a payment plan for filing fees — see the fee waiver guide.
The national picture
Florida is one of thirteen county-set states in the divorce filing cost guide, where fees run from $97 to $435 in the states that do publish a statewide figure. Every other Florida fee is in the Florida court costs guide.
Sources: Miami-Dade Clerk of Court — Family Court fees · Fla. Stat. §§28.241, 61.21, 68.07 — Online Sunshine. Researched October 2026 — confirm current figures with your county clerk.