How Much Does a Divorce Cost in Florida? Parent Fee Guide

Updated November 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte

For parents asking how much does a divorce cost in Florida, the required court fees start at $397.50 to file the petition, plus $10 for each summons, $40 for each sheriff service and up to $10.50 to record the final judgment. If a court mediation program handles your case, it adds $60 or $120 per parent for each session when combined income is under $100,000, and each parent pays for the required parenting course. A parent the clerk finds indigent does not pay the filing fee or the summons charge.

Key Facts

Filing fee: the clerk charges $397.50 to file a petition for dissolution of marriage. See the required court fees.
Totals: court and sheriff fees come to about $408 to $458 before mediation and the course. See how the fees add up.
Mediation: court program fees are charged per person, per session, based on income. See mediation costs.
No shortcut: parents with minor children cannot use simplified dissolution. See why parents use the regular process.
Fee help: civil indigent status removes the filing fee and summons charge. See civil indigent status.

How Much Does a Divorce Cost in Florida in Court Fees?

Some divorce costs are set by Florida law or posted by the clerk. Those are the costs you can plan for with real numbers. Other costs, such as a lawyer, depend on your case.

Here are the set fees for a divorce with minor children:

Fee	Amount	Who charges it	Official source
Petition for dissolution of marriage	$397.50	Clerk of Court	Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers
Summons	$10 for each one	Clerk of Court	Bay County Clerk fee schedule
Service of process by the sheriff	$40 for each summons	Sheriff	Section 30.231
Recording the final judgment	Up to $10.50	Clerk of Court	Section 28.101
Court family mediation	$60 or $120 per person, per session	Clerk of Court	Section 44.108
Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course	Set by each provider	Course provider	Section 61.21

The filing fee is paid when the petition is filed. The Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers list it as $397.50, with a $10.50 judgment fee.

Fees can change after a session of the Florida Legislature. Check your own county clerk’s fee page before you file.

How the Fees Add Up

Adding the set fees together gives a starting estimate for a divorce with children. These totals cover only the court and sheriff fees listed here. More summonses, a private process server, card fees, the parent course and lawyers all add to them.

Your situation	Court and sheriff total
The other parent signs an Answer and Waiver of Service, so no summons is served	Up to $408.00
The sheriff serves one summons	Up to $458.00
Court mediation, combined income under $50,000	$120 per session for two parents
Court mediation, combined income over $50,000 and under $100,000	$240 per session for two parents

The first two rows add the filing fee, the judgment fee and, in the second row, one summons and one sheriff service. The mediation rows double the per-person fee, because each parent pays.

Why can a summons be skipped? The Palm Beach County checklist says the clerk issues a summons at the petitioner’s request, unless the respondent files an Answer and Waiver of Service.

Six steps to estimate your own Florida divorce court costs, from the clerk's fee page to the judgment fee — How Much Does a Divorce Cost in Florida? Parent Fee Guide 3

Who Pays Each Fee

The fees do not all fall on one parent. Here is how the official pages split them:

Filing fee. The parent who files the petition pays it at filing.
Summons and service. The Palm Beach checklist says the clerk issues the summons at the petitioner’s request. The party who asks for service pays the sheriff’s fee, as the Leon County Sheriff notes, and the server files proof of service for the petitioner.
Mediation. Each parent pays a separate per-person fee for each session.
Parent course. Each parent pays the provider for their own course.
Lawyers. Each side pays its own lawyer unless the court orders help under section 61.16.

Knowing who pays what helps each parent plan a separate budget.

Why Parents Use the Regular Process

Florida has a shorter path called simplified dissolution. It uses the Joint Petition for Simplified Dissolution of Marriage, Form 12.901(a), on the Florida Courts family law forms page.

That path is not open to most parents. Florida Family Law Rule 12.105 requires that the spouses have no minor or dependent children together, and the Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers describe it as a process for cases with no children. The rule also excludes cases where the wife is pregnant or has a minor or dependent child born during the marriage.

So parents with minor children file the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage with Dependent or Minor Child(ren), Form 12.901(b)(1). For the steps in that process, see how to file for divorce in Florida with minor children.

The filing fee does not change between the two paths. The Manatee County Clerk lists $397.50 for both the simplified petition and the petition with minor children. The real difference is the extra steps a case with children needs, such as the parenting plan and the parent course.

Family Mediation Costs

When parents disagree, a judge may send them to mediation. If the circuit court’s own mediation program provides it, section 44.108 sets the fee:

$60 per person per session when the parties’ combined income is less than $50,000.
$120 per person per session when combined income is over $50,000 but less than $100,000.
No fee for a party found to be indigent.

The fee is per person and per session. So two parents in two sessions pay four fees, not one.

Section 44.108 sets no fee for incomes of $100,000 or more. Circuits handle that on their own. The Fifteenth Circuit, for example, says parties with combined income over $100,000 must use a private mediator.

No Florida statute sets a private mediator’s rate. Ask for the rate in writing before the first session.

The Parent Course Fee

Florida law requires each parent in a divorce with minor children to finish a course approved by the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF). Section 61.21 lets each provider charge a reasonable fee for each parent who attends.

There is no state price for the course. For sliding-fee sites, fee rules and how to compare providers, see how much a Florida parenting class costs.

Timing matters for the budget too. The parent who files has 45 days after filing to finish the course, and the other parent has 45 days after service.

Lawyer Fees and Form Services

Lawyer fees are the largest cost that no law sets. They depend on the lawyer, the issues and how much the parents agree. We do not give lawyer fee figures, because no official source publishes them.

Florida law does allow some help with lawyer costs. Under section 61.16, the court may order one party to pay a reasonable amount of the other party’s attorney fees, suit money and costs. The court first looks at the financial resources of both parties.

Online form services are a separate cost. If you see an offer such as a $99 divorce in Florida, check what it includes. The clerk collects the $397.50 filing fee when the petition is filed, so a form service’s price does not replace it.

Other small costs can apply as well:

Card fees. The Lake County Clerk notes a 3.5% charge from its payment provider on each credit card transaction.
Process servers. Section 30.231 sets the sheriff’s fee only. It sets no price for a private process server.

Lowering the Cost With Civil Indigent Status

Florida has a formal way to ask for help with court fees. Under section 57.082, a person who cannot pay applies to the clerk for a determination of civil indigent status.

If the clerk approves it, section 57.081 says the person does not have to pay filing fees or charges for issuing a summons. The person also does not have to prepay costs to a court, clerk or sheriff.

That is not the same as a fully free divorce:

Payment plans. Section 57.082 says a person found indigent is enrolled in a payment plan and pays a one-time processing charge.
Mediation. Section 44.108 charges no court mediation fee to a party found indigent.
The parent course. Course fees are set by the provider, not the clerk. Ask providers about sliding fees or scholarships.

Apply early. The Broward County Clerk says to submit the application when you file your case. The form, Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status, is linked on the Florida Courts family law forms page.

If the clerk says you are not indigent, section 57.082 lets you ask the court to review that decision.

Civil indigent status at a glance: who decides, which fees are not charged, prepayment, payment plan and mediation — How Much Does a Divorce Cost in Florida? Parent Fee Guide 4

Common Mistakes

Each item below rests on a statute or an official clerk or court page:

Thinking a form service covers the filing fee. The clerk collects that fee separately.
Budgeting mediation for one person. Court mediation fees are charged per person, per session.
Planning on simplified dissolution. Parents with minor children together cannot use it.
Forgetting the end of the case. Recording the final judgment can cost up to $10.50.
Asking for fee help late. File the indigent application with your petition.
Hiring a server without a quote. The law sets the sheriff’s fee, not a private server’s.

What We Found on the Official Pages

We checked these pages on November 2, 2026. The Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers page listed a $397.50 filing fee and a $10.50 judgment fee. The Manatee and Bay County clerk pages listed the same $397.50 filing fee.

The Bay County fee schedule listed $10 per summons and court mediation at $60 and $120. Sections 28.101, 30.231, 44.108, 57.081, 57.082 and 61.16 all appeared in the 2026 Florida Statutes.

How Requirements Can Vary

DivorceParentingClass.net is available online to parents in every Florida county. Section 61.21 sets the statewide parenting course requirement, and DCF approves courses. Availability online does not replace the instructions in your own case.

Duval, Clay and Nassau orders generally call for an in-person course. Court approval may allow another format; obtain any required permission before taking an online course.

Read the order for your county, case type and assigned judge. A Nassau order is not the standing order for every county in the Fourth Circuit.

Local instructions can also set registration, filing and completion steps. Keep any permission with your case records, finish by your applicable deadline, and file your own certificate as directed. An enrollment receipt is not proof that the court has accepted a certificate.

Laws, court orders and local rules can change. Check your court’s instructions, your county clerk’s website and DCF’s provider list before you enroll or file.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to file for divorce in Florida?

The clerk charges $397.50 to file a petition for dissolution of marriage. A summons, sheriff service and the final judgment fee can add more.

Can I get a divorce in Florida for free?

Not fully. If the clerk finds you indigent, you do not pay the filing fee or the summons charge. Other costs can go on a payment plan, and the parent course has its own fee.

Can parents use simplified dissolution to save money?

No. Simplified dissolution requires no minor or dependent children together. The filing fee is also the same on both paths.

Who pays for court mediation?

When a circuit court program does the mediation, each parent pays $60 or $120 per session, based on combined income under $100,000. A party found indigent pays none, and higher-income parents may need a private mediator.

Does the parent course cost extra?

Yes. Each parent pays the provider’s fee, and Florida sets no state price.

Can the court make my spouse pay my lawyer?

It can. Section 61.16 lets the court order one party to pay a reasonable amount of the other’s attorney fees and costs after looking at both parties’ finances.

Are divorce fees the same in every county?

The clerk pages we checked listed the same $397.50 filing fee. Fees can change, so check your county clerk’s page before you file.

Conclusion

The cost of divorce in Florida for parents starts with set court fees of about $408 to $458, then grows with mediation, the parent course and any lawyer. Ask your clerk about civil indigent status early if those fees are hard to pay. You can review DivorceParentingClass.net’s Florida Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course for the course step, but first confirm that your court accepts an online course.

Sources

Billy Forte is the owner of DivorceParentingClass.net.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Court rules, local practice, and case facts can differ by county, judge, and case type in Florida. Use official court and state sources, and consult a qualified Florida family law attorney for legal guidance specific to your case.