Florida Divorce Laws
What to Expect When Help Yourself Divorce Prepares Your Florida Divorce

Grounds for Divorce.
In order to file for divorce, you must tell the court why you want a divorce. The legal reason why you are filing for divorce is known as the "grounds" for divorce. Because we are a no-fault divorce service, Help Yourself Divorce will prepare your papers based on the grounds that the marriage is irretrievably broken.

 

Residency Requirements.
To file for divorce with Help Yourself Divorce, at least one party must have lived in the state of Florida for at least six months before filing the divorce papers.

If you and your spouse have minor children, the court must have jurisdiction over them. Generally this means your children must have lived in Florida for at least six months and currently live in Florida, or have lived in Florida within six months of filing.

 

Filing for Divorce.
You should file for divorce in the Florida county where either you live, or where your spouse lives.

 

Service.
You are required to prove to the court that you served your spouse with copies of all the divorce papers. The way you provide service is by mailing or hand-delivering a copy of the papers to your spouse. Your spouse will then sign a form called an Answer and Waiver, which tells the court your spouse received the papers and serves as proof of service. Either you or your spouse will file this form with the court.

 

Waiting Period.
After you file for divorce in Florida, there is a 20 day waiting period before your divorce can be finalized.

 

Final Hearing.
Your divorce will be finalized during a brief uncontested divorce hearing, which only the Petitioner must attend. Your spouse can attend if desired, but he or she is not required to.

 

 

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IMPORTANT: Help Yourself Divorce is a paralegal service, not a law firm. Seek help from an attorney if you need legal advice.