How Long Does a Divorce Take in Florida?
If you are just starting the divorce process, you probably have one question on your mind above all others: how long does a divorce take in Florida? The honest answer is that it depends. Some divorces wrap up in a few weeks. Others take a year or more. The difference usually comes down to how much the spouses agree on, how complicated the finances are, and whether children are part of the picture.
This guide walks through what actually happens during a Florida divorce, from the residency rule that starts the clock to the final judgment that ends it. Along the way, it covers the factors most likely to speed things up or slow them down, so you can go into the process with a realistic sense of what to expect.
Florida's Residency and Waiting Period Rules
Before a Florida court can grant a divorce, the case has to meet a few basic legal requirements. Under Florida Statute 61.021, at least one spouse must have lived in Florida for six months before filing the petition for dissolution of marriage. It does not matter where the couple got married or where the other spouse lives now. As long as one spouse meets the residency rule, the case can move forward here.
Once the petition is filed, Florida law also builds in a waiting period. Florida Statute 61.19 says a judge cannot sign a final judgment of dissolution until at least twenty days have passed since filing. This applies to every case, even one where both spouses agree on everything from day one. No matter how organized you are, a Florida divorce cannot finish in less than twenty days.
What Actually Determines How Long a Divorce Takes in Florida
There is no set number of days that applies to every case. Instead, a few key factors shape how long does a divorce take in Florida for any given couple. These include whether the divorce is contested or uncontested, how complex the marital estate is, whether the couple has minor children, and how quickly both sides share their financial information. Spouses who settle the big issues early tend to move through the process much faster than those who need months of back and forth.
Some people also wonder if there is an advantage to filing before their spouse does. Filing first will not change the legal rules described above, but it can shape a few scheduling details. If you want to dig into that question further, our discussion of the considerations involved in deciding who files first covers it in more depth.
Contested vs. Uncontested Divorce
An uncontested divorce is one where both spouses already agree on everything: how to divide marital assets and debts, time-sharing and parental responsibility if there are kids, and any spousal support. Since there is nothing left for the judge to decide, these cases usually move through the court system in a matter of weeks. That timeline assumes the waiting period and any required parenting class are already complete.
A contested divorce is different. At least one issue is still unresolved, and the spouses need more negotiation, mediation, or a hearing to sort it out. That means extra steps like financial discovery and mediation get added to the overall divorce timeline. The good news is that many cases that start out contested end up settling at mediation, long before a trial date ever comes up. That alone can shave months off the process compared to fighting every issue in front of a judge.
The Divorce Timeline in Florida: Step by Step
No two cases look exactly alike, but most Florida divorces follow the same basic sequence of steps. Walking through each one helps explain why the divorce timeline can look so different from one case to the next.
Filing and Service
The process starts when one spouse, called the petitioner, files a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage with the circuit court in the county where either spouse lives. The other spouse, called the respondent, then has to be formally served with the paperwork. Florida law usually gives the respondent twenty days to file a written response once they are served. This early stage is where things can either move smoothly or hit an early snag, especially if the respondent does not respond on time. For a closer look at what happens first, see our step-by-step guide to filing for divorce in Florida.
Financial Disclosure
Both spouses typically have to exchange financial affidavits and supporting paperwork early on. This step, often called financial discovery, gives both sides and the court a full picture of income, assets, and debts before anyone makes decisions about property or support. Cases that involve business ownership or sizable investments usually need more time for discovery. The same is true when there are concerns that a spouse is not being upfront about assets. If you want more detail on how this step works, take a look at our explanation of financial discovery in divorce.
Parenting Course and Parenting Plan
When minor children are involved, Florida requires both parents to finish a Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course before the court will enter a final judgment. This course is required in any dissolution of marriage case with minor children. Parents also need to work out a parenting plan that covers time-sharing and decision-making. Getting this course done early, rather than waiting until the last minute, helps keep the divorce timeline moving.
Mediation
Many Florida circuits require mediation before a contested case can go to trial. During mediation, both spouses sit down with a neutral, trained mediator to work through the issues they still disagree on, without a judge making the call. When mediation works, the agreement gets submitted to the court, and the case moves forward as an uncontested matter from there. When it does not fully resolve things, the case keeps moving toward a contested hearing or trial on whatever is left.
Final Hearing and Judgment
Once every issue is settled, whether by agreement or by a judge's ruling after trial, the court enters a Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage. In an uncontested case, the final hearing is usually short. The judge is mainly checking that the settlement is fair and that all the legal requirements have been met. In a contested case headed to trial, the final hearing can take much longer. It often follows months of preparation, sometimes including a lifestyle analysis or other financial review if support or property is still in dispute.
What Can Make the Divorce Timeline Longer
A few situations tend to add time to a Florida divorce beyond the basic steps above.
Complicated finances are one of the biggest factors. Dividing a closely held business, multiple pieces of real estate, retirement accounts, or investment portfolios usually calls for appraisals or professional valuations before equitable distribution can be finalized. Divorces that involve business ownership often need this kind of extra step.
Disagreements over child time-sharing or parental responsibility can also stretch out a case. This is especially true if the parents cannot agree on a parenting plan, or if the court orders an evaluation to look at what is best for the children. The same goes for disputes over spousal support, which tend to take longer in marriages that lasted many years or where one spouse earns significantly more than the other.
Inherited property can complicate things too, especially when there is a question about whether an inheritance got mixed in with marital assets over the years. And finally, a spouse who drags their feet on discovery, skips mediation sessions, or otherwise does not cooperate can slow down even a fairly simple case.
Can a Florida Divorce Move Faster?
The twenty-day waiting period under Florida Statute 61.19 is fixed and cannot be shortened. Beyond that, though, spouses do have some control over how quickly the rest of the process moves. Settling the big issues early, whether on your own, through your attorneys, or through mediation, is usually the single best way to shorten a divorce timeline. Turning in financial disclosures promptly, meeting the deadlines the court sets, and finishing any required parenting course early all help avoid delays that are otherwise easy to avoid. Couples who already have a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement in place may also find the process moves faster, since many of the terms are already spelled out.
Common Questions About the Florida Divorce Timeline
Does it matter which spouse files first? Florida is a no-fault state, so a spouse only has to say the marriage is irretrievably broken rather than prove anyone did something wrong. Filing first will not change how the court decides property division or time-sharing, though it can affect a few scheduling details, as mentioned earlier.
What happens if my spouse will not respond to the petition? If the respondent does not file an answer within the required window after being served, the petitioner may be able to ask the court for a default judgment. This lets the case move forward even without the other spouse taking part. A spouse who is hard to find, or who avoids being served, can add weeks or even months to the beginning of a case.
Can a case switch from contested to uncontested partway through? Yes, and it happens often. A case that starts out contested can become uncontested once the spouses reach an agreement, usually through mediation. Once that happens, the remaining steps tend to move faster, since the court is simply reviewing and approving an agreement instead of resolving a dispute.
Does the court's schedule affect the timeline? It can. Circuit court calendars vary from county to county and change with the seasons. How quickly a mediator, a case management conference, or a final hearing date becomes available can add time to a case, even when both spouses are fully prepared. That is one reason two similar cases can move at very different speeds depending on where they are filed.
Do I need an attorney for an uncontested divorce? Florida law does not require either spouse to have an attorney, and some couples choose to handle a simple, uncontested case on their own. That said, even a straightforward divorce involves paperwork with real legal consequences, such as how retirement accounts are divided or how a parenting plan is worded. Many couples find that having an attorney review or prepare these documents helps avoid mistakes that could otherwise cause delays or need to be fixed later.
Working With an Attorney to Manage Your Divorce Timeline
Because so many factors affect how long a divorce takes in Florida, working with an attorney who knows the local courts can help you set realistic expectations from the start. An experienced family law attorney can usually tell early on which parts of your case are likely to move quickly. They can also flag which parts may take longer, whether that is complex finances, disagreements over time-sharing, or something else specific to your situation. That kind of guidance makes it easier to plan ahead, both practically and emotionally, as your case works its way through each stage.
Divorce touches nearly every part of life at once, from finances to parenting. Having a clear sense of what comes next can make the process feel more manageable, even before you know the exact timeline. Staying in regular contact with your attorney about financial disclosures, mediation dates, or anything still unresolved helps you stay informed, rather than feeling like the case is moving forward without you.
Every Florida divorce follows its own path. The honest answer to how long does a divorce take in Florida comes down to three things: how much the spouses agree on, how complicated the marital estate is, and whether children are part of the case. Understanding the general divorce process from filing to final judgment can help you feel more prepared for what is ahead, even if you cannot pin down an exact date for when it will end.
If you have questions about your own situation and want a better sense of the timeline that might apply to your case, the Law Office of Cindy A. Crawford, PLLC is here to help. You can contact our office to schedule a consultation and learn more about the dissolution of marriage process in Florida.