Filing for Divorce in Hillsborough County, Florida

File Hillsborough County divorce cases with the Clerk. Hearings take place at the George E. Edgecomb Courthouse, 800 E. Twiggs Street in downtown Tampa. The filing fee for a dissolution of marriage petition is $408. Most documents now go through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, but a few filing types, like service by publication or registry deposits, still require paper.

Bay Area Legal Services runs two free programs that help self-represented parties with forms. The Family Forms Clinic meets at the Edgecomb Courthouse, Room 210, Wednesdays and Fridays 10am to 2pm, walk-in only. The Legal Information Program meets at the Plant City Courthouse, Room 2085, Tuesdays 10am to 2pm. Both serve Hillsborough County family law cases only.

Couples qualify for simplified dissolution if they have no minor or dependent children together, have already divided their property, neither wants alimony, and both agree to attend one joint final hearing. Cases with minor children require both parents to complete a state parenting course before a judge signs the final judgment.

Bay Area Legal Services also offers a free online Legal Information Center at bals.org/LIC and a Legal Aid Line at (800) 625-2257 for parties who cannot make it to either in-person clinic.

Where you file in Hillsborough County, FL

Divorce cases in Hillsborough County, FL are handled by the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Hillsborough County. Because courthouse locations, hours, filing fees, and electronic filing options change over time and can differ between branches, use the Florida court clerk directory to confirm the current address and filing details for your case:

Find the Hillsborough County, FL Clerk of Court (Florida court clerk directory)

The Florida divorce process, step by step

Florida calls divorce "dissolution of marriage," governed statewide by Florida Statutes chapter 61. At least one spouse generally must have lived in Florida for six months before filing (Fla. Stat. 61.021). The core steps are:

1. File a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage with the circuit court.
2. Serve your spouse, or, if you are filing together and agree on all terms, file jointly and skip service.
3. Exchange mandatory financial disclosure, including a Financial Affidavit (Florida Supreme Court approved family law form 12.902(b) or 12.902(c) depending on income).
4. Reach a Marital Settlement Agreement, or ask the court to decide contested issues.
5. Attend a mandatory parenting course if you have minor children and your circuit requires one, then submit your final paperwork for the judge to enter a Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage.

The clerk's filing fee to open a dissolution case is generally around $409, and an application for civil indigent status is available if you cannot afford it (Fla. Stat. 57.082). Florida does not use a fixed statewide waiting period from filing to final judgment the way some states do; timing depends on your circuit's calendar, whether the case is contested, and how quickly required steps like financial disclosure are completed. Couples who agree on every term, have no minor children, and meet certain conditions may qualify for Florida's simplified dissolution of marriage process, which is faster.

Local notes for Hillsborough County, FL

Both self-help clinics run on limited weekly schedules, not daily hours, so plan your paperwork around them. The Tampa clinic meets Wednesdays and Fridays 10am to 2pm at the Edgecomb Courthouse. The Plant City clinic meets Tuesdays 10am to 2pm. Outside those windows, no volunteer attorney or law student is available to help complete forms.

Volunteers at both clinics help fill out court-approved forms but cannot give legal advice or represent anyone in court. Neither clinic can assist with cases outside Hillsborough County. Residents of neighboring counties need their own circuit's self-help program.

Most filings now go through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal. Self-represented parties who want to file on paper should confirm with the clerk whether their document falls into one of the limited categories still requiring an in-person or mailed submission.

Official divorce resources in Hillsborough County, FL

George E. Edgecomb Courthouse handles divorce filings, located at 800 E. Twiggs Street, Tampa 33602. Plant City Courthouse at 301 N. Michigan Ave. handles A weekly Legal Information Program clinic for Hillsborough County family law cases; most family filings and hearings otherwise happen at the Edgecomb Courthouse in Tampa.

The filing fee is $408. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com/. Most documents are filed through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal; certain filings, including foreign judgment registrations, service-by-publication requests, eviction summonses, and registry deposits, must still be submitted on paper directly to the Clerk.

Family Law Self-Help Programs (Bay Area Legal Services) (https://www.fljud13.org/Resources/Self-Help/Family-Law-Self-Help-Programs) can help with procedure and paperwork. Two free programs run by Bay Area Legal Services: the Family Forms Clinic at George Edgecomb Courthouse, Room 210, Wednesdays and Fridays 10am to 2pm, walk-in only, (813) 864-2280 option 2; and the Legal Information Program at the Plant City Courthouse, Room 2085, Tuesdays 10am to 2pm. Both are limited to Hillsborough County family law cases and cannot assist with out-of-county or out-of-state matters.

• Thirteenth Judicial Circuit - Family Law Self-Help Programs
• Hillsborough Clerk - Family Law
• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
• DCF Parent Education Course Providers

Local details reviewed August 2026. Offices and locations can change, so confirm with the official sites above before you file.

Hillsborough County, FL Divorce FAQs