Filing for Divorce in Leon County, Florida

File Leon County divorce cases with the Leon County Clerk of the Circuit Court, Family Division, at the Leon County Courthouse, 301 S. Monroe Street, #100, in downtown Tallahassee. Tallahassee is Florida's state capital and the seat of the Second Judicial Circuit. The dissolution of marriage filing fee is reported at $397.50.

Leon is the hub county for the Second Circuit and the site of state government. Its Clerk's Office runs resources that smaller neighboring counties in the same circuit do not. The most notable is the Low Bono Self-Help Center, a partnership with the Tallahassee Bar Association. It offers family law self-help assistance and form packets, plus attorney consultations for self-represented litigants.

The Low Bono Self-Help Center covers family law matters other than restraining orders, along with small claims and eviction help. It provides downloadable and purchasable packets, including the paperwork for a standard or simplified dissolution of marriage. That gives Leon filers a more staffed, in-person resource than what is typically available in Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Liberty, or Wakulla counties, Leon's smaller neighbors within the Second Circuit.

Leon participates in the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal at myflcourtaccess.com. The clerk's own Self-Help Center page actively promotes e-filing to self-represented litigants, rather than just describing it as an option.

Where you file in Leon County, FL

Divorce cases in Leon County, FL are handled by the Second Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Leon 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 Leon 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 Leon County, FL

Fla. Stat. 61.21's statewide parenting course requirement applies in Leon the same as everywhere in Florida. Both parents in a case involving minor children must complete an approved course and file proof of completion before a judge enters a final judgment covering those children.

Contested Leon divorces are generally subject to Florida's mediation referral rule under Fla. Stat. 61.183, with fees on the state's income-based scale in Fla. Stat. 44.108. Leon is the Second Circuit's largest and most resourced county, so it likely runs a more developed in-house mediation program than its smaller neighbors. A specific, current fee table isn't published here, so confirm the cost with the Family Division once a case is referred.

The Low Bono Self-Help Center partners with the Tallahassee Bar Association, so it can connect self-represented filers to brief attorney consultations in addition to standard clerk paperwork help. Smaller clerk's offices elsewhere in the Second Circuit typically don't offer this. Confirm current hours and whether an appointment is required before visiting.

Official divorce resources in Leon County, FL

Leon County Courthouse handles divorce filings, located at 301 S. Monroe Street, #100, Tallahassee 32301.

The filing fee is $397.50. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, statewide. Leon's own self-help center page also promotes e-filing through the statewide portal for self-represented litigants.

Leon County Clerk Low Bono Self-Help Center (https://leonclerk.com/divisions/self-help-center/) can help with procedure and paperwork. A partnership between the Leon County Clerk and the Tallahassee Bar Association, providing family law (excluding restraining orders), small claims, and eviction self-help assistance, attorney consultations, and downloadable or purchasable form packets, including dissolution of marriage.

• Leon County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller
• Low Bono Self-Help Center
• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
• FloridaLawHelp.org

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

Leon County, FL Divorce FAQs