Filing for Divorce in Palm Beach County, Florida

Palm Beach County runs four courthouses, so where you file for divorce depends partly on where you live. The main Palm Beach County Courthouse (the Judge Daniel T. K. Hurley Courthouse) in West Palm Beach handles most family law filings. North County, South County, and West County branch courthouses handle other parts of the county. Confirm with the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller which location accepts your specific filing before you go.

Divorce is called dissolution of marriage under Florida law. Palm Beach County follows the same statewide rules as the rest of Florida: chapter 61 of the Florida Statutes sets the grounds, the six-month residency requirement, and the required forms. Family cases in Palm Beach County move through a Unified Family Court structure, built to keep related matters, like custody and support, in front of consistent case management.

The Fifteenth Judicial Circuit runs a Family Case Inquiry system staffed by case managers who answer procedural and case-status questions. They cannot give legal advice or fill out your paperwork. The Palm Beach Clerk separately advertises self-service resources, including a Divorce Workshop Toolbox, for self-represented filers who want a structured walkthrough of the process.

Self-represented parties can skip an in-person trip and e-file through the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal at myflcourtaccess.com.

Where you file in Palm Beach County, FL

Divorce cases in Palm Beach County, FL are handled by the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Palm Beach 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 Palm Beach 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 Palm Beach County, FL

Palm Beach County operates four courthouse locations, so confirm which one processes family law filings for your area before making a trip. The main Palm Beach County Courthouse in West Palm Beach is the default location most self-represented filers use. The North County, South County, and West County courthouses each serve their own geographic areas and may not handle every case type.

The clerk's filing fee to open a dissolution of marriage case in Palm Beach County generally runs around $409. Confirm the exact current figure with the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller before you file, since fees change periodically. If the fee is out of reach, ask the clerk about an Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status under Fla. Stat. 57.082 to have it waived or deferred.

If you and your spouse agree on everything and have no minor or dependent children together, ask about Florida's simplified dissolution process. It can move faster than the regular uncontested track because both spouses attend a single final hearing together. If you do have minor children, both parents need to complete the Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course before a judge will finalize the case.

Official divorce resources in Palm Beach County, FL

Palm Beach County Courthouse (Judge Daniel T. K. Hurley Courthouse) handles divorce filings, located at 205 N. Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach 33401. North County Courthouse at 3188 PGA Blvd handles Certain family filings closer to the northern part of the county; confirm which case types before relying on this location. South County Courthouse at 200 W Atlantic Ave handles Certain family filings closer to the southern part of the county; confirm which case types before relying on this location. West County Courthouse at 2950 State Rd 15 handles Certain family filings for the Glades area; confirm which case types before relying on this location.

The filing fee is $409. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal. Family cases in Palm Beach County are handled through a Unified Family Court structure.

Family Case Inquiry / Self-Service Center (https://www.15thcircuit.com) can help with procedure and paperwork. The Fifteenth Circuit runs a Family Case Inquiry system where case managers answer procedural questions and case-status questions but cannot give legal advice or fill out paperwork. The Palm Beach Clerk also advertises a Self-Service Center with a Divorce Workshop Toolbox, though that clerk page returned an automated-access error during verification, so confirm current content directly.

• Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida
• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
• FloridaLawHelp.org
• Fla. Stat. 61.031 - Simplified dissolution of marriage

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

Palm Beach County, FL Divorce FAQs