Filing for Divorce in Pasco County, Florida

Pasco County has two courthouses for family court, so where you file depends on which side of the county you live in. The West Pasco Judicial Center in New Port Richey and the Robert D. Sumner Judicial Center in Dade City both accept paper family law petitions. Check with the clerk or look at your case number to find out which building handles your hearings.

The filing fee for a dissolution of marriage in Pasco County is $408, payable to the Clerk and Comptroller when you file. Self-represented parties can e-file through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal too, but e-filing is required only for attorneys.

Florida's simplified dissolution process applies if you and your spouse have no minor or dependent children together, the wife is not pregnant, you have already divided your property by agreement, and neither of you wants alimony. In that case you both attend a single final hearing instead of going through the standard petition and response track. Cases with minor children require both parents to finish a state-approved parenting course before the judge signs the final judgment.

Pasco's Legal Resource Centers, one at each judicial center, sell self-help family law packets and can point you to the right forms. Staff cannot fill out paperwork for you or tell you what to write.

Where you file in Pasco County, FL

Divorce cases in Pasco County, FL are handled by the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Pasco 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 Pasco 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 Pasco County, FL

Pasco is part of the Sixth Judicial Circuit, which also covers Pinellas County. The circuit keeps its own set of locally approved family law forms alongside the statewide 12.9xx series, including a specific Notice of Hearing packet and a Motion form. Check the circuit's forms page before you assume a statewide form covers every step of your case.

Family mediation in the Sixth Circuit is tied to household income. Court paperwork references an Affidavit for Establishing Mediation Fees, which the mediation coordinator uses to set a sliding-scale cost once a case is referred. If money is tight, the Legal Resource Centers can point self-represented parties to a fee waiver application for the filing fee.

Both Legal Resource Centers keep the same hours, 8:30am to 5:00pm on weekdays, and both have public computers, self-service forms, and community referral lists. Neither location can review your paperwork for legal sufficiency or tell you which courthouse to appear at. Call the clerk's main line to confirm before a hearing if you are unsure.

Official divorce resources in Pasco County, FL

West Pasco Judicial Center handles divorce filings, located at 7530 Little Road, New Port Richey 34654. Robert D. Sumner Judicial Center at 38053 Live Oak Avenue handles Family law filings and hearings for east Pasco; self-represented parties may file paper petitions here or at the West Pasco Judicial Center.

The filing fee is $408. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com/. The Florida Courts E-Filing Portal is mandatory for attorneys. Self-represented parties may still bring paper petitions to either judicial center.

Pasco Legal Resource Center (https://www.pascoclerk.com/330/Legal-Resource-Center) can help with procedure and paperwork. Two locations: New Port Richey (7530 Little Road, Suite 103, 727-847-8031) and Dade City (38053 Live Oak Avenue, Suite 205, 352-521-4542), Monday through Friday 8:30am to 5:00pm. Offers self-service family law form packets, judicial preferences, copy and fax service, and community referrals; some services are free and others carry a packet fee.

• Sixth Judicial Circuit - Representing Yourself in Court
• Pasco Legal Resource Center
• 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.

Pasco County, FL Divorce FAQs