Filing for Divorce in Santa Rosa County, Florida

File Santa Rosa County divorce cases with the Clerk of Court's Civil/Family Division. Cases are heard at the Santa Rosa County Courthouse in Milton, 4025 Avalon Blvd. The clerk's filing counter for family paperwork is at a separate office: 6495 Caroline St, Suite A, also in Milton. Call (850) 981-5554 to reach that office.

Santa Rosa does not publish one clear, current filing fee for a dissolution of marriage, unlike some Florida counties. A 2026 redesign of the clerk's website removed the fee schedule from its Court Fees page. The Simplified Dissolution packet itself lists two different numbers in different spots, so this fee is treated here as unconfirmed rather than guessed. Call the Civil/Family Division to get the exact current amount before you submit paperwork.

The Santa Rosa clerk also publishes its own dissolution checklists: one for the standard process with children, one for the standard process without children or property, and one for simplified dissolution. These sit alongside the statewide Florida Supreme Court family law forms. Self-represented filers get a Santa Rosa-specific starting point instead of only the generic statewide packets.

Santa Rosa is part of the First Judicial Circuit and uses the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal at myflcourtaccess.com for electronic filing. This is the same statewide system used in every Florida circuit. Paperwork does not have to be dropped off in person to be filed.

Where you file in Santa Rosa County, FL

Divorce cases in Santa Rosa County, FL are handled by the First Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa County, FL

Santa Rosa parents divorcing with minor children must still satisfy Fla. Stat. 61.21's statewide parenting course requirement. Both parents complete an approved course and file proof of completion before a judge signs off on a final judgment involving those children. The approved provider list is statewide, so it works the same way in Santa Rosa as anywhere else in Florida.

A contested Santa Rosa divorce, meaning the spouses disagree over property, support, or parenting, generally falls under Florida's statewide mediation referral rule in Fla. Stat. 61.183 before a final hearing is scheduled. Mediation fees follow the income-based sliding scale in Fla. Stat. 44.108. The clerk's and circuit's websites do not publish a current, Santa Rosa-specific fee table, so ask the Civil/Family Division directly for that number.

Santa Rosa's own fee page currently shows no numbers, and its Simplified Dissolution packet has a discrepancy between $415 and $417. Treat any dollar figure you see for a Santa Rosa filing fee as needing phone confirmation from the clerk's Civil/Family Division before you budget for it or submit payment.

Official divorce resources in Santa Rosa County, FL

Santa Rosa County Courthouse handles divorce filings, located at 4025 Avalon Blvd, Milton 32583.

E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, the statewide e-filing system covering the First Circuit.

Santa Rosa Clerk Domestic Relations, Child Support & Family Law Forms (https://santarosaclerk.com/links/online-forms/domestic-relations-child-support-family-law/) can help with procedure and paperwork. Offers county-specific forms (acceptance/waiver of service, hearing requests, financial disclosure waiver) plus checklists for dissolution of marriage with or without children or property, simplified dissolution, name changes, adoption, paternity, modifications, and emergency custody. Standard Florida Supreme Court family law forms are cross-referenced to flcourts.org. Civil/Family division office: 6495 Caroline St Suite A, Milton FL 32570, (850) 981-5554.

• Santa Rosa County Clerk of Court
• Domestic Relations & Family Law Forms
• 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.

Santa Rosa County, FL Divorce FAQs