Updated July 2026
Filing for Divorce in Union County, Florida
A plain-language guide to divorce in Union County, FL, from the forms you file at the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Union County to costs, timeline, and how to prepare your paperwork without hiring an attorney.
Lake Butler, with a population under two thousand, is the seat of Union County. It has the only courthouse where a resident can file for divorce: the Union County Courthouse, 55 West Main Street, Room 103. There's no branch office and no separate family law building. One room handles every circuit civil filing for the county.
Divorce paperwork here follows the same statewide rules as everywhere else in Florida. Chapter 61 of the Florida Statutes calls it a dissolution of marriage. It requires six months of Florida residency by at least one spouse before filing, and the petition must state the marriage cannot be saved. If both spouses have no minor or dependent children together, no pregnancy underway, and already agree on dividing what they own and owe, they can use simplified dissolution on Form 12.901(a) and sign it jointly before a deputy clerk.
A Union County filer won't find a posted dollar amount for the filing fee. Unionclerk.com runs about forty-four indexed pages, including a Family Law section and an FAQ, and both explain who qualifies for simplified dissolution and how the process works. Neither lists a fee schedule or a dollar figure. Neighboring Eighth Circuit clerks mostly charge close to $408, so that's a reasonable starting guess. Still, call the clerk's office to confirm the real total before writing a check.
Filers can mail paperwork in or e-file through the statewide portal. Submitting documents doesn't require an in-person appearance, though the hearing itself will still be at the Lake Butler courthouse. Anyone who can't cover the confirmed fee can ask about a waiver under Florida Statute 57.082.
Where you file in Union County, FL
Divorce cases in Union County, FL are handled by the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Union 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 Union 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:
- File a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage with the circuit court.
- Serve your spouse, or, if you are filing together and agree on all terms, file jointly and skip service.
- 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).
- Reach a Marital Settlement Agreement, or ask the court to decide contested issues.
- 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 Union County, FL
The Union County Courthouse has no self-help window to walk up to. Anyone who wants in-person guidance on a dissolution filing has to go through the Eighth Judicial Circuit's centralized office at the Family and Civil Justice Center, room 413, in Gainesville, a drive outside the county, at (352) 548-3781. Staff there help with procedure, such as what a hearing notice means or which form is missing a signature, not with legal strategy.
Because the clerk's own site says so little about fees online, treat any dollar figure heard secondhand as a rumor, not a confirmed number, until the clerk's office states it directly over the phone.
One requirement holds regardless of the county's size: a parent with minor children still has to complete a state-approved parenting course, chosen from the Department of Children and Families' statewide list, and submit the completion certificate before a judge will sign off on the divorce.
Official divorce resources in Union County, FL
Union County Courthouse handles divorce filings, located at 55 West Main Street, Room 103, Lake Butler 32054.
E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Statewide e-filing portal covers Union along with every other Florida county.
Eighth Circuit Self-Help Center (serves Union from Gainesville) (https://circuit8.org/self-help/) can help with procedure and paperwork. Eighth Judicial Circuit Self-Help Center serves Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Gilchrist, Levy, and Union counties from one location at the Family and Civil Justice Center, room 413, Gainesville; staff assist with procedure and hearing-setting but do not give legal advice or select forms. Phone (352) 548-3781.
Local details reviewed August 2026. Offices and locations can change, so confirm with the official sites above before you file.
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Union County, FL Divorce FAQs
Where do I file for divorce in Union County?
The Union County Courthouse, 55 West Main Street, Room 103, Lake Butler, FL 32054, handles every circuit civil filing in the county, including dissolution of marriage. There's no branch location. For procedural help beyond what the clerk's counter can answer, use the Eighth Circuit's centralized office in Gainesville. There's no local self-help desk.
What does a Union County divorce cost?
Nobody publishes the answer online. Unionclerk.com's Family Law and FAQ sections explain simplified dissolution eligibility in detail, but neither states a dollar figure for the filing fee anywhere on the site. Neighboring counties in the same circuit tend to charge around $408, but call the clerk's office directly rather than assume that number applies here.
Is there a self-help desk at the Union County Courthouse?
No walk-in self-help office exists inside the courthouse itself. Union is one of six counties that share a single Eighth Judicial Circuit Self-Help Center, based in Gainesville at the Family and Civil Justice Center, room 413, (352) 548-3781. Staff there answer procedural questions but don't give legal advice or pick forms for a filer.
Does Union County allow simplified dissolution?
Yes, on the same terms as the rest of Florida. Both spouses need no minor or dependent children together, no pregnancy underway, and full agreement on dividing property and debts. Then they sign Form 12.901(a) jointly before a deputy clerk. The clerk's own FAQ page walks through this eligibility, even without listing a fee.
Will a Union County judge send my case to mediation?
Possibly. Circuit8.org describes the program in general terms, informal and non-adversarial with the parties controlling the outcome, rather than spelling out when referral is automatic. No dollar cost is posted for Union cases specifically. If your filing gets referred, ask the Self-Help Center at (352) 548-3781 what the session will run.
Are Union County parents required to take a parenting class?
Yes, whenever the divorcing couple has minor children. Florida Statute 61.21 makes this mandatory statewide, Union County included, before a final judgment is entered. The course comes from a provider on the Department of Children and Families' approved list. The completion certificate has to reach the court before the case can close.
This page is general information about Florida family law procedure in Union County, FL, not legal advice for your situation. Court locations, fees, and filing details change; always confirm current details with the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Union County or the official Florida family court self-help program resources. Virdix is not a law firm and is not a substitute for an attorney.
Divorce guides for nearby counties
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