Filing for Divorce in Washington County, Florida

File Washington County divorce paperwork with the Washington County Clerk of Court at the courthouse, 1293 Jackson Ave in Chipley, (850) 638-6285. The dissolution of marriage filing fee is $397.50. This comes straight from the clerk's own dissolution packet PDFs, which state "Filing Fee $397.50" on the cover page.

These packets cover dissolution with a child, dissolution with no property or children, and simplified dissolution. They note that they also apply to filers in Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, and Jackson counties, all part of the same Fourteenth Judicial Circuit. That makes Washington's clerk site a useful reference for residents of those neighboring counties too. Each county's own clerk still handles its own filings and fees.

The packet PDFs are dated 2020 in their file paths, and no newer fee table exists to double-check the figure. Treat $397.50 as likely accurate, but confirm it with the Clerk's Office before paying, in case the amount has changed since the packets were last updated.

Washington also participates in the Fourteenth Circuit's family mediation program and the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal at myflcourtaccess.com. Both are shared with the rest of the circuit.

Where you file in Washington County, FL

Divorce cases in Washington County, FL are handled by the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington County, FL

Fla. Stat. 61.21's parenting course requirement applies in Washington just as it does statewide. 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.

A contested Washington divorce goes to mediation under Fourteenth Circuit Administrative Order 2007-00-03. The fee scale matches the rest of the circuit: $60 per person per session for combined household income up to $50,000, and $120 per person per session for income between $50,000 and $100,000. Schedule sessions through mediation@jud14.flcourts.org.

Washington's clerk also keeps a separate Civil, County & Circuit Fees page that dates to 2009 and does not itemize family law fees. Skip that page when estimating a dissolution filing fee. The dissolution packet PDFs, despite their own 2020 date, remain the better source for the current $397.50 figure.

Official divorce resources in Washington County, FL

Washington County Courthouse handles divorce filings, located at 1293 Jackson Ave, Chipley 32428. Phone: (850) 638-6285.

The filing fee is $397.50. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, statewide.

Fourteenth Judicial Circuit Family Law Forms (https://jud14.flcourts.org/family-law/family-law-forms) can help with procedure and paperwork. Washington's own dissolution packets, hosted as PDFs on washingtonclerk.com, state they also cover Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, and Jackson counties under the same Fourteenth Circuit forms.

• Washington County Clerk of Court
• Fourteenth Circuit Family Law Forms
• Fourteenth Circuit Family Mediation
• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal

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

Washington County, FL Divorce FAQs