Alimony in Bradford County, Florida

Bradford County's fee-charges PDF is still the Clerk's current, live-linked document. It lists a $408.00 fee for marriage dissolution and judgment. The PDF's footer traces its last confirmed update to 2014, so call the Clerk's office to confirm the fee before you file. An alimony request rides inside that dissolution case. It's filed at the Bradford County Courthouse in Starke and heard by Eighth Circuit family judges.

A Bradford judge follows Fla. Stat. 61.08 when deciding what to award. Florida reformed this statute effective July 1, 2023, and it eliminated permanent alimony statewide. Four categories remain: temporary support, paid while a case is pending; bridge-the-gap support, capped at two years; rehabilitative support, built around a specific plan and capped at five years; and durational support, capped as a percentage of the marriage's length.

Durational alimony cannot exceed the lesser of demonstrated need or 35 percent of the income gap between the spouses, and it isn't available for marriages under three years. Both spouses must complete a Financial Affidavit, Form 12.902(b) or 12.902(c) depending on income. The Eighth Circuit's Self-Help Center in Gainesville explicitly serves Bradford along with Alachua, Baker, Gilchrist, Levy, and Union counties, and can help with procedure before a judge decides the alimony request.

Bradford also takes part in the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal. That gives self-represented filers an electronic alternative to the in-person counter at the Starke courthouse.

Where alimony cases are heard in Bradford County, FL

Alimony matters in Bradford County, FL are handled by the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Bradford County, with the county seat in Starke. Because courthouse locations, hours, and local procedures change over time, use the Florida court clerk directory to confirm current details for your case:

Find the Bradford County, FL Clerk of Court (Florida court clerk directory)

How alimony works in Florida

Florida ended permanent alimony in a 2023 reform to Florida Statutes chapter 61 (section 61.08). Today a judge can order bridge-the-gap alimony (short-term, to help a spouse transition, capped at two years), rehabilitative alimony (tied to a specific plan to become self-supporting), durational alimony (a set period, generally not longer than the length of the marriage, except in exceptional circumstances), or temporary alimony while the case is pending. There is no formula the way there is for child support; a judge weighs each spouse's need and ability to pay, the standard of living during the marriage, the length of the marriage, and the factors listed in section 61.08.

Alimony is requested inside a dissolution of marriage case, using each spouse's Financial Affidavit (Florida Supreme Court approved family law form 12.902(b) or 12.902(c) depending on income), and can be resolved by agreement or decided at trial. Temporary alimony while the case is pending is requested by motion; your circuit's procedures determine how that motion gets set for hearing.

Local notes for Bradford County, FL

Bradford's fee PDF traces its last confirmed update to 2014, even though the file remains the Clerk's current live-linked schedule. A filer budgeting for an alimony-inclusive dissolution should call the Clerk's office to confirm whether $408.00 is still accurate before relying on the document alone.

Contested alimony matters in the Eighth Circuit, which covers Bradford along with Alachua, Baker, Gilchrist, Levy, and Union counties, are generally sent to mediation under Fla. Stat. 61.183. Fees are meant to follow the statewide sliding scale in Fla. Stat. 44.108, but no Bradford-specific fee table appears on a verifiable official page. Confirm the current cost with the Clerk's office.

Like the other smaller Eighth Circuit counties, Bradford filers can lean on the shared Self-Help Center in Gainesville for procedural guidance that goes beyond what the county's own site covers.

Official alimony resources in Bradford County, FL

Bradford County Courthouse handles spousal-support filings, located at 945 N. Temple Ave, Starke 32091.

The filing fee is $408. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Statewide e-filing portal.

Eighth Circuit Self-Help Center (serves Bradford from Gainesville) (https://circuit8.org/self-help/) can help with procedure and paperwork. Explicitly serves Bradford County along with Alachua, Baker, Gilchrist, Levy, and Union counties; staff assist with procedure and hearing-setting but do not give legal advice or select forms.

• Eighth Circuit Self-Help Center
• Bradford Clerk Fee Charges (PDF)
• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
• Florida Statutes Section 61.08, Alimony

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

Bradford County, FL Alimony FAQs