Updated August 2026
Alimony in Jefferson County, Florida
A plain-language guide to alimony in Jefferson County, FL, from how amount and duration are set to the forms you file at the Second Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Jefferson County and how to prepare your paperwork without hiring an attorney.
Jefferson County's Clerk of Court stands out in the Second Circuit for filer-friendly resources. The Family Law page offers its own downloadable Self-Help Packets, covering divorce petitions with and without children or property, a Simplified Dissolution petition, and other family law forms. Filers don't need to visit a statewide forms library to find them. An alimony request goes inside one of these dissolution filings and is heard at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Monticello.
Statewide changes on July 1, 2023 reshaped what a judge can actually award, eliminating permanent alimony under a reform to Fla. Stat. 61.08. Jefferson's Second Circuit judges now choose among four options: 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, or durational support, capped as a percentage of the marriage's length, up to 75 percent for marriages of 20 years or more.
Durational alimony also can't exceed the lesser of demonstrated need or 35 percent of the difference between the spouses' net incomes, and it is off the table for marriages shorter than three years. Jefferson's dissolution filing fee is $408, and both spouses must complete a Financial Affidavit, Form 12.902(b) or 12.902(c) depending on income, before a judge can decide that alimony request.
Jefferson takes part in the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, so a self-represented spouse working from the Clerk's own packets can e-file completed documents instead of relying only on paper filing at the Monticello courthouse.
Where alimony cases are heard in Jefferson County, FL
Alimony matters in Jefferson County, FL are handled by the Second Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Jefferson County, with the county seat in Monticello. 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson County, FL
Jefferson's Self-Help Packets page separates dissolution cases with and without minor children and with or without property. That distinction matters for an alimony case, since the packet a filer downloads should already match the shape of their case before adding an alimony claim to it.
Contested alimony issues in the Second Circuit, which covers Jefferson along with Franklin, Gadsden, Leon, Liberty, and Wakulla counties, typically go to mediation under Fla. Stat. 61.183. Fees are meant to follow Florida's statewide sliding scale in Fla. Stat. 44.108, but Jefferson has no published fee table on an official page, so confirm current cost directly with the Clerk's office.
Jefferson is a small, largely rural county with a single courthouse, so filers should expect a more limited hearing calendar than in Leon County next door. Ask the Clerk's office how quickly a contested alimony matter typically gets set for hearing.
Official alimony resources in Jefferson County, FL
Jefferson County Courthouse handles spousal-support filings, located at 1 Courthouse Circle, Monticello 32344.
The filing fee is $408. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Statewide portal covers Jefferson County as part of the Second Circuit.
Jefferson Clerk Family Law Self-Help Packets (https://www.jeffersonclerk.com/court-services/family-law/) can help with procedure and paperwork. Includes a Self-Help Packets section for pro se civil litigants with downloadable divorce petitions (with/without children or property), a Simplified Dissolution petition, injunction forms, and name-change petitions.
- Jefferson Clerk Family Law Self-Help Packets
- Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
- Florida Statutes Section 61.08, Alimony
- FloridaLawHelp.org
Local details reviewed August 2026. Offices and locations can change, so confirm with the official sites above before you file.
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Jefferson County, FL Alimony FAQs
Where do I file for alimony in Jefferson County?
File alimony requests with the Clerk of Court at the Jefferson County Courthouse, 1 Courthouse Circle in Monticello, as part of a dissolution case. You can also e-file through the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal at myflcourtaccess.com.
What forms does Jefferson County provide for a self-represented alimony case?
The Jefferson Clerk's Family Law page hosts its own downloadable Self-Help Packets, including dissolution petitions with and without minor children or property and a Simplified Dissolution petition. Add the statewide Financial Affidavit, Form 12.902(b) or 12.902(c), and that covers most of the paperwork an alimony request needs.
Can I still get permanent alimony in Jefferson County?
No. Florida eliminated permanent alimony statewide effective July 1, 2023, and Jefferson's Second Circuit judges follow that same rule. A judge can instead award temporary, bridge-the-gap, rehabilitative, or durational alimony under Fla. Stat. 61.08, each with its own duration limit.
What does it cost to file for alimony in Jefferson County?
There's no separate alimony filing fee. It rides with the underlying dissolution case, which carries a $408 filing fee in Jefferson County. Both spouses also need to complete the applicable statewide Financial Affidavit before a judge decides the alimony request.
Is mediation required for contested alimony in Jefferson County?
Contested Second Circuit family matters, including disputed alimony, generally go to mediation under Fla. Stat. 61.183. Fees are meant to follow the statewide sliding scale in Fla. Stat. 44.108, but Jefferson has no published fee table on an official page, so confirm current cost with the Clerk's office.
How long can durational alimony last in Jefferson County?
Durational alimony is capped by the length of the marriage under Fla. Stat. 61.08: up to 50 percent of the marriage's length for marriages under 10 years, 60 percent for 10 to 20 years, and 75 percent for 20 years or more. It cannot exceed the lesser of demonstrated need or 35 percent of the income gap between spouses, and it's unavailable for marriages under three years.
This page is general information about Florida alimony procedure in Jefferson County, FL, not legal advice for your situation. Amounts and duration depend on your specific facts and the judge's discretion; nothing here predicts an outcome in your case. Court locations, forms, and filing details change; always confirm current details with the Second Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Jefferson 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.
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