Alimony in Marion County, Florida

Marion County is home to Ocala, the Fifth Circuit's most populous county. Its Self-Help Office sits in the Law Library on the first floor of the Marion County Courthouse. You reach it by telephonic appointment at MarionFamilySelfHelp@circuit5.org, not by walking in or checking a fixed schedule. An alimony request gets filed at that courthouse as part of a dissolution case and heard by Fifth Circuit family judges.

Fla. Stat. 61.08 governs what a Marion judge can award. The statute, reformed effective July 1, 2023 and used the same way across Florida, 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 carries a further ceiling: the lesser of demonstrated need or 35 percent of the income gap between the spouses. It is unavailable for marriages under three years. Marion's dissolution filing fee is $408. Both spouses must also complete a Financial Affidavit, Form 12.902(b) or 12.902(c) depending on income, which the Self-Help Office can review for completeness over the phone.

Marion takes part in the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, mandatory for attorneys under Fla. R. Jud. Admin. 2.525. Self-represented filers can still file paper documents in person at the courthouse or by mail.

Where alimony cases are heard in Marion County, FL

Alimony matters in Marion County, FL are handled by the Fifth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Marion County, with the county seat in Ocala. 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 Marion 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 Marion County, FL

Marion's Self-Help Office works by telephonic appointment, not a fixed walk-in schedule. Email MarionFamilySelfHelp@circuit5.org to set up a call instead of showing up unscheduled at the Law Library.

The Fifth Circuit covers Marion along with Citrus, Hernando, Lake, and Sumter counties, and it generally sends contested alimony matters to mediation under Fla. Stat. 61.183. Fees are meant to follow the statewide sliding scale in Fla. Stat. 44.108, but no Marion-specific fee table appears on a verifiable official page. Confirm current cost with the Clerk's office.

Marion is the circuit's population center, so its courthouse likely carries the busiest family law docket among the five Fifth Circuit counties. Filers should expect the standard case-management scheduling process for a contested alimony hearing.

Official alimony resources in Marion County, FL

Marion County Courthouse handles spousal-support filings, located at 110 NW 1st Avenue, Ocala 34475.

The filing fee is $408. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Mandatory for attorneys under Fla. R. Jud. Admin. 2.525; self-represented parties may still file paper documents in person at the courthouse or by mail.

Fifth Judicial Circuit Marion County Self-Help Office (https://www.circuit5.org/marion-county-family-court/) can help with procedure and paperwork. Located on the first floor of the Marion County Courthouse inside the Law Library; helps pro se litigants with procedural information and reviews filings for completeness by telephonic appointment (MarionFamilySelfHelp@circuit5.org); staff cannot give legal advice.

• Fifth Judicial Circuit Marion County Self-Help Office
• 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.

Marion County, FL Alimony FAQs