Alimony in Miami-Dade County, Florida

Miami-Dade County's Family Court Self-Help Program charges a service fee of $40 to $125, depending on the type of help you need. That fee comes on top of the clerk's own filing fee, so plan for two separate costs when you request alimony here, not one. The program runs offices at both the Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center downtown and the South Dade Justice Center in Cutler Bay. Staff there review documents, notarize forms, and help you complete form packets, but they cannot give legal advice.

You request alimony inside a dissolution of marriage petition. Miami-Dade charges $409 to file one, and you can pay through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal or file in person or by mail at either courthouse.

Fla. Stat. 61.08 was rewritten effective July 1, 2023, and it ended permanent alimony across the state, Miami-Dade included. A judge here picks from temporary support during the case, bridge-the-gap support capped at 2 years, rehabilitative support tied to a plan and capped at 5 years, or durational support, with the length set by how long the marriage lasted.

Both spouses must file a financial affidavit before a judge will hear the alimony request: Form 12.902(b) if annual income tops $50,000, or Form 12.902(c) below that. If you want the court to order mediation on a contested amount, the Self-Help Program offers a Motion for Referral to Mediation.

Where alimony cases are heard in Miami-Dade County, FL

Alimony matters in Miami-Dade County, FL are handled by the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Miami-Dade County, with the county seat in Miami. 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 Miami-Dade 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 Miami-Dade County, FL

The Family Court Self-Help Program keeps weekday hours: 8:30am to noon, then 1pm to 4pm, with the lunch break closed and no service on court holidays. Both locations follow this schedule, the downtown courthouse in Room 2441 and the South Dade Justice Center in Room 1400. Filers who qualify as indigent can get reduced or waived service fees, separate from the clerk's own $409 filing fee waiver process.

South Miami-Dade residents can handle intake and services at the Cutler Bay location and skip the trip downtown. Call ahead to confirm hours before you go, since the listed schedule is the program's general one.

To waive the clerk's filing fee itself, file an Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status under Fla. Stat. 57.082. Ask about this separately from any Self-Help Program fee reduction. Different offices handle the two.

Official alimony resources in Miami-Dade County, FL

Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center handles spousal-support filings, located at 175 NW 1st Avenue, Miami 33128. Phone: 305-349-7800. South Dade Justice Center at 10710 SW 211th Street, Room 1400 handles Family Court Self-Help Program intake and services, including alimony form assistance, for South Miami-Dade residents.

The filing fee is $409. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal; self-represented filers may also file in person or by mail at either courthouse.

Eleventh Judicial Circuit Family Court Self-Help Program (https://www.jud11.flcourts.org/Family-Court-Self-Help-Program) can help with procedure and paperwork. Two locations (Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center, Room 2441, and South Dade Justice Center, Room 1400). Open 8:30am-12pm and 1pm-4pm Monday through Friday, closed court holidays. Offers intake and orientation, form packet completion assistance, document review, notarization, and procedural guidance. Cannot give legal advice. Service fees run $40 to $125 depending on case type, separate from the clerk's filing fee, with reduced or waived fees for filers who qualify as indigent.

• Family Court Self-Help Program - Eleventh Judicial Circuit
• Miami-Dade Clerk of the Courts
• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
• Fla. Stat. 61.08 - Alimony

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

Miami-Dade County, FL Alimony FAQs