Alimony in Palm Beach County, Florida

Palm Beach County has four courthouses: the main Judge Daniel T. K. Hurley Courthouse in West Palm Beach, plus North County, South County, and West County branch locations. Not every branch handles every family case type. Confirm which one applies to your alimony filing before you drive to any of them.

You request alimony inside a dissolution of marriage petition, not as a stand-alone filing. The fee is $409, payable through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal or on paper. Family cases here move through a Unified Family Court structure, so the same judge generally handles related issues in a case instead of splitting them across separate dockets.

Fla. Stat. 61.08 was rewritten effective July 1, 2023, and permanent alimony no longer exists anywhere in Florida, Palm Beach included. A judge now awards 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 a length set by the marriage's duration.

Both spouses must file a financial affidavit before a judge will hear alimony: Form 12.902(b) above $50,000 in annual income, or 12.902(c) below that. The Fifteenth Circuit's Family Case Inquiry system can answer procedural and case-status questions, but it cannot complete forms or give legal advice.

Where alimony cases are heard in Palm Beach County, FL

Alimony matters in Palm Beach County, FL are handled by the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Palm Beach County, with the county seat in West Palm Beach. 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 Palm Beach 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 Palm Beach County, FL

The Palm Beach Clerk advertises a Self-Service Center and a Divorce Workshop Toolbox on its site, but that page did not load reliably during a check. Confirm current hours and content by phone or in person rather than relying on a cached search result.

Palm Beach spreads family filings across four courthouses, so the notice of hearing you receive is the most reliable way to confirm where your alimony case will actually be heard. Don't assume it will be the main West Palm Beach courthouse just because that's the largest location.

If the $409 filing fee is out of reach, ask the clerk about the fee waiver process at whichever courthouse you plan to file at. FloridaLawHelp.org offers general statewide background on financial affidavits and alimony procedure while you gather documentation.

Official alimony resources in Palm Beach County, FL

Palm Beach County Courthouse (Judge Daniel T. K. Hurley Courthouse) handles spousal-support filings, located at 205 N. Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach 33401. North County Courthouse at 3188 PGA Blvd handles Certain family filings closer to the northern part of the county; confirm which case types before relying on this location. South County Courthouse at 200 W Atlantic Ave handles Certain family filings closer to the southern part of the county; confirm which case types before relying on this location. West County Courthouse at 2950 State Rd 15 handles Certain family filings for the Glades area; confirm which case types before relying on this location.

The filing fee is $409. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal. Family cases in Palm Beach County are handled through a Unified Family Court structure.

Family Case Inquiry / Self-Service Center (https://www.15thcircuit.com) can help with procedure and paperwork. The Fifteenth Circuit runs a Family Case Inquiry system where case managers answer procedural and case-status questions but cannot give legal advice or fill out paperwork. The Palm Beach Clerk also advertises a Self-Service Center with a Divorce Workshop Toolbox, though that clerk page returned an automated-access error during verification, so confirm current content directly.

• Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida
• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
• FloridaLawHelp.org
• 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.

Palm Beach County, FL Alimony FAQs