Alimony in Pasco County, Florida

Pasco County splits its family court business between two buildings. An alimony request filed here can land at the West Pasco Judicial Center in New Port Richey or the Robert D. Sumner Judicial Center in Dade City. Spousal support in Florida is not a stand-alone filing. You ask for it inside a dissolution of marriage petition, or later through a supplemental petition to modify an existing order. The Pasco Clerk accepts either one on paper at both locations, or through the state e-filing portal.

Florida rewrote its alimony law in 2023. Fla. Stat. 61.08 no longer allows permanent alimony anywhere in the state, including Pasco. A judge who awards support picks from four options: temporary support while the case is pending, bridge-the-gap support capped at 2 years for a short transition, rehabilitative support tied to a specific plan and capped at 5 years, or durational support with caps that scale to how long the marriage lasted.

Both spouses must file a financial affidavit before a judge will take up the alimony issue: the long Form 12.902(b) for incomes above $50,000 a year, or the short 12.902(c) below that. The Pasco Legal Resource Centers sell these packets at both judicial centers and can point you to the right one. Staff there cannot tell you what number to put on the form or what amount to ask for.

Contested alimony issues in Pasco commonly get referred to mediation before a final hearing. The Sixth Circuit ties mediation cost to income under Fla. Stat. 44.108. It uses an Affidavit for Establishing Mediation Fees to set the sliding scale.

Where alimony cases are heard in Pasco County, FL

Alimony matters in Pasco County, FL are handled by the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Pasco County, with the county seat in New Port Richey. 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 Pasco 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 Pasco County, FL

Pasco is part of the Sixth Judicial Circuit along with Pinellas County. The circuit keeps its own set of locally approved family law forms on top of the statewide 12.9xx series. If your alimony request comes with a motion, such as a motion for temporary support while the case is pending, check the circuit's forms page for a locally required Notice of Hearing packet. Do not assume the statewide form covers it.

The filing fee for the underlying dissolution petition is $408, payable at either judicial center. If you cannot afford it, the Legal Resource Centers can direct you to an indigency fee waiver application. A separate modification fee applies later if you or your former spouse ever files to change an alimony order. Neither center publishes that figure online, so ask before you file.

Both Legal Resource Centers keep the same hours, 8:30am to 5:00pm on weekdays. Both stock public computers and self-service form packets. Neither can review your financial affidavit for accuracy or predict what a judge will award. That determination happens at a hearing, based on the specific facts of your marriage and income.

Official alimony resources in Pasco County, FL

West Pasco Judicial Center handles spousal-support filings, located at 7530 Little Road, New Port Richey 34654. Robert D. Sumner Judicial Center at 38053 Live Oak Avenue handles Family law filings and hearings for east Pasco, including alimony requests inside a dissolution case; self-represented parties may file paper petitions here or at the West Pasco Judicial Center.

The filing fee is $408. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com/. Mandatory for attorneys through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal. Self-represented parties requesting alimony inside a dissolution case may still bring paper petitions to either judicial center.

Pasco Legal Resource Center (https://www.pascoclerk.com/330/Legal-Resource-Center) can help with procedure and paperwork. Two locations, New Port Richey (7530 Little Road, Suite 103, 727-847-8031) and Dade City (38053 Live Oak Avenue, Suite 205, 352-521-4542), open Monday through Friday 8:30am to 5:00pm. Sells self-service family law packets including financial affidavit and alimony forms, and offers judicial preferences and copy service; staff cannot fill out forms or advise on amounts.

• Sixth Judicial Circuit - Representing Yourself in Court
• Pasco Legal Resource Center
• 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.

Pasco County, FL Alimony FAQs