Alimony in Santa Rosa County, Florida

In Santa Rosa County, an alimony request is filed as part of a family case with the Santa Rosa County Clerk of Court's Civil/Family Division. First Judicial Circuit judges hear these cases at the Santa Rosa County Courthouse in Milton. Florida abolished permanent alimony on July 1, 2023. Under Fla. Stat. 61.08, judges can now award temporary support, 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 how long the marriage lasted.

The Santa Rosa clerk also publishes its own set of domestic relations forms: service acceptance and waiver documents, hearing request forms, and a financial disclosure waiver, alongside the statewide Form 12.902 series. This county-level packet handles the mechanics of a case, but the alimony decision itself follows the same statewide statute used in every Florida circuit.

Durational alimony has a hard ceiling on top of the length-of-marriage cap. It cannot exceed the lesser of the recipient's demonstrated financial need or 35 percent of the difference between the two spouses' net incomes, and marriages under three years don't qualify for durational support at all. No calculator applies here. A judge weighs factors like age, health, earning capacity, and standard of living during the marriage, and can also factor in adultery if it comes up.

Both spouses must file a Financial Affidavit before the court will decide alimony: Form 12.902(b) for individual annual income of $50,000 or more, or Form 12.902(c) below that. The Civil/Family Division sits at 6495 Caroline St in Milton, a separate address from the courthouse itself, so filers should confirm which office handles which step.

Where alimony cases are heard in Santa Rosa County, FL

Alimony matters in Santa Rosa County, FL are handled by the First Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Santa Rosa County, with the county seat in Milton. 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 Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa County, FL

A redesign of Santa Rosa's own clerk website stripped dollar figures from its general court-fees page. The one on-site PDF that still lists a number for a simplified dissolution shows two different figures on different pages, so the standard dissolution filing fee is not confirmed here. Call the Civil/Family Division at (850) 981-5554 before filing.

Contested alimony matters in the First Circuit, which covers Santa Rosa along with Escambia, Okaloosa, and Walton, generally go to mediation under Fla. Stat. 61.183. Fees are meant to follow Florida's statewide income-based sliding scale in Fla. Stat. 44.108, but no current Santa Rosa-specific fee table turned up on a verifiable official page. Confirm the exact per-session cost directly with the Civil/Family Division.

Santa Rosa participates in the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, the same statewide system used across Florida. Self-represented spouses can e-file affidavits and motions instead of relying solely on paper filing at the Civil/Family Division office in Milton.

Official alimony resources in Santa Rosa County, FL

Santa Rosa County Courthouse handles spousal-support filings, located at 4025 Avalon Blvd, Milton 32583.

E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, the statewide e-filing system covering the First Circuit, which includes Santa Rosa County.

Santa Rosa Clerk Domestic Relations, Child Support & Family Law Forms (https://santarosaclerk.com/links/online-forms/domestic-relations-child-support-family-law/) can help with procedure and paperwork. County-specific forms (service acceptance/waiver, hearing requests, financial disclosure waiver) plus dissolution checklists, offered alongside the statewide Form 12.902 series cross-referenced to flcourts.org. Civil/Family division office: 6495 Caroline St Suite A, Milton FL 32570, (850) 981-5554.

• Santa Rosa Clerk Domestic Relations & Family Law Forms
• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
• Florida Statutes Section 61.08, Alimony
• Florida Statutes Section 44.108, Mediation Fees

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

Santa Rosa County, FL Alimony FAQs