Updated August 2026
Alimony in Union County, Florida
A plain-language guide to alimony in Union County, FL, from how amount and duration are set to the forms you file at the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Union County and how to prepare your paperwork without hiring an attorney.
Union County is the least populous county in Florida's Eighth Circuit, and its Clerk's website has no fees or fee-schedule page anywhere in the site. The only fee calculators on the site cover document recording, not court filing costs. Call the Clerk's office in Lake Butler to confirm the current dissolution fee before filing. The case itself, including any alimony request, is filed at the Union County Courthouse and heard by Eighth Circuit family judges.
The missing fee page has no bearing on the alimony law itself. Fla. Stat. 61.08, reformed effective July 1, 2023, removed permanent alimony throughout Florida. A Union judge now chooses among temporary support paid while the case is pending, 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 the marriage's length.
Durational alimony is capped further, at the lesser of demonstrated need or 35 percent of the income gap between spouses, and it is not available for marriages under three years. Union's Family Law and FAQ pages describe Simplified Divorce eligibility but do not list a dollar amount, so both spouses should confirm the fee before filing. A judge also needs the Financial Affidavit, Form 12.902(b) or 12.902(c) depending on income, before ruling on alimony.
Union participates in the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal. The Eighth Circuit's Self-Help Center in Gainesville explicitly serves Union along with Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Gilchrist, and Levy counties, and it can answer procedural questions the county's own site does not.
Where alimony cases are heard in Union County, FL
Alimony matters in Union County, FL are handled by the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Union County, with the county seat in Lake Butler. 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 Union 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 Union County, FL
Union's entire site sitemap has no page dedicated to court fees, so further searching on unionclerk.com will not turn up a dissolution fee figure. A direct phone call to the Clerk's office is the only reliable way to confirm the current amount.
Contested alimony issues in the Eighth Circuit, which includes Union along with Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Gilchrist, and Levy counties, are generally referred to mediation under Fla. Stat. 61.183. Fees are meant to follow the statewide sliding scale in Fla. Stat. 44.108, but no Union-specific fee page exists, so confirm the current cost with the Clerk's office.
Union is Florida's least populous Eighth Circuit county, so its family law docket is likely small. Filers should ask the Clerk's office directly about realistic scheduling timelines for a contested alimony hearing rather than assume a set pace.
Official alimony resources in Union County, FL
Union County Courthouse handles spousal-support filings, located at 55 West Main Street, Room 103, Lake Butler 32054.
E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Statewide e-filing portal covers Union along with every other Florida county.
Eighth Circuit Self-Help Center (serves Union from Gainesville) (https://circuit8.org/self-help/) can help with procedure and paperwork. Explicitly serves Union County along with Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Gilchrist, and Levy counties. unionclerk.com blocks automated verification, and its Family Law and FAQ pages describe Simplified Divorce eligibility without stating a dollar filing fee.
- Eighth Circuit Self-Help Center
- Family Law Self-Help Information - Florida Courts
- Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
- Florida Statutes Section 61.08, Alimony
Local details reviewed August 2026. Offices and locations can change, so confirm with the official sites above before you file.
Get the free Florida alimony roadmap
A short PDF that walks through how alimony is calculated, the forms, and filing steps for Union County. No spam, one email.
We'll send you the roadmap plus occasional filing guides. Unsubscribe anytime.
Union County, FL Alimony FAQs
Where do I file for alimony in Union County?
File alimony requests with the Clerk of Court at the Union County Courthouse, 55 West Main Street, Room 103, in Lake Butler, as part of a dissolution case. You can also e-file through the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal at myflcourtaccess.com.
What is the filing fee for alimony in Union County?
The current dissolution filing fee is not published anywhere on unionclerk.com. Its full sitemap has no fees or fee-schedule page at all. Call the Union County Clerk's office directly to confirm the current amount before filing a case that includes an alimony request.
Can I qualify for a Simplified Divorce in Union County?
Union's Family Law and FAQ pages describe Simplified Divorce eligibility, generally available when both spouses agree on terms and there is no alimony dispute. Neither page states a dollar filing fee, so confirm eligibility and cost with the Clerk's office before choosing that track.
Can a Union County judge award permanent alimony?
No. Florida eliminated permanent alimony statewide effective July 1, 2023, and Union's Eighth Circuit judges follow that same rule. Instead, a judge can award temporary, bridge-the-gap, rehabilitative, or durational alimony under Fla. Stat. 61.08, each with its own duration limit.
Is mediation required for contested alimony in Union County?
Contested Eighth Circuit family matters, including disputed alimony, are generally referred to mediation under Fla. Stat. 61.183. Fees are meant to follow the statewide sliding scale in Fla. Stat. 44.108, but no Union-specific fee page exists, so confirm the current cost with the Clerk's office.
What financial forms does a Union County alimony case require?
Both spouses must file a Financial Affidavit: Form 12.902(b) for individual income of $50,000 or more a year, or 12.902(c) below that. These are circuit-wide forms, since Union does not publish its own version. A judge weighs that information against the alimony factors in Fla. Stat. 61.08.
This page is general information about Florida alimony procedure in Union County, FL, not legal advice for your situation. Amounts and duration depend on your specific facts and the judge's discretion; nothing here predicts an outcome in your case. Court locations, forms, and filing details change; always confirm current details with the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Union County or the official Florida family court self-help program resources. Virdix is not a law firm and is not a substitute for an attorney.
Alimony guides for nearby counties
Start my Union County, FL alimony paperwork
Virdix guides you through the Florida Supreme Court approved family law forms your case needs, so your paperwork is complete and consistent before you file.
If the court clerk rejects a document we prepared, we fix it for free until it's accepted. See how the guarantee works