DIY Divorce

In Florida, the circuit court clerk will help you with a do it yourself divorce as long as you don't have any minor children.

Attorney Tom Olsen: Ashley, you're on news 96:5, go ahead.

Ashley: Hi, good afternoon. How are you?

Attorney Tom Olsen: Good.

Ashley: Thank you. I have a question. I am married, my husband I have not been together for nine years and we were never legally separated.

Attorney Tom Olsen:  All right.

Ashley: We have no assets and no minor children, my question is what is the absolute cheapest way possible to get the solution and do both parties have to be present during that?

Attorney Tom Olsen: There is such a thing as a do-it-yourself divorce, and if you qualify, the clerk of the circuit court whatever County you live in will give you the forms, and we'll walk you through it step by step. Who qualifies? You cannot have minor children, and I think technically you're not supposed to have real estate. Ashley, it sounds like you meet both those qualifications. So you live in Orlando, so you would go to the family court, Orange County Circuit Court in downtown Orlando. They will give you the forms. Now, one of you will have to be the petitioner. It might be you. If you're the petitioner, at the end of the day, the very final step is to go before a judge and have them grant your divorce. You alone will need to go to court, he will not need to be in court with you. He will need to sign these forms to get you legally divorced.

Ashley: Okay, perfect.  Cell form, do you know approximately what's the cost something like that, do you have any idea?

Attorney Tom Olsen: I think the filing fees these days, I'm going to guess are somewhere between $250 and $350 just to file out any case in Circuit Court.

Ashley:  Okay, very good. Thank you so much for your time. I appreciate it.

Attorney Tom Olsen:  Good luck to you, Ashley.