There is no waiting period to file for divorce in Florida. However, Florida law generally requires that at least 20 days pass after the divorce petition is filed before the court can enter the Final Judgment of Dissolution.
That 20 days is the only statutory delay. Everything else is down to how much you and your spouse agree, and how busy your county clerk is.
Realistic timelines
| Situation | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Uncontested, no children or property | About 30 days |
| Uncontested, with children or property | 30–40 days |
| Agreement reached through mediation | Mediation itself is usually days or weeks, then the 30–40 day paperwork timeline |
| Contested, going to trial | Many months, sometimes more than a year |
The one deadline Florida actually imposes
People often arrive believing they must be separated for six months, or wait some period before they are allowed to file. Neither is true in Florida. The six-month rule is about residency — one spouse must have lived in Florida for six months before filing — not about waiting.
Once the petition is filed, the court simply cannot sign the Final Judgment until 20 days have passed. In an agreed case, the rest of the timeline is just how long it takes to prepare documents, get signatures notarized, and for the clerk and judge to process them.
What actually makes a Florida divorce take longer
- Rejected paperwork. The most common cause of delay in an agreed divorce is not disagreement — it is a form the clerk sends back. Every bounce costs days or weeks.
- Serving your spouse. If they sign a waiver, this takes no time at all. If they must be tracked down and served, it can add weeks.
- A spouse who cannot be found. Service by publication has its own required notice period. See missing spouse divorce.
- Disagreement about children or money. This is the big one. A contested case moves at the speed of the dispute.
- County workload. Florida has 67 counties and they do not all move at the same pace.
How to make it as fast as it can be
Reach agreement before you file if you possibly can — a signed marital settlement agreement removes most of what causes delay. Get the documents right the first time. Have your spouse sign the waiver of service rather than paying to have them served. And if you are close to agreement but not quite there, mediation is almost always faster than litigating.
See how the process works step by step, or compare flat-fee packages.
Divorcenters is a document-preparation and certified-mediation service, not a law firm. Timelines vary by county and by case; nothing here is a guarantee about yours.
