Fastest Way to Get a Florida Divorce: Simple and Stress-Free Process
Are you seeking the quickest way to get a divorce in Florida? Going through a divorce is undoubtedly challenging, and the last thing you need is a lengthy and expensive process. Fortunately, there’s a way to finalize your divorce in as little as 30 to 45 days, but certain criteria must be met. Our Florida divorce preparation office will guide you through the details.
The Key: No Court Hearing Dissolution of Marriage
If you want a swift divorce in Florida, the No Court Dissolution of Marriage process is your answer. This streamlined approach can get your divorce finalized within about 30 to 45 days from the filing date WITHOUT EVER STEPPING INTO THE COURTHOUSE. To qualify for this speedy option, both you and your spouse must agree on all terms in an uncontested divorce.
Eligibility Criteria for a Quick Dissolution of Marriage
To qualify for a No Court Hearing Dissolution of Marriage, there are specific conditions to meet. Not all divorces qualify to have the final hearing waived. For starters, if the parties are fighting, arguing or if there has been domestic violence, then this process won’t work. If the couple have under 18 years of age but the non-custodial parent does not financially support the children this process will not be appropriate. Additionally, neither party can be expecting a child and if one party wants alimony but the other party is not in agreement of such support, this type of divorce is not permissible. Furthermore, both spouses must waive their right to a divorce trial and appeal.
Finally, if the whereabouts of the other party is not known, the no court hearing divorce process will only work if there are no minor children or pending financial items.
Uncontested Divorce: The Foundation
On most cases, a successful No Court Hearing Quick Dissolution of Marriage hinges on an uncontested divorce, where both partners mutually agree to end the marriage. In Florida, the concept of “fault” is not necessary to prove. You only need to state that the marriage is irretrievably broken, and both spouses must concur that reconciliation is not possible.
Keep in mind that certain scenarios involving fault might require a different approach. For instance, if one spouse misused marital funds for an affair, it can affect alimony proceedings, making them ineligible for the No Court Hearing Dissolution of Marriage.
Meeting State Requirements for Divorce
In addition to the criteria mentioned above, your marriage must meet the state requirements for a divorce. As Florida allows no-fault divorces, you do not need to establish that your spouse is responsible for the marriage’s breakdown. However, you do need to demonstrate that one of the parties has been a resident of the state for at least six months.
Navigating the Filing Process
Filing for a No Court Dissolution of Marriage involves specific paperwork provided by the Florida Family Court. As filling out these forms can be tricky and mistakes are not easily rectified, it is advisable to consult an experienced divorce preparer.
Seeking professional assistance ensures that the documents are accurately completed. Though a divorce trial isn’t required, you might still need to appear in court. An experienced lawyer can represent you during this process, alleviating any intimidation associated with the court system.
Allow Divorce in Florida Online to Assist You
If you’re seeking a swift and stress-free divorce in Florida, get a flat fee quote here:
our uncontested divorce lawyer in Tampa is here to help you navigate the Simplified Dissolution of Marriage process. Reach out to us today for professional guidance on your simplified divorce journey.
How to get a Florida Quick Divorce
Florida’s population as of 2017 has grown to 20.98 million people. This makes Florida only 8 million people less than the great State of Texas. Also comparing to 19.85 million people in the State of New York, Florida is the 3rd largest state by population in the United States.
With so many people living in Florida is only natural that the court system would need to accommodate legal services for all of these people, especially a Florida quick divorce.
History of Florida quick divorce
Politifact estimated in 2012 that the divorce rate was 40%-50% in the United States. That would mean that approximately 10 million people in the State of Florida alone would be in need of divorce services. Even with the current divorce rate of 18% (as of 2016), that still means 116,666,666 people still need to go through the court system to get their dissolution of marriage.
Courts are Overwhelmed
So many people, so little time. The Florida family court found themselves in the position to find ways to alleviate the court system burden. Another problem they faced is the reality that many people could not afford to get legal assistance in Florida.
This problem compounded with people trying to file for divorce without a lawyer brought issues with their filings not been complete. Paperwork incorrectly filled out, not properly signed and steps not taken by pro-se filers littered the court system with issues and pending cases.
What the Florida Court System Did
The first step the court did was to create forms that pro-se filers could use in any court in the State of Florida. These forms are available individually and each person needs to figure out what forms they need for their needs.
The second step was to create self help centers located in the busiest courthouses. These centers do not provide legal advice but they help people filing for divorce without legal representation. Their assistance is limited to helping them choose the correct forms and making sure the forms are completed and signed and notarized correctly.
A few years later they jumped on the efiling bandwagon along with many other States. While the court efiling system was not open for pro-se filers for a year, it is now available for anyone.
But before that was made available a few counties found ways to become even more efficient.
The Easiest Way to File for Divorce in Florida may not be the Quickest Way
The Florida Supreme court realized that not all divorces are created equal. Some divorces require multiple hearings and even divorce mediation. While this is all true some divorces are super simple and can be resolved quickly.
From these discussions a version of a simple divorce was created. These version is called Florida Simplified Divorce. In theory this type of divorce is meant to make things simpler. All they had to do was sign a few forms and come to the court together to file and then about a month later come together to the hearing.
Keyword: “together”. This has proven to be an impossibility to many people filing for a Simplified divorce.
With people’s busy lifestyle showing up to court has proven to be a deterrent for this type of divorce. Many filers are emotionally checked out of the relationship long before they file and doing anything together seems like a very uncomfortable undertaking for them.
We have heard of people getting the paperwork signed and then not being able to file it because the other party does not have time to go to court.
A More Viable Option
Because of these reasons some Florida counties came up with the idea of offering a no-court hearing divorce.
In this option the forms are e-filed and a final judgement is mailed to the couple. All within 30-45 days. While this process has been available now for a few years it still faces skepticism.
With this in mind we did our research and found that indeed this is a viable option and there are many service providers offering the Florida quick divorce option.
Qualifications
Not every divorce qualifies for the fast divorce option. From what we found a divorce where a summons is required does not qualify. Also when there are children and one of the parties is missing cannot file for this type of divorce.
Receiving the filing judgement in the mail is a huge advantage since there is no hearing to attend. People do not have to take time off from work and do not have to be embarrassed in front of a judge and their ex.
Many people filing for divorce using the no-court hearing process do not even have to see each other during the divorce process.
The most complete website we found is divorceinfloridaonline.com, in this website they explain the requirements, option and time it takes to get a Florida quick divorce.
Counties
Not all Florida counties are created equal. Some counties have an expedited divorce process and allow anyone living in Florida to file for divorce using their court.
Types of Divorce
There are 3 types of divorce:
Out of these types there are three paths that will depend on the relationship of the respondent:
- In Agreement – when both parties are involved in the process and in agreement
- By Publication – where the whereabouts of the respondent are not known
- By Summons – when the other party is not willing to engage in the process
Florida Quick Divorce Providers
Choosing a Florida quick divorce provider can be tricky with so many websites claiming they can get the divorce done quickly. Do your research carefully and make sure there are review to back up their claims.
Summary
In closing, a Florida quick divorce is a great option if you qualify. Getting a divorce final judgement mailed to you in less than 45 days is a great option for busy people. While you can get a divorce quickly you need to make sure you understand the requirements and the forms needed. Hiring a professional may be a great option to help you with this process.