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Family & children
Legal help in Florida
A prepaid consultation may help you understand an order, review an agreement, or decide which kind of lawyer you need. It is not the same as having someone file a family case or represent you at a hearing. Choose the problem you need help with.
Compare Florida divorce rules with another state
Parenting, support-agency, and injunction sources checked October 15, 2026. Existing divorce-law research retains its October 10 review date. Selected statewide starting points, not a complete family-law procedure; local court requirements still matter.
All family & children situations · All Florida topics
Florida · Family & children
I am considering divorce
Practical starting guidance, not a complete Florida legal procedure.
What to do first
Identify what must be resolved now: safety, parenting, housing, access to money, and existing court orders.
Deadlines and urgent risks
Do not confuse a minimum waiting period with a completion date. Filing, service, responses, and temporary orders have separate requirements.
Steps to take
- Separate immediate needs from the final settlement: safe housing, access to money, children, and any existing orders. Bring served papers and hearing dates to the lawyer first.
- List what is agreed and disputed. Ask whether a plan benefit includes only advice or also the particular uncontested-divorce work you need. Agreement about ending the marriage does not necessarily mean agreement about finances or parenting.
- Request a written scope for drafting, filing, service, and any appearance. Compare mediation, collaborative work, lawyer negotiation, and court; do not make negotiation the default when you feel unsafe or controlled.
For example, reviewing a proposed settlement could expose an unresolved debt or parenting question before you sign. Resolving that disagreement and taking it to court may be outside the subscription.
See what prepaid help can and cannot do in divorce
Divorce & safety resources
Divorce information in Florida
Divorce law details and state comparison
Divorce law details
Florida: the important distinctions
Reviewed October 10, 2026. General information; exceptions and jurisdiction questions require individual review.
Where you can file
One spouse must have resided in Florida for 6 months before filing.Proof of residence and the correct court still matter. Residence for divorce does not automatically decide jurisdiction over children or every financial issue.
Florida Statutes 61.021Grounds & separation
Irretrievable breakdown is a divorce ground.The statute also provides a mental-incapacity ground with a three-year condition. That is not a three-year separation requirement for ordinary no-fault divorce.
Florida Statutes 61.052Timing: what starts the clock
Usually at least 20 days from filing the original petition to final judgment.A court may act earlier if delay would cause injustice. This minimum is not a prediction of completion: service, unresolved issues, hearings, and the court calendar can extend the case.
Florida Statutes 61.19Property & debts
Equitable distribution starts with equal division of marital assets and liabilities.Relevant statutory factors may justify an unequal distribution. Nonmarital assets and liabilities are set apart; classification and agreements can materially affect the result.
Florida Statutes 61.075Spousal support
Support requires actual need and ability to pay.Current statutory types include temporary, bridge-the-gap, rehabilitative, and durational alimony. Marriage duration and other factors matter. Do not rely on older descriptions of permanent alimony.
Florida Statutes 61.08Parenting & child support
Equal time-sharing has a rebuttable presumption, not a guaranteed outcome.The child's best interests remain central. Evidence can rebut the presumption; domestic violence and safety must be considered. Parenting responsibility and guideline child support are related but distinct issues.
Florida Statutes 61.13Agreed & simpler processes
Simplified dissolution is only for couples meeting every condition.The official form requires agreement, no qualifying minor/dependent children or pregnancy, no alimony request, both signatures and attendance at the final hearing, and waiver of trial and appeal rights. Read the complete checklist before choosing it.
Florida Courts: simplified dissolution instructions (PDF)Help while a case is pending
Temporary alimony and suit money can be requested during the case.Ask the local court or legal aid about temporary parenting needs and a separate protective-injunction process if safety is a concern. A final-divorce waiting period is not a reason to postpone urgent help.
Florida Statutes 61.071Minimum legal periods are not completion estimates. See the timing explanation above before planning around a date.
Compare Florida with another researched state · Local divorce and safety resources
What may happen next
You may need temporary orders before a final agreement. An agreed process still needs valid documents and court approval where required.
Documents to gather
Existing orders, marriage records, financial statements, debts, housing costs, and parenting arrangements.
Do not enter documents or private case details into this site's search.
Which rules apply?
Statewide law, local court procedure, and federal or agency rules are different checks. Where a local rule matters, use the county and court identified on your documents.
Read the full prepaid-focused guide
Where prepaid help may fit
Is advice or review included? Does my exact product cover an uncontested divorce, and who handles it?
What it may not cover
Contested representation, negotiations, court appearances, waiting periods, existing matters, and conflicts between covered spouses need separate confirmation.
Ask for the written coverage terms · Compare the actual extra costs
Common questions
Can the same plan lawyer advise both spouses?
Do not assume shared membership means shared representation. Ask about conflicts, who the lawyer represents, and how each spouse can obtain independent advice before an agreement is signed.
Will a new plan cover a divorce already under way?
Ask about existing matters, effective dates, waiting periods, and the exact uncontested-divorce benefit. A consultation, discounted referral, and included representation are different promises. Do not miss court dates while awaiting a coverage decision.
All family & children situations · All Florida topics
Florida · Family & children
I need help with parenting or support
Practical starting guidance, not a complete Florida legal procedure.
What to do first
Locate the current order, if any, and identify the change or immediate problem you need help with.
Deadlines and urgent risks
An informal agreement may not change an existing court order. Safety concerns and time-sensitive hearings need individual help.
Identify the job you need done
- No parenting order: ask about the appropriate family-court case, parentage, and jurisdiction. Do not assume opening a support case resolves decision-making and time-sharing.
- An order needs changing: bring the complete order and proposed change. Changing future arrangements is different from enforcing what the current order already says.
- Support needs review: a parent with a child-support case can ask Florida's Child Support Program to review the support order, or pursue a circuit-court petition. A request does not itself change the amount owed.
Florida Department of Revenue: changing a support order
A support agency is not your parenting-plan lawyer
Florida's program can incorporate qualifying agreed parenting-time plans into administrative support orders. It does not prepare or negotiate those plans, and cannot modify or enforce them. If no agreement is included, it can provide a court-petition form, but cannot file that parenting petition or represent either parent at its hearing.
Department of Revenue: parenting-time plans and service limits
Checked October 15, 2026. The program says its standard parenting-time form is not intended for families with domestic- or family-violence concerns.
What a plan consultation could help resolve
For example, a changed work shift may make school pickup unworkable. An eligible family lawyer could explain the existing order and review a proposed schedule. Negotiating disputed terms, filing a modification, or appearing at enforcement proceedings may need a separate fee and engagement.
Leave the consultation knowing the next task, who is doing it, and the deadline. Do not treat an informal agreement as a replacement court order.
Documents to gather
The signed parenting and support orders, case numbers, court or agency notices, payment records, a dated calendar of the problem, and relevant care expenses. Note whether another state issued an order.
Do not enter documents or private case details into this site's search.
Where prepaid help may fit
Can an eligible family-law lawyer explain my order and review a proposed agreement?
What it may not cover
A consultation is not an agreement to handle a custody dispute or enforce an order. Family litigation may be excluded or separately billed.
Ask for the written coverage terms · Compare the actual extra costs
Common questions
Can the support program make the other parent follow the schedule?
It cannot enforce a parenting-time plan. Ask a family lawyer about the actual order and the court route. Do not confuse support collection with obtaining parenting-order representation.
Does included advice cover a contested parenting hearing?
Not necessarily. Ask separately about advice, document review, negotiation, drafting, filing, service, and attendance. Existing-dispute and family-member conflict rules may also affect access. Get the scope and any extra fees in writing.
All family & children situations · All Florida topics
Florida · Family & children
I need immediate safety help
Practical starting guidance, not a complete Florida legal procedure.
Deadlines and urgent risks
Do not wait for a subscription to activate or a routine appointment when immediate safety is at risk. This website cannot dispatch emergency help.
Find the right protective-injunction route
- Contact a domestic-violence advocate for safety planning and local help, using a safer device if needed. An advocate and a plan lawyer serve different roles.
- Florida has separate domestic-violence, dating-violence, sexual-violence, repeat-violence, and stalking injunction routes. Ask an advocate, qualified lawyer, or court clerk about the appropriate application and local filing process.
- A judge may consider a temporary injunction before a full hearing. Service and the hearing still matter; read the actual order and notices rather than assuming a temporary order finishes the case.
Florida Courts: protective injunctions and the application process
You do not need to buy a legal plan to apply
Florida Statutes 741.30 prohibits a filing fee for a domestic-violence injunction petition and does not require either party to have an attorney. It also directs clerks to provide forms and assistance. That does not promise free private-lawyer representation or approval of an application.
Section 741.30: attorney, filing-fee, and clerk-assistance provisions
Checked October 15, 2026. The clerk's procedural assistance is not individualized legal advice.
What may happen next
Ask the court or legal helper how service, evidence, and the hearing will be handled, and how to request appropriate protection for location information. An existing prepaid benefit may offer prompt legal advice; an urgent hearing still needs an explicit representation agreement.
Gather only what is safe
Existing orders, case numbers, hearing notices, and relevant incident records can help. Do not put yourself in danger to obtain evidence or enter sensitive facts into this site's search.
If you received injunction papers
Read the restrictions and hearing date carefully and seek individual advice. An injunction proceeding and any related criminal case are separate; ask the lawyer about both rather than assuming one engagement covers everything.
Florida Courts: information for respondents
Ask the existing plan
Can an eligible Florida lawyer advise promptly? Does the benefit include the petition or hearing, or only a consultation and referral? Confirm safe contact, accepted work, and any additional fee.
Where prepaid help may fit
Can my existing plan connect me promptly to advice about protection orders or related family issues?
What it may not cover
A legal plan is not emergency response or confidential safety planning. Do not assume it includes representation at an urgent hearing.
Ask for the written coverage terms · Compare the actual extra costs
Common questions
Should I wait for a plan appointment before seeking protection?
Not when immediate safety or a court deadline is at risk. Use emergency services, advocacy, or local legal assistance as appropriate while separately checking an existing benefit. This website cannot provide emergency response.
Does a temporary injunction mean the case is over?
No. Check the order, service instructions, and hearing notice. A temporary decision is different from a final hearing. Ask a lawyer to explain your papers and confirm whether attendance and further legal work are included.
Official contacts and more help
Florida family-law routes
County or court details: Use the court named on your papers. Ask about local forms, filing, service, fees, response dates, and hearings. A statewide form may need local additions.
Find local civil legal aid. Eligibility, scope, and availability vary; applying does not establish representation or stop a deadline.
Federal and national resources
These agencies and directories serve different purposes. Court staff explain procedure, not individualized advice. Civil legal aid is not the usual source of criminal defense.
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