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Divorce in Polk County, Florida: Forms, Fees, and Where to File

Reviewed by the Amicably document team · Updated August 17, 2026

If you live in Lakeland, Winter Haven, or anywhere else in Polk County and you and your spouse agree on how to divide things, you file with the Polk County Clerk of the Circuit Court, not a state agency, and the rest of the process follows the same Florida law that applies statewide. This guide covers exactly where a Polk County divorce is filed, what it costs locally, the county's self-help resources, and what to expect at the hearing.

Divorce in Polk County follows the same Florida rules as every other county, but the clerk's addresses, the local self-help program, and which courthouse hears your case are specific to Polk. Getting those details right the first time is most of what keeps a filing from bouncing back.

Where Polk County divorces are filed

Divorce cases in Polk County are filed with the Polk County Clerk of the Circuit Court, part of the Tenth Judicial Circuit (which also covers Hardee and Highlands counties). The Clerk's main office is at the Bartow Courthouse, 255 N. Broadway Avenue, Bartow, FL 33830, with a second full-service location at the Northeast Polk Government Center, 200 Government Center Boulevard, Lake Alfred, FL 33850.

Most filers never need to visit either building in person: Florida's statewide e-filing portal lets a self-represented spouse submit a complete uncontested packet online, from anywhere in the county.

Do you qualify to file in Polk County?

Two statewide rules apply the same way in Polk County as everywhere else in Florida:

• 6-month residency: at least one spouse must have lived in Florida for the 6 months before filing.
• 20-day waiting period: a judge cannot finalize the divorce until at least 20 days after the petition is filed.

Beyond residency and the waiting period, an uncontested case in Polk County just means you and your spouse agree on property, debts, support, and, if you have children, a parenting plan. Whether financial affidavits, a hearing appearance from both spouses, or specific supporting forms apply to your case depends on which of Amicably's three routes fits: simplified dissolution, uncontested without children, or uncontested with children.

Polk County filing fee and other costs

The clerk's filing fee is a court cost, never Amicably's fee, and it is paid directly to Polk County at submission. If the fee is out of reach, the clerk's office accepts an Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status, which waives the filing and summons fees for those who qualify under the household-income test in Florida law; other court costs may still apply through a payment plan.

E-filing vs. filing in person

Polk County gives self-represented spouses both paths, and most choose the same one:

1. Create a free account at myflcourtaccess.com, the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, and choose the Self-Represented Litigant role.
2. Select Polk County and the dissolution of marriage case type when you start a new case.
3. Upload your signed packet as searchable PDFs, one court document per file.
4. Pay the filing fee by card or e-check when you submit; the portal calculates the total.
5. Watch for a processing email from the Polk Clerk confirming your case has been docketed, or flagging a correction if something needs fixing.

If you prefer paper, you can bring or mail your signed documents to either Clerk's office, Bartow or the Northeast Polk Government Center, and staff scan them into the electronic case file. Once you choose to e-file in a case, though, switching back to paper generally needs the court's permission, so pick a path and stay with it. For the full sequence across every route, see our guide to how to file for divorce in Florida.

Self-help resources in Polk County

The Polk County Clerk runs a DIY Court Filings Center at the Bartow courthouse for people representing themselves in dissolution of marriage, and the Tenth Judicial Circuit's Self-Help Program offers similar assistance by phone. Staff there can walk you through the interactive TurboCourt tool, hand you blank family law forms, and point you to Florida Law Help, but they cannot tell you what to write, review your specific answers, or give legal advice.

What the final hearing looks like

Simplified dissolution cases require both spouses at one short final hearing. Regular uncontested cases usually require only the filing spouse, since the other spouse's signed Answer and Waiver excuses their attendance. In Polk County, some Family Law Hearings are now held at the Northeast Polk Government Center in Lake Alfred rather than the Bartow courthouse, and the Tenth Circuit publishes Zoom instructions for virtual hearings; your notice of hearing will say which format and location apply to your case. A typical timeline from filing to a finalized Polk County divorce looks like this:

1. Day 0You file your petition. The portal or clerk stamps the official filing date.
2. Day 20+Florida's mandatory waiting period ends, the earliest a judge can sign your final judgment.
3. Hearing setThe Polk Clerk or judicial assistant schedules your brief final hearing, in person or remote, at Bartow or the Northeast Government Center.
4. Final judgmentThe judge signs your Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage, and your divorce is final.

Divorcing with children in Polk County

If you and your spouse share minor children, your Polk County case can still be uncontested, but it needs a couple of extra pieces: a parenting plan covering time-sharing and decision-making, and a child-support worksheet based on Florida's guidelines. Florida also generally requires both parents to complete a state-approved parenting course before the divorce finalizes. Amicably prepares the parenting documents and points you to an approved course; you complete the course and file it yourself, the same as every other document in your packet.

What you'll need to get started

• Proof of the 6-month Florida residency requirement (Florida driver's license, ID, or voter registration).
• Basic information about your marriage, income, assets, and debts.
• Agreement with your spouse on how to divide property and debts.
• If you have children: your intended time-sharing schedule.

You do not need any of this organized before you begin. Amicably's questionnaire walks you through it one plain-English question at a time, then prepares your complete, court-ready Polk County packet.

Frequently asked questions