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

Reviewed by the Amicably document team · Updated September 14, 2026

If you live in Sanford, Casselberry, Altamonte Springs, Oviedo, Winter Springs, Lake Mary, or anywhere else in Seminole County and you and your spouse agree on how to divide things, you file with the Seminole 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 Seminole County divorce is filed, what it costs locally, the county's self-help resources, and what to expect at the hearing.

Divorce in Seminole County follows the same Florida rules as every other county, but the Clerk's office locations, the local self-help program, and how your final hearing is scheduled are specific to Seminole. Getting those details right the first time is most of what keeps a filing from bouncing back.

Where Seminole County divorces are filed

Divorce cases in Seminole County are filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, Seminole County, part of the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit, which also covers Brevard County. The Clerk's office handles family-law filings at the Criminal Justice Center, 101 Eslinger Way, Sanford, with a second location at the East Branch Office, 376 Wilshire Boulevard, Casselberry. Filings sent by mail go to the Clerk's P.O. Box 8099, Sanford, FL 32772.

Most filers never need to visit a courthouse 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 Seminole County?

Two statewide rules apply the same way in Seminole 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 Seminole 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.

Seminole 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 Seminole County at submission. If the fee is out of reach, the Clerk accepts an Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status, which can waive the filing fee for those who qualify under the household-income test in Florida law.

E-filing vs. filing in person

Seminole 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 Seminole 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 notice from the Seminole 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 of the Clerk's Seminole offices, in Sanford or Casselberry, 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 Seminole County

The Seminole County Self-Help Center operates out of the Criminal Justice Center in Sanford, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It offers low-cost attorney consultations, roughly $1 per minute with a $15 minimum, for family law matters including divorce, and can meet virtually for filers who cannot come in person. Consultants can explain terminology and review forms, but staff there cannot represent you in court or tell you what to write in your specific case.

What the final hearing looks like

The hearing format depends on which route you use. A simplified dissolution requires both spouses to attend one short final hearing. A regular uncontested case usually requires only the filing spouse, since the other spouse's signed Answer and Waiver excuses their attendance. Once your Seminole County case is ready, a case coordinator reviews your file and schedules the hearing; whether it is remote or in person depends on the assigned judge's practice preferences. A typical timeline from filing to a finalized Seminole 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 case coordinator schedules your brief final hearing, in Sanford or by video, depending on the judge.
4. Final judgmentThe judge or general magistrate signs your Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage, and your divorce is final.

Divorcing with children in Seminole County

If you and your spouse share minor children, your Seminole 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 Seminole County packet.

Frequently asked questions