Co-parenting and want it amicable? If you agree on the schedule and support, you can file an uncontested divorce with kids. Our free 3-minute eligibility check confirms your path — and the exact documents your family needs.
What's different with children
Everything about a Florida divorce works the same with kids — the no-fault ground, the six-month residency rule, the 20-day waiting period — with three additions: the parenting course, the parenting plan, and child support. You also can't use the shortest simplified dissolution; you file a regular (still uncontested) dissolution. For the full filing walkthrough, see filing for divorce in Florida with a child. This guide goes deeper on the three kid-specific pieces.
The mandatory parenting course
Florida requires both parents to complete a state-approved Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course before a judge will finalize a divorce involving minor children. It's not a punishment or a parenting-fitness test — it's a short course on helping kids through the transition.
The parenting course at a glance
- Who: both parents (separately is fine)
- Format: about 4 hours, widely available online
- Cost: ~$15–$45 per parent
- When: before the final judgment
The petitioner is generally expected to finish within 45 days of filing — start early so it never holds up your case.
Use a DCF-approved provider (the court won't accept a random online class), keep the completion certificate, and file it with your case. Because the judge can't finalize until both parents finish, the course is the single most common avoidable delay in a with-children divorce — do it early.
The parenting plan & time-sharing
Florida doesn't use the word "custody." Instead you file a parenting plan (Form 12.995) that spells out time-sharing — when the children are with each parent — plus how you'll make major decisions about school, health, and activities. The default is shared parental responsibility (both parents share decision-making), and as of the 2023 reform Florida starts from a rebuttable presumption that equal, 50/50 time-sharing is in the child's best interest.
If you agree on a schedule, the plan just records it. Common time-sharing schedules parents adopt:
Week-on / week-off
Parent A — week 1
Parent B — week 2
2-2-3 (a common younger-kids schedule)
Mon–Tue · A
Wed–Thu · B
Fri–Sun · A
The next week the 2-2-3 pattern flips, so both parents get weekends and weekdays over time.
Also common: every-other-weekend plus a weeknight dinner, or a 60/40 split. Choose what fits your kids.
Your plan should also cover holidays, school breaks, summers, transportation/exchanges, and how you'll communicate. The more specific it is, the fewer conflicts later.
Building a plan that actually works
The best parenting plans are specific — vague plans are exactly what send co-parents back to court later. A few things worth nailing down now:
- Holidays and school breaks — spell out who has the kids for each major holiday, and alternate years so it's automatic.
- Exchanges — where and when handoffs happen, and who does the driving.
- Communication — how you'll reach each other about the kids (a co-parenting app helps) and how much notice a schedule change needs.
- Right of first refusal — whether a parent who needs childcare offers that time to the other parent first.
- Decision-making — how you'll resolve disagreements on school, medical care, and activities.
Every detail you settle now is one you won't have to argue about — or pay a lawyer to fight over — later.
Child support
Child support in Florida follows a guidelines formula — it's not freely negotiable the way property is. The amount is calculated from both parents' net incomes, the number of overnights each parent has, and costs like health insurance and daycare, and it's documented on the Child Support Guidelines Worksheet (Form 12.902(e)). Even when parents agree on a number, the court checks it against the guidelines, so the math has to be right.
The forms you'll need
On top of the standard dissolution paperwork, a with-children case adds:
- Petition for Dissolution with Dependent or Minor Child(ren) — Form 12.901(b)(1)
- UCCJEA Affidavit (where the children have lived) — Form 12.902(d)
- Child Support Guidelines Worksheet — Form 12.902(e)
- Parenting Plan — Form 12.995(a)
- Parent course completion certificate (both parents)
See the full document list in our Florida divorce forms guide.
If you agree, keep it simple
None of this requires a courtroom battle. If you and your co-parent agree on the schedule and support, your divorce stays uncontested — you're simply documenting the plan you've made. Amicably prepares the entire with-children packet, every child-related form included, for a flat $99; you just complete the parenting course separately.
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Check if you qualifyFrequently asked questions
What is the parenting course for divorce in Florida?
It's the Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course, a state-approved class both parents must complete before a judge finalizes a divorce with minor children. It runs about four hours, is widely available online for roughly $15 to $45 per parent, and focuses on helping children through the transition.
How do you make a parenting plan in Florida?
You (ideally together) set out the time-sharing schedule — regular weeks, holidays, and summers — plus how you'll make major decisions and handle communication and exchanges, on Form 12.995. If you agree, the plan simply records it; if you don't, the court can decide, starting from a presumption of equal time-sharing.
What is time-sharing in Florida?
Time-sharing is Florida's term for the schedule of when children are with each parent — what other states call custody or visitation. Florida's default is shared parental responsibility, and since 2023 the law starts from a rebuttable presumption that equal (50/50) time-sharing is in the child's best interest.
Do both parents have to take the parenting class?
Yes. Both parents must complete the DCF-approved Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course before the divorce can be finalized. They can take it separately and online, and the petitioner is generally expected to finish within 45 days of filing.
How is child support calculated in Florida?
By a statutory guidelines formula based on both parents' net incomes, the number of overnights each parent has, and costs like health insurance and childcare, documented on the Child Support Guidelines Worksheet. The court checks any agreed amount against the guidelines.
What forms do you need for a divorce with children in Florida?
Beyond the petition (Form 12.901(b)(1)), you need a UCCJEA affidavit (12.902(d)), a financial affidavit, a child support guidelines worksheet (12.902(e)), a parenting plan (12.995(a)), the parent-course certificates, and a final judgment form — plus a marital settlement agreement if you've agreed.
Can you divorce with kids without going to court?
Often yes. If you agree on parenting and support, many counties finalize on the paperwork, or with a brief hearing that's frequently available by video. The mandatory 20-day waiting period and the parenting course still apply.
Official sources
Florida DCF — Parent Education & Family Stabilization Course
Florida Statutes § 61.13 — Parenting plans & time-sharing
Florida Courts — Dissolution of Marriage with children (forms)
Reviewed by the Amicably document team
Amicably is a Florida registered legal document preparation service. We prepare uncontested Florida divorce packets with children daily — parenting plans, child support worksheets, and UCCJEA affidavits — using the official Florida Supreme Court–approved family law forms. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice.