How Long Does a Florida Divorce Really Take?
Data last verified: May 2026
A Florida divorce takes between 30 days and 2 years or more, depending entirely on whether the case is uncontested, contested, or complex. Under Florida Statute 61.19, no final judgment of dissolution may be entered until at least 20 days have elapsed from the date the original petition is filed — that is the absolute legal minimum, and every case type adds time beyond it.
Knowing your realistic timeline from the start protects your finances, your parenting rights, and your ability to move forward. A Fort Lauderdale divorce attorney at Levine Family Law will give you an honest projection based on your specific case — not a best-case estimate that sets you up for frustration.
Key Takeaways
- Florida Statute 61.19 sets a mandatory 20-day minimum waiting period from the filing date before any final judgment of dissolution can be entered.
- An uncontested Florida divorce — where both spouses agree on all issues and complete financial disclosures — typically finalizes in 30 to 90 days after filing.
- A contested divorce in Broward County typically takes 6 to 18 months, depending on the number of disputed issues, court scheduling, and whether the case reaches trial.
- Complex cases involving business valuation, hidden assets, or high-conflict parenting disputes regularly extend beyond 2 years.
- Florida Family Law Rule of Procedure 12.285 requires both parties to exchange financial disclosures within 45 days of service — incomplete or inconsistent records are the single most common cause of delay.
- Organized financial documents from the start — not rushed or incomplete disclosures — determine whether a case moves in weeks or stalls in months.
Every month of delay in a Florida divorce carries financial and parenting consequences that compound over time. A Fort Lauderdale child custody attorney at Levine Family Law structures cases from day one to meet every procedural deadline and prevent disclosure failures that unnecessarily extend timelines.
What Is the Minimum Time a Florida Divorce Can Take?
The minimum time a Florida divorce can take is 20 days from the filing date, set by Florida Statute 61.19. No circuit court judge in Florida can enter a Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage until at least 20 days have elapsed from the date the original petition was filed — regardless of how quickly both parties reach an agreement or complete paperwork.
Florida Statute 61.19 permits a judge to waive the 20-day period only upon a showing that injustice would result from the delay. Courts grant waivers in rare circumstances — imminent military deployment to a combat zone and time-sensitive real estate transactions are the most commonly cited examples. Neither party should plan their timeline around receiving a waiver.
The simplified dissolution of marriage — available only to couples with no minor children, no alimony request, no pregnancy, and a fully resolved property agreement — comes closest to the 20-day minimum.
Most counties schedule the final hearing within two to three weeks after the waiting period expires, bringing the simplified dissolution total to 30 to 45 days under ideal conditions.
A Broward County divorce attorney at Levine Family Law can confirm, within the first consultation, whether a simplified dissolution is available in your case.
How Long Does an Uncontested Divorce Take in Florida?
An uncontested Florida divorce reaches a final judgment within 30 to 90 days of the filing date when both spouses have settled all issues in advance and delivered complete financial records on schedule. Full prior agreement — covering property division, alimony, child support, and timesharing — is what separates the uncontested track from every slower alternative.
Two factors determine whether a case lands at 30 days or 90 days: how quickly the court can schedule the final hearing, and whether the disclosure package is complete and accurate on first submission.
Broward County circuit courts process among the largest family law dockets in Florida, which pushes the availability of uncontested final hearings to 4 to 6 weeks from the request date.
Lower-volume circuits outside South Florida typically open hearing slots within 2 to 3 weeks. Financial affidavit calculation errors, unsigned settlement agreement pages, and missing parenting plan provisions each trigger a judicial continuance — adding 2 to 3 weeks per correction cycle before the hearing is rescheduled.
Minor children add a mandatory procedural layer that couples without children avoid entirely. Both parents must complete a four-hour Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course under Florida Statute 61.21 and submit certificates of completion to the court before the final hearing date. Parents who register for the course within the first two weeks of filing — rather than treating it as an afterthought — absorb that requirement into the existing timeline rather than letting it create a separate delay at the end.
A family law attorney in Hollywood, FL, at Levine Family Law tracks disclosure deadlines, parenting course completion, and settlement agreement execution in parallel — so every required element arrives at the courthouse before the hearing date, not after.
How Long Does a Contested Divorce Take in Broward County?
A contested divorce in Broward County typically takes 6 to 18 months from filing to final judgment when spouses disagree on one or more issues, and the case proceeds through discovery, mandatory mediation, and potentially a trial.
A Florida divorce is contested the moment the parties disagree on any single issue — property, alimony, child support, or timesharing.
The contested divorce timeline in Broward County unfolds across three distinct phases.
Mandatory Financial Disclosure Phase
Florida Family Law Rule of Procedure 12.285 requires both parties to exchange financial affidavits and supporting records within 45 days of service. Incomplete disclosures trigger motions, additional discovery requests, and hearings that can add 2 to 4 months to the overall timeline before the case advances.
Discovery Phase
The discovery phase — during which both parties exchange interrogatories, requests for production, depositions, and subpoenas — typically requires 3 to 6 months in Broward County cases. Uncooperative spouses who delay document production or require multiple court interventions to compel compliance push discovery toward the longer end of that range.
Mediation and Trial Phase
Florida courts require mediation before a contested case proceeds to trial. Mediation resolves the majority of Florida divorce cases — fewer than 5% of filed cases reach trial. When mediation fails, trial scheduling in Broward County’s high-volume circuit typically adds 5 to 7 months of wait time before a trial date is available.
A Fort Lauderdale alimony and asset division attorney at Levine Family Law prepares every contested case as if it will go to trial — so if mediation resolves it earlier, the client is protected either way.
How Long Do Complex Florida Divorce Cases Take?
Complex Florida divorce cases often take more than 2 years to resolve when they involve business valuation, hidden assets, high-conflict parenting disputes, or significant investment portfolios. Each complexity layer adds investigative, procedural, and scheduling time, which compounds over the standard contested timeline.
Business Valuation Cases
Divorces involving a closely held business require a certified business appraiser to assess fair market value. Business valuations in Broward County divorce cases typically require 3 to 6 months, depending on the size of the business, the availability of financial records, and whether both parties retain competing experts whose conclusions must be resolved at a hearing or trial.
Hidden Asset Cases
Divorces in which one spouse is suspected of concealing assets require forensic accounting investigations that run in parallel with standard discovery. Forensic accountants tracing transaction histories, offshore accounts, or underreported business income typically require 3 to 6 additional months beyond standard discovery, and their findings often generate additional depositions and court hearings.
A high-net-worth divorce lawyer in Fort Lauderdale at Levine Family Law coordinates forensic accounting engagements and legal discovery simultaneously to prevent sequential delays from stacking.
High-Conflict Parenting Disputes
Parenting cases involving a guardian ad litem appointment, custody evaluation, or psychological assessment add structured investigation timelines that courts control — not the parties.
Guardian ad litem investigations in Broward County typically run 3 to 6 months. Custody evaluations by a licensed mental health professional run 2 to 4 months. Both often produce reports that generate additional hearings before the timesharing schedule is finalized.
What Causes the Most Delays in a Florida Divorce?
Incomplete or inconsistent financial records cause more delays in Florida divorces than any other single factor. Florida Family Law Rule of Procedure 12.285 requires disclosure of three years of tax returns, pay stubs, bank statements, retirement account records, and credit card statements within 45 days of service.
A spouse who files an incomplete affidavit, omits accounts, or provides records with internal inconsistencies forces the other party to file motions to compel — triggering hearings, sanctions proceedings, and extended discovery cycles.
Incomplete Financial Disclosures
An inaccurate or incomplete financial affidavit filed under oath exposes the filing spouse to sanctions under Florida Family Law Rule of Procedure 12.380 and contempt proceedings. Courts can strike pleadings, enter adverse inferences, and award attorney’s fees against a spouse whose disclosure failures cause delay.
Gathering organized financial records before filing—not after—eliminates the most common and controllable source of timeline extensions.
Uncooperative Spouse Conduct
A spouse who delays responding to discovery requests, refuses to attend depositions, misses deadlines, or takes positions unsupported by facts or law under Florida Statute 61.16 exposes themselves to a court order requiring payment of the other party’s attorney’s fees. Uncooperative conduct extends contested timelines by months and increases total litigation costs for both parties.
Court Scheduling Backlogs
Broward County circuit courts carry among the highest family law caseloads in Florida. Final hearing dates for uncontested matters require 4 to 6 weeks of scheduling lead time. Trial dates in contested cases are typically available 5 to 7 months after the notice to set is filed.
An Oakland Park divorce attorney or a Weston divorce lawyer at Levine Family Law knows Broward County’s scheduling patterns and files procedural documents at the earliest opportunity to secure the fastest available hearing dates.
The fastest path through any Florida divorce — contested or uncontested — is organized documents, complete disclosures, and an attorney who knows the local court. Contact Levine Family Law today for a realistic assessment of your timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum time a Florida divorce can take?
Florida Statute 61.19 sets a mandatory 20-day waiting period from the filing date before a judge can enter a final judgment of dissolution. Most uncontested divorces finalize in 30 to 90 days due to court scheduling, disclosure requirements, and service timelines — not the statutory minimum alone.
How long does an uncontested divorce take in Florida?
An uncontested Florida divorce typically takes 30 to 90 days from filing when both spouses agree on all issues and complete financial disclosures on time. Broward County court scheduling typically adds 4 to 6 weeks of lead time for final hearings, and cases with minor children take longer due to the parenting course requirement under Florida Statute 61.21.
How long does a contested divorce take in Broward County?
A contested divorce in Broward County typically takes 6 to 18 months from filing to final judgment. The timeline covers mandatory financial disclosure, a 3 to 6 month discovery phase, court-required mediation, and, if unresolved at mediation, a trial date that adds 5 to 7 months of scheduling wait time in Broward County’s high-volume circuit.
How long do complex Florida divorces involving business valuation take?
Florida divorces involving business valuation typically add 3 to 6 months to the standard contested timeline due to the time required for certified business appraisers to assess value, prepare reports, and potentially testify at a hearing or trial. Total timelines in business valuation cases typically range from 18 to 24 months or longer.
What is the biggest cause of delay in a Florida divorce?
Incomplete or inconsistent financial records are the most common cause of delay in Florida divorce cases. Florida Family Law Rule of Procedure 12.285 requires full financial disclosure within 45 days of service. Incomplete affidavits trigger motions to compel, sanctions hearings, and extended discovery that add months to both uncontested and contested timelines.
Does Broward County take longer than other Florida counties for divorce?
Yes. Broward County circuit courts carry heavy family law caseloads, resulting in longer scheduling lead times than lower-volume circuits. Final hearing dates for uncontested matters typically require 4 to 6 weeks of lead time, and contested trial dates are typically available 5 to 7 months after the notice to set is filed.
Can a Florida divorce be finalized in less than 20 days?
No. Florida Statute 61.19 prohibits any judge from entering a final judgment of dissolution until at least 20 days have elapsed from the original filing date. A judge may waive the period only upon a showing that injustice would result — waivers are rare and require compelling circumstances such as imminent military deployment.
What happens if incomplete financial disclosures delay a Florida divorce?
Incomplete financial disclosures under Florida Family Law Rule of Procedure 12.285 require the other spouse to file a motion to compel, thereby triggering a hearing and extending the timeline by weeks or months. Courts may also impose sanctions under Rule 12.380, award attorney’s fees against the non-complying spouse, or strike pleadings in cases of repeated non-compliance.
