The 20-day waiting period
Florida Statute 61.19 requires the court to wait at least 20 days after the petition is filed before entering a final judgment of dissolution of marriage. This waiting period applies to every divorce, including uncontested cases. A judge may waive it only in narrowly defined circumstances of injustice — a remedy rarely granted in practice.
Week-by-week uncontested timeline
The pace below assumes both spouses respond promptly and the case is filed in a county with a reasonably current hearing calendar.
- Week 1 — Confirm eligibility, gather financial documents, draft the petition and marital settlement agreement
- Week 2 — Both spouses review, sign, and notarize the package
- Week 2–3 — File with the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal and pay the county filing fee
- Week 3–6 — Clerk processes the filing and the case is set for a final hearing
- Week 4–10 — Brief final hearing (often by Zoom). Judge signs the Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage
What slows a Florida divorce down
The variables below are the most common reasons an otherwise straightforward case takes longer than expected.
- Missing financial affidavits or incomplete asset disclosures
- Errors on the petition or settlement agreement that trigger a clerk's deficiency notice
- Backlogged hearing calendars in larger counties (Miami-Dade, Broward, Orange, Hillsborough)
- One spouse delaying signing or notarizing paperwork
- Parenting-plan disputes that surface late in the process
County-by-county variation
Smaller Florida counties often schedule final hearings within four weeks of filing, while the largest urban circuits can stretch to eight weeks or more. The substantive law is the same statewide; only the local scheduling differs.