Pembroke Pines sits in southwest Broward County, and although the city has its own municipal services and the South Regional Courthouse on Pines Boulevard handles many local matters, new divorce (dissolution of marriage) petitions are filed centrally. Broward operates a Unified Family Court, so a Pembroke Pines resident off Flamingo Road or near Pembroke Lakes Mall files the same way as someone in Fort Lauderdale: through the Broward County Clerk of Courts in the 17th Judicial Circuit. This page explains exactly where to file, what it costs, how long it takes, and the Florida statutes that govern your case.
Key Facts: Divorce in Pembroke Pines, Florida (2026)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| County | Broward County (17th Judicial Circuit) |
| Filing court | Broward County Clerk of Courts, Central Courthouse (Judicial Complex West Building, Family Division) |
| Court address | 201 SE 6th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 |
| Filing fee | $409 (plus ~$10 summons issuance) |
| Residency requirement | 6 months in Florida before filing (Fla. Stat. § 61.021) |
| Waiting period | 20-day minimum before final judgment (Fla. Stat. § 61.19) |
| Property model | Equitable distribution (Fla. Stat. § 61.075) |
How do I file for divorce in Pembroke Pines, Florida?
To file for divorce in Pembroke Pines, submit a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage to the Broward County Clerk of Courts Family Division, pay the $409 filing fee, and serve your spouse, who then has 20 days to respond. Most petitioners file electronically through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal rather than appearing in person.
The practical sequence for a Pembroke Pines filer looks like this:
- Confirm you meet the 6-month Florida residency rule under Fla. Stat. § 61.021. You prove this with a Florida driver's license, voter registration card, or a witness affidavit.
- Prepare your petition and financial affidavit. Florida requires a financial affidavit in every dissolution case under the Family Law Rules of Procedure.
- File and pay the $409 fee. You can e-file 24/7 or file at the Central Courthouse at 201 SE 6th Street in Fort Lauderdale.
- Serve your spouse through the Broward Sheriff's Office or a private process server. The summons issuance fee is about $10.
- Wait for the response. If your spouse does not answer within 20 days, you may move for a default.
Florida also offers a Simplified Dissolution of Marriage for couples with no minor children, no dependence on alimony, and full agreement on property. That path is faster but waives your right to a trial and to financial discovery.
Where do I file for divorce in Pembroke Pines? (which courthouse)
Pembroke Pines divorce petitions are filed with the Broward County Clerk of Courts at the Central Courthouse, 201 SE 6th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301. The Family Division sits in the Judicial Complex West Building. There is no separate divorce filing window inside Pembroke Pines itself, though the South Regional Courthouse on Pines Boulevard handles certain hearings and services.
For a Pembroke Pines resident, the drive to the Central Courthouse in downtown Fort Lauderdale runs roughly 18 to 22 miles via I-595 or University Drive, depending on which neighborhood you start from. Because Broward accepts electronic filing through the statewide E-Filing Portal, many spouses never visit the courthouse to file. You will, however, likely attend at least one hearing for a contested case or the final hearing for an uncontested one. The Clerk's main line is 954-831-5848, and self-represented litigants can obtain approved Family Law forms at the courthouse or through the Florida Courts website.
How much does a divorce lawyer cost in Pembroke Pines?
A divorce lawyer in Pembroke Pines typically charges $250 to $450 per hour, with uncontested flat-fee packages commonly running $1,500 to $3,500 and contested cases frequently reaching $7,000 to $20,000 or more. These attorney fees are separate from the mandatory $409 court filing fee paid to the Broward County Clerk.
What drives the range:
- Uncontested vs. contested. When both spouses agree on property, support, and a parenting plan, costs stay low. Disputes over time-sharing or business valuation under the 2024 changes to Fla. Stat. § 61.075 increase hours quickly.
- Children. Cases involving minor children require a parenting plan and a child support guidelines worksheet, adding preparation time.
- Discovery and experts. Forensic accountants, business appraisers, and custody evaluators each add several thousand dollars when assets or parenting are disputed.
- Hourly billing structure. Most Pembroke Pines firms bill against a retainer of $2,500 to $7,500, drawing down at the attorney's hourly rate.
You can estimate your specific exposure using the divorce cost estimator before consulting an attorney. If affording the filing fee itself is a barrier, the Broward Clerk accepts an Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status, which can waive or defer the $409.
How long does a divorce take in Pembroke Pines?
An uncontested divorce in Pembroke Pines typically finalizes in 4 to 12 weeks, limited mainly by the 20-day statutory waiting period under Fla. Stat. § 61.19 and Broward court scheduling. A contested divorce involving children, support, or significant assets commonly takes 8 to 18 months from filing to final judgment.
The 20-day waiting period is a floor, not the typical timeline. Several factors stretch a Pembroke Pines case:
- Service of process. Your spouse has 20 days to respond after being served, which itself can take a week or more to complete.
- Mandatory disclosure. Both spouses must exchange financial affidavits and supporting documents, a step that adds weeks when one party delays.
- Mediation. Broward County requires most contested family cases to attend mediation before trial, and getting on a mediator's calendar takes time.
- Court docket. Final hearings in the 17th Judicial Circuit are scheduled around judicial availability, which is the most common source of delay for otherwise-agreed cases.
What are the residency requirements to file in Broward County?
To file for divorce in Broward County, at least one spouse must have resided in Florida for 6 months immediately before filing, under Fla. Stat. § 61.021. Only one spouse needs to meet this requirement, it cannot be waived even in emergencies, and military members stationed in Florida may count their station time toward residency.
There is no separate county-level residency rule. A Pembroke Pines resident satisfies the requirement the same way a resident of any Florida city does, by proving continuous Florida residency for the six months before the petition is filed. Acceptable proof includes a valid Florida driver's license, a Florida voter registration card, or a sworn affidavit from a third party who can attest to your residency. Utility bills and a lease can support your claim but generally are not sufficient on their own. If neither spouse meets the six-month rule, a Broward judge will dismiss the case without prejudice, meaning you can refile once the requirement is satisfied.
How is property divided in a Pembroke Pines divorce?
Florida is an equitable distribution state under Fla. Stat. § 61.075, meaning a Broward court starts from the premise that marital assets and debts should be divided equally, then adjusts for relevant factors. Nonmarital property, such as assets owned before marriage or received by gift or inheritance, is set apart to the original owner and is not divided.
The 2024 amendments to § 61.075 (effective July 1, 2024) changed two areas that matter to Pembroke Pines couples. First, an interspousal gift of real property now requires a signed writing that complies with Fla. Stat. § 689.01. Second, the statute added detailed rules for valuing a marital interest in a closely held business, addressing goodwill and restrictive covenants such as non-competes. For couples who own a home near Pembroke Lakes or run a family business, these rules directly affect how value is calculated. You can model a rough split using the property division tool.
How does alimony work after the 2023 Florida reform?
Florida eliminated permanent alimony under the 2023 reform to Fla. Stat. § 61.08, replacing it with temporary, bridge-the-gap, rehabilitative, and durational forms. Durational alimony for a marriage of 20 or more years is capped at 75% of the marriage length, and the amount generally cannot exceed 35% of the difference between the spouses' net incomes.
For a Pembroke Pines couple, this means the length of your marriage now sets hard ceilings on how long support can last. Rehabilitative alimony, designed to fund education or job training, is capped at five years. Bridge-the-gap alimony to ease the transition to single life is capped at two years. Courts still weigh need and ability to pay, but the open-ended permanent awards that existed before July 1, 2023 are gone. If your final judgment was not entered before July 1, 2024, the reformed rules apply even if you filed under the old law. Estimate a likely range with the alimony estimator.