Filing for divorce in West Palm Beach means filing in Palm Beach County's Fifteenth Judicial Circuit. Your case goes to the Unified Family Court at the Main Courthouse downtown at 205 N. Dixie Hwy., a block off Clematis Street near the Intracoastal. A West Palm Beach divorce lawyer handles the petition, financial disclosure, and service so you do not have to navigate the clerk's family counter (Room 3.2200) alone. The numbers below are verified against the Palm Beach County Clerk and the 2026 Florida Statutes.
Key Facts: Divorce in West Palm Beach, Florida (2026)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| County | Palm Beach County (15th Judicial Circuit) |
| Filing court | Main Courthouse, Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller |
| Court address | 205 N. Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach, FL 33401 |
| Filing fee | ~$409 (petition for dissolution of marriage) |
| Residency requirement | 6 months in Florida (§ 61.021) |
| Waiting period | 20 days after filing (§ 61.19) |
| Property model | Equitable distribution (§ 61.075) |
How do I file for divorce in West Palm Beach, Florida?
To file for divorce in West Palm Beach, you submit a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage to the Palm Beach County Clerk at 205 N. Dixie Hwy. and pay the ~$409 filing fee. Florida is a no-fault state, so you only allege the marriage is irretrievably broken under Fla. Stat. § 61.052. One spouse must have lived in Florida 6 months before filing.
The process runs in order: file the petition, serve your spouse (sheriff service is about $40 per defendant in Palm Beach County), exchange mandatory financial disclosure under Family Law Rule 12.285, and resolve property, support, and parenting issues. Most West Palm Beach cases route through the Family Division, where a Unified Family Court judge or general magistrate hears contested matters. E-filing through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal is required for attorneys; self-represented filers may use the clerk's Self Service Center.
Where do I file for divorce in West Palm Beach? (which courthouse)
West Palm Beach residents file at the Palm Beach County Main Courthouse, 205 N. Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach, FL 33401, the home of the clerk's Unified Family Court family counter in Room 3.2200. Clerk hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the general clerk line is (561) 355-2996.
You are not limited to the downtown courthouse. The Palm Beach County Clerk also accepts family filings at branch offices in Delray Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Belle Glade, and Royal Palm Beach, each with a dedicated family counter. The case itself, however, is assigned to the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit regardless of which counter you use. From I-95, exit at Okeechobee Boulevard and head east toward the Intracoastal; the courthouse sits between Banyan Boulevard and Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach.
How much does a divorce lawyer cost in West Palm Beach?
A West Palm Beach divorce lawyer typically charges $250 to $450 per hour, with retainers commonly between $2,500 and $5,000. An uncontested divorce often resolves for $1,500 to $3,500 in total attorney fees, while a contested case with custody and asset disputes can exceed $15,000. The court's own ~$409 filing fee is separate from attorney fees.
Costs in Palm Beach County track the South Florida market, where hourly rates run higher than rural counties. Add roughly $40 per defendant for sheriff service, plus parent-education course fees when minor children are involved, since both parents must complete a Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course before the judge finalizes the divorce. If the ~$409 fee is unaffordable, you can file an Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status to request a fee waiver; the clerk reviews income against state thresholds before granting it.
How long does a divorce take in West Palm Beach?
A divorce in West Palm Beach takes a minimum of 20 days, because Fla. Stat. § 61.19 bars a judge from entering final judgment until 20 days after the petition is filed. Uncontested cases in Palm Beach County typically finalize in 30 to 90 days. Contested divorces involving property division or time-sharing disputes often run 8 to 18 months through the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit's docket.
The 20-day cooling-off period is a floor, not a typical timeline. A served spouse has 20 days to respond under Florida Family Law Rule 12.140; failure to answer can lead to a default judgment. Simplified dissolution under Fla. Stat. § 61.052 is available only when both spouses agree, have no minor or dependent children, neither seeks alimony, and both attend the final hearing together.
What are the residency requirements to file in Palm Beach County?
To file for divorce in Palm Beach County, at least one spouse must have resided in Florida for 6 months immediately before filing, under Fla. Stat. § 61.021. This rule cannot be waived. You prove it with a Florida driver's license, voter registration, or a corroborating witness affidavit. Only one spouse needs to meet the requirement, even if the other lives out of state.
The six months must be continuous and tied to genuine intent to remain a Florida resident, not a temporary stay. Once residency and jurisdiction are established, Palm Beach County applies Florida's equitable distribution law (§ 61.075), which divides marital assets and debts fairly, though not always 50/50. Florida courts now start from a presumption of equal time-sharing for children under the 2023 amendment to Fla. Stat. § 61.13, rebuttable only by evidence it is not in the child's best interest. Florida eliminated permanent alimony in 2023; courts now award bridge-the-gap, rehabilitative, or durational support under Fla. Stat. § 61.08.