Divorce Attorney in Port St. Lucie: How a Divorce Moves Through St. Lucie County Court

If you live in Port St. Lucie and are thinking about divorce, first confirm the proper county for your case. For a case properly filed in St. Lucie County, the Clerk lists its Family Relations Department in Fort Pierce and also offers electronic filing. A Port St. Lucie divorce attorney can walk you through the local steps, but it helps to know the outline first: where papers are filed, what the first weeks involve, and what the court requires before it can end a marriage.

Quick Summary:

• A Florida divorce requires that one spouse has lived in the state for six months before the petition is filed (§ 61.021).
• St. Lucie County is part of the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit. The Clerk's divorce page directs filers to its Family Relations Department at the main office in Fort Pierce.
• Simplified dissolution is available only if all requirements of Rule 12.105 and Form 12.901(a) are met, including the children and alimony restrictions. Otherwise, use a regular dissolution petition.
• No final judgment can be entered until at least 20 days after the petition is filed, unless the court finds that injustice would result from the delay (§ 61.19).
• Parents of minor children must complete a parenting course before the final judgment, unless the court excuses a party for good cause. If the children have identified special needs or emotional concerns, the course must be one tailored to them (§ 61.21).

On this page

• Where is a Port St. Lucie divorce filed?
• Who can file for divorce in Florida?
• Simplified or regular dissolution: which one applies?
• What happens in the first weeks after filing?
• What if you have children?
• What happens at the final hearing?
• What should you bring to a first meeting with a lawyer?
• Frequently asked questions about divorce in St. Lucie County
• Talk With Us About Your Divorce
• Cited Sources

Where is a Port St. Lucie divorce filed?

File with the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where venue is proper. Florida’s venue rules, not simply the filing spouse’s current address, determine the proper county (§ 47.011). Ask a lawyer to confirm venue, especially if you and your spouse live in different counties or your spouse lives outside Florida.

St. Lucie County sits in the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit, together with Indian River, Martin and Okeechobee Counties (§ 26.021).

Here is the local detail that surprises many people. The St. Lucie County Clerk's page for divorce directs filers to its Family Relations Department at 201 South Indian River Drive in Fort Pierce. The Clerk's Port St. Lucie location, the St. Lucie West branch at 250 N.W. Country Club Drive, lists case filings only for County Civil, Small Claims and Traffic. It does not list family cases. Court proceedings are listed at the Fort Pierce Courthouse, and the Clerk asks people to confirm their location and reporting instructions before they arrive. The Clerk also encourages electronic filing, so ask the Clerk, or a lawyer, how and where to file in your case.

Who can file for divorce in Florida?

One spouse must have lived in Florida for six months before the petition is filed. That is the residence requirement in § 61.021. The rule is about the state, not the county, so a move within Florida does not restart the clock.

Florida is a "no-fault" state in the sense that the main ground is that the marriage is irretrievably broken (§ 61.052(1)(a)). You do not have to prove that your spouse did something wrong in order to file.

Simplified or regular dissolution: which one applies?

Agreement alone does not make a couple eligible for simplified dissolution. Rule 12.105 and the instructions to Form 12.901(a) require all of the following:

• One spouse meets Florida’s six-month residence requirement.
• The spouses agree that the marriage cannot be saved.
• They have no minor or dependent children together, the wife has no minor or dependent children born during the marriage, and the wife is not pregnant. A dependent child may be an adult.
• They agree on the division of assets and responsibility for debts.
• Neither spouse is seeking alimony from the other.
• Both sign the joint petition, are willing to give up the rights to trial and appeal, and are willing to attend the final hearing together.

Ask the Clerk about the required papers, filing fees and an application for civil indigent status if you cannot afford the fees. The court decides whether the legal requirements are met. The simplified procedure gives up important rights; have a lawyer review whether it fits your situation. If any eligibility requirement is not met, use a regular dissolution petition. A regular dissolution can also be uncontested.

For help with the property and support questions behind either path, see our page on divorce representation in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast.

What happens in the first weeks after filing?

The case starts with a petition, and the rules for notifying your spouse must be followed. Depending on the case, this may involve formal service of process or a valid waiver; filing online does not itself serve the original petition. Under Rule 2.525, attorneys must file through the electronic portal or another designated electronic filing facility, subject to the rule’s exceptions. An unrepresented party may elect electronic filing; paper filing remains available under the rule for someone who has not elected it or has court permission to withdraw that election. Confirm current filing, signature, notarization and service requirements with the Clerk or a lawyer. The Clerk cannot give legal advice. Its forms page links to DIY Florida, and its Fees & Costs page lists current fees.

Three things commonly happen next:

• The waiting period runs. No final judgment of dissolution may be entered until at least 20 days have passed since the original petition was filed. The court may enter a judgment earlier only if it finds that injustice would result from the delay (§ 61.19). That is a minimum, not a prediction of how long your case will take.
• Financial information is exchanged. Florida's family law rules require financial disclosure in many cases (Rule 12.285 covers mandatory disclosure). What must be exchanged, and when, depends on the current rule and your case, so ask a lawyer what applies to you. Our guides to what you need for a financial affidavit and what temporary relief means cover those topics in detail.
• Mediation may be required before a hearing, but there are exceptions. Administrative Order 2015-12 requires expedited mediation before temporary relief hearings involving a child’s primary residence, subject to a court waiver for good cause. It also generally requires mediation before a contested trial or hearing lasting more than one hour, except contempt, enforcement, domestic or repeat violence injunctions and Title IV-D actions, unless the court decides otherwise. Individual divisions may require mediation before other temporary relief hearings, so check the assigned judge’s procedures and any case-specific order. Tell your lawyer and the court about domestic violence or safety concerns. Under § 44.102(2)(c), on a party’s motion or request, the court must not refer a case to mediation if it finds a history of domestic violence that would compromise the process. Rule 12.740 also provides safety protections and limits referrals in certain proceedings. Do not assume that mediation must occur before seeking emergency relief or protection.

What if you have children?

If you have minor children, both parents generally must complete a parenting course before the court enters the final judgment, unless the court excuses a party for good cause. Section 61.21 requires the Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course, which must be at least four hours and approved by the Department of Children and Families. In a divorce, the spouse who files the petition must complete it within 45 days after filing, and every other party within 45 days after being served. If the children have identified special needs or emotional concerns, the parties must select a course tailored to education relating to children who have special needs or emotional concerns. Each party files proof of compliance before the final judgment. The 45-day timing applies unless the court excuses a party, and the court may excuse a party from attending the course, or from completing it within the required time, for good cause.

Completing the parenting course and filing proof, or obtaining the court’s excusal, addresses the course requirement; it does not by itself make a case ready for final judgment. Follow the assigned judge’s scheduling instructions and satisfy the other applicable requirements. Our guide to the Florida parenting course for divorce explains the course in more detail. Time-sharing and child support are separate questions within the case; see our page on child custody and time-sharing.

What happens at the final hearing?

The court may enter a final judgment only when the applicable legal requirements are met. If a hearing is required, follow the assigned judge’s instructions. The Clerk describes a brief final hearing, but length and procedure vary; some uncontested regular dissolutions may use a court-authorized affidavit procedure instead. Simplified dissolution requires both spouses to appear for the final hearing. Contested issues can require longer hearings or a trial. Neither filing paperwork nor completing a parenting course automatically ends the marriage.

To get a copy of your final judgment later, the Clerk directs people to its Public Records Request page.

What should you bring to a first meeting with a lawyer?

Bring the information that lets a lawyer see your situation clearly. A short list helps:

• The date of your marriage and the date you and your spouse separated, if you have separated.
• Where each of you lives, and how long you have lived in Florida.
• The names and birth dates of your children, if any, and the current schedule for each child.
• Recent pay records, tax returns and account statements for you and, if you have them, your spouse.
• A list of the main assets and debts, such as your home, vehicles, retirement accounts and credit cards.
• Any existing court papers, such as an injunction or an earlier support order.

You do not need everything on day one. A consultation is a chance to ask questions and learn what comes next.

Frequently asked questions about divorce in St. Lucie County

Do I file for divorce in Port St. Lucie or Fort Pierce?

How long do I have to live in Florida before I can file?

What is the minimum time before a divorce can be final?

Can I handle my own divorce without a lawyer?

Does the firm help with divorces in Port St. Lucie?

Talk With Us About Your Divorce

If you are considering divorce in Port St. Lucie or St. Lucie County, schedule a confidential consultation with Yaffa Family Law Group to talk through your options and next steps.

Disclaimer (general information): This article provides general information about Florida family law and the St. Lucie County court process and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case depends on its own facts, and the law and local procedures can change. Consult a Florida family law attorney about your situation.

Cited Sources

• St. Lucie County Clerk of the Circuit Court, Filing for Divorce
• St. Lucie County Clerk of the Circuit Court, Locations & Hours
• St. Lucie County Clerk of the Circuit Court, Self-Help Forms
• St. Lucie County Clerk of the Circuit Court, Fees & Costs
• Florida Statute § 61.021, Residence requirements
• Florida Statute § 61.052, Dissolution of marriage
• Florida Statute § 61.19, Entry of judgment of dissolution of marriage, delay period
• Florida Statute § 61.21, Parenting course authorized
• Florida Statute § 47.011, Where actions may be begun
• Florida Statute § 26.021, Judicial circuits
• Florida Family Law Rules (October 1, 2026), Rules 12.070, 12.080, 12.105, 12.285 and 12.740
• Florida filing rules (July 1, 2026), Rule 2.525
• Nineteenth Circuit Administrative Order 2015-12, section VI
• Florida Courts Form 12.901(a), instructions (June 2025)
• Florida Statute § 44.102(2)(c), mediation safety exception
• St. Lucie family division: Judge Stone’s published procedures