The Florida Supreme Court approved family law forms include answer forms numbered 12.903(a) through 12.903(c)(3) for responding to a petition for dissolution of marriage, and Form 12.903(d) for answering a counterpetition.¹ This article covers what the form instructions and the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit’s Hillsborough County answer packet say about each one, along with the related provisions of Chapter 61 of the Florida Statutes. The numbered notes at the end link to each original.
Related articles in this series include Uncontested Divorce in Florida, With or Without Children: What the Official Sources Say, Parenting Plans and Time-Sharing in Florida: What the Official Sources Say, and Florida Child Support Guidelines: What the Official Sources Say.
The information that follows is taken directly from Florida statutes, Supreme Court approved family law forms, circuit court and county clerk materials, and Florida Bar publications. It is provided for educational purposes only and does not represent legal advice or the legal opinions of the author.
What Happens After a Florida Divorce Petition Is Served
The “General Information for Self-Represented Litigants” that accompanies the Supreme Court approved family law forms states, “After being served, the respondent has 20 days to file an answer admitting or denying each of the allegations contained in the petition. In addition to an answer, the respondent may also file a counterpetition.”² It adds that “[i]n a counterpetition, the respondent may request the same or some other relief or action not requested by the petitioner.” The same document states that if a response is not filed, “the petitioner may file a Motion for Default, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.922(a), with the clerk.”
The Thirteenth Judicial Circuit’s Packet #22, its answer packet for Hillsborough County divorces with no children, includes step-by-step instructions that read, “Within 20 calendar days from the date of service, complete the following forms and notarize the ones with a notary signature line.”² The packet also states, “There are no filing fees to file an answer (only to file a counterpetition).”
Answer, Waiver, and Request for Copy of Final Judgment, Form 12.903(a)
The instructions for Form 12.903(a) state that it “should be used when you have been served with a petition for dissolution of marriage and you do not wish to contest it or appear at a hearing.”² They continue, “If you file this form, you are admitting all of the allegations in the petition, saying that you do not need to be notified of or appear at the final hearing, and that you would like a copy of the final judgment mailed to you.” The first numbered paragraph of the form reads:
I answer the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage filed in this action and admit all the allegations. By admitting all of the allegations in the petition, I agree to all relief requested in the petition including any requests regarding parenting and time-sharing, child support, alimony, distribution of marital assets and liabilities, and temporary relief.
The instructions address child support, alimony, parenting, and property in separate paragraphs. On child support, they state, “By filing this answer and waiver, you are agreeing to any requests for child support in the petition,” and, on alimony, “If you want alimony, you must request it in writing in a counterpetition and should not use this form.”²
Answer to Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, Form 12.903(b)
The instructions for Form 12.903(b) state that it “should be used when you are responding to a petition for dissolution of marriage and you wish to admit or deny all of the allegations in the petition but you do not plan to file a counterpetition seeking relief.”² They add, “You can use this form to answer any petition for dissolution of marriage, whether or not there are minor child(ren).” The form has three numbered lists, one for petition paragraphs the respondent admits, one for paragraphs the respondent denies, and one for paragraphs the respondent is “unable to admit or deny . . . due to lack of information.”
The instructions state that after the answer is filed, “the case will generally proceed in one of the following two ways.” Under the heading “UNCONTESTED,” they state, “If you file an answer that agrees with everything in the other party’s petition and you have complied with mandatory disclosure and filed all of the required papers, either party may contact the clerk, family law intake staff, or judicial assistant to set a final hearing.”² Under “CONTESTED,” they state that if the answer “disagrees with or denies anything in the petition, and you are unable to settle the disputed issues, either party may file a Notice for Trial, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.924.”
Answer and Counterpetition, Forms 12.903(c)(1), (c)(2), and (c)(3)
The Pasco County Clerk’s packet of answer and counterpetition forms lists three combined answer and counterpetition forms:¹
- Form 12.903(c)(1), Answer to Petition and Counterpetition for Dissolution of Marriage with Dependent or Minor Child(ren)
- Form 12.903(c)(2), Answer to Petition and Counterpetition for Dissolution of Marriage with Property but No Dependent or Minor Child(ren)
- Form 12.903(c)(3), Answer to Petition and Counterpetition for Dissolution of Marriage with No Dependent or Minor Child(ren) or Property
The instructions for Form 12.903(c)(2) state that the form is used when responding to a petition “and you are asking the court for something not contained in the petition.”² They explain, “The answer portion of this form is used to admit or deny the allegations contained in the petition, and the counterpetition portion of this form is used to ask for whatever you want the court to do for you.” The counterpetition section of that form includes a choice between stating that marital assets and liabilities “have been divided by a written agreement between the parties” and asking that “[t]he Court should determine how the assets and liabilities of this marriage are to be distributed,” along with a section on spousal support.
The same instructions explain when a case is uncontested and when it is contested. “Your dissolution is uncontested if you and your spouse agree on all issues raised in the petition and the counterpetition,” they state, while it “is contested if you and your spouse disagree on any issue raised in the petition or counterpetition.”² The 02/18 instructions list “permanent alimony” among the types that may be requested, and section 61.08(1)(a) of the 2026 Florida Statutes lists “temporary, bridge-the-gap, rehabilitative, or durational alimony.”³
Answer to Counterpetition, Form 12.903(d)
The General Information for Self-Represented Litigants states, “If the respondent files a counterpetition, the petitioner should then file an Answer to Counterpetition, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.903(d), and either admit or deny the allegations in the respondent’s counterpetition.”² The Form 12.903(c)(2) instructions give the timing, stating that “[y]our spouse is required to answer your counterpetition within 20 days using an Answer to Counterpetition.” The Pasco County Clerk’s answer and counterpetition packet includes Form 12.903(d) alongside the respondent’s forms.¹
Contested Issues, Legal Questions, and Finding a Lawyer
The Thirteenth Judicial Circuit packet states, “If you filed an answer and dispute any of the allegations in the petition, you and your spouse will need to go to mediation to see if the disputed issue(s) can be resolved.”² It adds that if the issues are not resolved, “the final hearing will be set on the judge’s contested docket,” and its general notice states, “If you have any questions or concerns about your case, you should consult with an attorney.” The packet’s Hillsborough County resource page lists the local Lawyer Referral Service at hillsbarlrs.com and 813-221-7780, with a “30-minute consultation for $35,” along with Bay Area Legal Services at 800-625-2257.
Statewide, The Florida Bar describes its Lawyer Referral Service as a way for consumers to connect with verified attorneys, and the service can be reached at 800-342-8011 or floridabar.org/public/lrs.⁴ The Bar’s referral page notes that the service does not provide pro bono lawyers, and it points readers who need free help to Florida legal aid programs.
Need help completing the forms?
Form America LLC, the publisher of this site, offers flat-rate form completion and filing instructions for uncontested Florida divorce forms, including the answer forms 12.903(a) and 12.903(b), the answer and counterpetition forms 12.903(c)(1), (c)(2), and (c)(3), and the Answer to Counterpetition, Form 12.903(d), in all 67 Florida counties. To request help, use the contact form at noncontested.com. Because these are Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Forms, Rule 10-2.2 of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar allows a nonlawyer to ask you the factual questions needed to fill in the blanks and to tell you how to file the form.⁵ Every engagement begins with the signed Disclosure from Nonlawyer that the rule requires. Form America cannot answer legal questions or tell you which answer form to use, which allegations to admit or deny, whether to file a counterpetition, or whether to request alimony or other relief. Those decisions are yours. If you have a legal question, if you and your spouse disagree on any issue, or if you would like an attorney, The Florida Bar Lawyer Referral Service can be reached at 800-342-8011.
Notes
- Pasco County Clerk and Comptroller, Civil and Family Law Forms, Answer & Counterpetition to Dissolution.
- Thirteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida, Packet #22, Answer to Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, No Children (01/02/2025), including the General Information for Self-Represented Litigants and Forms 12.903(a), 12.903(b), and 12.903(c)(2) with instructions.
- The Florida Senate, 2026 Florida Statutes, Chapter 61, Dissolution of Marriage; Support; Time-Sharing.
- The Florida Bar, Lawyer Referral Service.
- The Florida Bar, Rules Regulating The Florida Bar, Chapter 10, Rule 10-2.2, Form Completion by a Nonlawyer (June 30, 2026 edition).
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