Yes! You can use AI to fill out Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure Form 12.901(a), Joint Petition for Simplified Dissolution of Marriage
This form, officially known as the Joint Petition for Simplified Dissolution of Marriage, is a legal document for couples in Florida seeking a divorce under simplified procedures. It can only be used if both parties agree the marriage is irretrievably broken, have no minor children, have already divided their assets and liabilities, and waive rights to alimony, trial, and appeal. Today, this form can be filled out quickly and accurately using AI-powered services like Instafill.ai, which can also convert non-fillable PDF versions into interactive fillable forms.
Form 12.901(a) is part of the
family court forms, family law forms, family petition forms, divorce forms and marriage dissolution forms categories on Instafill.
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Form specifications
| Form name: | Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure Form 12.901(a), Joint Petition for Simplified Dissolution of Marriage |
| Number of fields: | 48 |
| Number of pages: | 1 |
| Language: | English |
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How to Fill Out Form 12.901(a) Online for Free in 2026
Are you looking to fill out a FORM 12.901(A) form online quickly and accurately? Instafill.ai offers the #1 AI-powered PDF filling software of 2026, allowing you to complete your FORM 12.901(A) form in just 37 seconds or less.
Follow these steps to fill out your FORM 12.901(A) form online using Instafill.ai:
- 1 Navigate to Instafill.ai and upload or select the Florida Form 12.901(a).
- 2 Use the AI assistant to provide the personal details for both petitioners, including full legal names, addresses, and dates of residency in Florida.
- 3 Enter the date and location of the marriage and confirm that it is irretrievably broken.
- 4 Answer the series of questions to certify that all conditions for a simplified dissolution are met (e.g., no minor children, no pregnancy, agreement on assets).
- 5 Indicate how assets and liabilities were divided and whether a formal Marital Settlement Agreement is attached.
- 6 Review all the auto-filled information for accuracy, then have both petitioners electronically sign and date the document in the designated fields.
- 7 Download the completed petition, ready for filing with the appropriate Florida circuit court clerk.
Our AI-powered system ensures each field is filled out correctly, reducing errors and saving you time.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Form Form 12.901(a)
This form is used by married couples in Florida who mutually agree to end their marriage and meet a specific set of criteria for a simplified, uncontested divorce process.
You can use this form if you and your spouse agree the marriage is unsavable, have no minor children, are not pregnant, have already divided all assets and debts, are not seeking alimony, and will both attend the final hearing.
If you do not meet all the listed criteria, such as if you have dependent children or cannot agree on assets, you must file a regular petition for dissolution of marriage instead of this simplified form.
You can prove residency with a valid Florida driver's license or ID card issued over 6 months ago, or by having a witness testify or sign an Affidavit of Corroborating Witness (Form 12.902(i)).
A written agreement is optional. You can either attach a signed Marital Settlement Agreement (Form 12.902(f)(3)) or state on the petition that you have divided your assets and liabilities by an oral agreement.
Along with the petition, you must file a Family Court Cover Sheet (Form 12.928), provide proof of residency, and either file financial affidavits or a waiver of that requirement.
If you cannot afford the filing fees, you can complete an Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status and file it with the clerk, who will determine if you qualify for a fee waiver.
Yes, the instructions clearly state that for a simplified dissolution, both you and your spouse must attend the final hearing at the same time.
In Section 7 of the petition, check the box for the party who wants their name changed and write the full legal former name in the space provided.
After you and your spouse have both signed the petition, you must file it with the clerk of the circuit court in the county where at least one of you lives.
Yes, services like Instafill.ai use AI to accurately auto-fill form fields, which can save you time and help you complete the document more efficiently.
You can upload the PDF form to Instafill.ai, which will make it an interactive, fillable document. You can then type your information directly into the fields online and download the completed form for filing.
If you have a non-fillable or 'flat' PDF, you can use a tool like Instafill.ai. It can convert the document into an interactive, fillable form that you can complete on your computer.
Compliance Form 12.901(a)
Validation Checks by Instafill.ai
1
Florida Residency Duration Verification
This check verifies that at least one party has resided in Florida for a minimum of six months prior to the petition's filing date. It compares the 'lived there since' date for each party against the 'Dated' field in the signature block. This is a critical statutory requirement for filing for dissolution in Florida, and failure to meet it will result in the petition being rejected.
2
Florida Residency Location Confirmation
This validation ensures that the 'state' field listed in the residency section for at least one of the petitioners is 'Florida'. The form is specifically for Florida Family Law, and jurisdiction requires at least one party to be a resident. If neither party lists Florida as their state of residence, the form is not applicable and cannot be filed.
3
Logical Date Sequence
This check ensures that the date of marriage listed in Section 3 occurred before the filing dates ('Dated' fields) listed in the signature blocks. It prevents logically impossible submissions, such as filing for divorce before the marriage took place. A failure would indicate a data entry error that must be corrected before submission.
4
Marital Settlement Agreement Selection Logic
This validation enforces the 'Check one only' rule for the two primary options in Section 6 regarding the marital settlement agreement. It also ensures that if the 'Our marital settlement agreement is not in writing' option is selected, one of the two sub-options (regarding financial affidavits) must also be selected. This prevents ambiguous or incomplete declarations about how assets and liabilities were handled.
5
Conditional Requirement for Former Name
This check ensures that if a petitioner or respondent checks the box in Section 7 to request restoration of a former name, the corresponding text field for the 'full legal name' is not left empty. If the box is checked, the name becomes a required field. This prevents incomplete requests and ensures the final judgment can be drafted correctly.
6
Completeness of Both Signature Sections
This validation confirms that all fields (Printed Name, Address, City/State/Zip, Telephone Number, E-mail Address, and Date) are completed for both the Petitioner and the Respondent. As a joint petition, information from both parties is mandatory to demonstrate mutual consent and provide necessary contact details. An incomplete section for either party will halt the submission process.
7
Signature Presence for Both Parties
This check verifies that a signature has been provided in the designated signature field for both the Petitioner and the Respondent. A joint petition is invalid without the signatures of both parties, as the signatures legally attest to the truthfulness of the petition's contents and the mutual agreement to dissolve the marriage. The submission will be rejected if either signature is missing.
8
Conditional Nonlawyer Section Completion
This validation activates if either the 'Petitioner' or 'Respondent' checkbox is marked in the nonlawyer assistance section. If checked, it ensures all fields in that section (name of individual, business, address, city, state, telephone number) are filled out. This is a procedural requirement to identify non-attorney assistance, and failure to complete the section when required can lead to rejection.
9
Valid Date Formatting
This check ensures that all date fields on the form ('lived there since', 'married on', 'Dated') are entered in a valid and recognizable format, such as MM/DD/YYYY. It also confirms the dates are not impossible (e.g., a 13th month or 32nd day). This prevents data corruption and ensures legal documents have clear, unambiguous dates.
10
Valid Contact Information Format
This validation examines the 'Telephone Number' and 'E-mail Address(es)' fields for both parties to ensure they conform to standard formats. For example, it checks that a phone number contains a plausible number of digits and that an email address includes an '@' symbol and a domain. This helps ensure the court and parties can maintain communication, and reduces errors from typos.
11
Completeness of Residency Information
This check verifies that the county, state, and 'lived there since' date are all filled in for both the Petitioner and the Respondent in Section 2. This information is fundamental for establishing jurisdiction and verifying residency requirements. Missing any part of this section for either party will render the petition incomplete.
12
Party Name Consistency
This validation compares the 'full legal name' provided for the Petitioner and Respondent at the top of the form with the 'Printed Name' in their respective signature blocks. This check helps catch inconsistencies and ensures the person signing the petition is the same person named as a party to the action. A mismatch could indicate a serious error or potential fraud.
13
Future Date Prohibition
This check ensures that no date entered on the form (residency start date, marriage date, or filing date) is a date in the future. All events described in the petition must have already occurred. Submitting a form with future dates is a logical impossibility and would be rejected as a data entry error.
14
Header Information Completeness
This validation ensures that the 'Judicial Circuit' and 'County' fields at the top of the form are filled in. This information is essential for routing the document to the correct court clerk and jurisdiction. While the Case Number and Division may be assigned by the clerk, the circuit and county must be specified by the filers.
Common Mistakes in Completing Form 12.901(a)
Many couples file this form without meeting all the strict criteria, such as having no minor children, agreeing on all assets/liabilities, and not seeking alimony. This happens because they overlook the detailed instructions at the beginning. Filing incorrectly results in the case being dismissed, wasting time and filing fees, and requiring the couple to start over with the correct, more complex petition.
Filers often leave the 'IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE...', 'COUNTY', 'Case No.', and 'Division' fields blank because they don't have this information before filing. While the clerk assigns the case number, submitting a petition with a blank county or circuit can lead to processing errors or rejection. It's crucial to fill in the Circuit and County where you are filing and leave the Case No. and Division for the clerk to complete.
The form explicitly asks for 'full legal name' for both petitioners and for any requested name change. A common mistake is using nicknames, initials, or omitting a middle name. This can cause issues with the final judgment and create identity verification problems later, especially when updating documents like a driver's license or social security card.
In Section 2, filers must state the date they began residing in their current county to prove Florida's 6-month residency requirement. People often enter just a year or write vague terms like 'since birth,' which is insufficient. The court requires a specific date (MM/DD/YYYY) to establish jurisdiction, and failure to provide it can cause the petition to be rejected pending clarification.
Section 6 requires filers to specify how they have divided assets and liabilities, but people often make mistakes here. They might check multiple conflicting options (e.g., stating an agreement is attached AND that it's not in writing) or forget to select an option for financial affidavits. This ambiguity forces the court to halt proceedings until the petitioners clarify how their financial matters have been settled.
A party wishing to revert to their former name must check the appropriate box in Section 7 and write out the full former legal name. It is a frequent oversight to assume the name change is automatic or to forget to fill this section out completely. If not included in the petition and final judgment, the individual must undertake a separate and more costly legal process for a name change later.
As a 'Joint Petition,' both parties must sign and date the form to certify the information is true. It's common for one signature to be missing or for the dates of the signatures to be far apart, which can raise questions about whether the petition is truly joint. An unsigned or improperly signed petition will be immediately rejected by the court clerk.
The instructions mention several other required forms, such as a Marital Settlement Agreement, Financial Affidavits (or a waiver), a Family Court Cover Sheet, and proof of residency. A very common mistake is to file only the petition itself, resulting in an incomplete file. The clerk will not be able to process the case until all required documents are submitted, causing significant delays.
When filling out the form by hand, illegible writing is a frequent problem, especially for names, addresses, and email addresses. Providing outdated or incorrect contact information is also common. These errors are critical because the court uses this information to mail important notices, including the final hearing date; missing a notice can lead to the case being dismissed for failure to appear.
If a nonlawyer assists in preparing the form, they are required to fill out the section at the end with their name, business, and address. This section is often left blank by paid document preparers or filled out incorrectly. Failure to comply with this rule can lead to scrutiny from the court and potential legal issues for the nonlawyer assistant.
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