Board-Certified Guidance That Keeps an Agreed Divorce on Track
When you and your spouse already agree on how to divide what you built and how to raise your children, litigation should not take a year. Bernal-Mora & Nickolaou, P.A. represents Central Florida spouses who want an Orlando divorce handled quickly, privately, and correctly. Both founding attorneys are board certified in marital and family law, and both work every case we accept, so your agreement gets a trial file’s scrutiny. Our Orlando uncontested divorce attorneys guide you through the process to make an agreed divorce as smooth as possible.
Why Orlando Families Trust Bernal-Mora & Nickolaou, P.A.
When spouses agree on the terms of divorce, the legal process should protect that agreement and not create unnecessary conflict. Bernal-Mora & Nickolaou, P.A. helps Central Florida couples complete uncontested divorces efficiently and carefully. Our Orlando uncontested divorce attorneys review the terms, prepare the required documents, and guide clients toward final judgment.
- Two board-certified specialists. Ophelia Bernal-Mora, Esq., B.C.S., and Andrew Nickolaou, Esq., B.C.S., are both board certified in marital and family law, which is the highest level of evaluation by The Florida Bar for competency and experience in an approved specialty.
- Family-mediation insight. Andrew Nickolaou earned Florida Supreme Court certification as a family mediator in 2020, experience that can help identify unclear terms and potential points of conflict before an agreement is finalized.
- A husband-and-wife legal team. The firm’s founders built the practice together and bring a family-centered perspective to the legal and practical decisions involved in divorce. “Let Our Family Help Yours” is a standard, not a slogan.
- A family-law-focused practice. The firm concentrates its work on divorce and other marital and family law matters throughout Central Florida.
- Both partners on every case. Bernal-Mora and Nickolaou handle every case together, giving agreements and court filings an additional level of attorney review.
- 24/7 contact. The firm invites prospective clients to reach out for help or information at any time.
- Central Florida reach. The firm serves clients in Orange and Osceola counties within Florida’s Ninth Judicial Circuit, as well as Seminole, Lake, and Volusia counties.
Agreement does not eliminate the need for careful legal work. Unclear language, incomplete financial disclosures, or parenting terms that do not fit a family’s needs can lead to conflict later. The firm’s team-based review helps clients identify avoidable problems and move toward a final judgment with an agreement designed to work in practice.
What Florida Requires in an Uncontested Divorce
“Uncontested” describes how much you and your spouse agree, not a separate process. You still file a petition for dissolution of marriage, and the judge still applies the law. Three statutory requirements govern every Florida dissolution, and one document carries an agreed case:
- Residency. One spouse must have resided in Florida for six months before filing.
- A statutory ground. Almost every Florida case pleads that the marriage is irretrievably broken. Under the no-fault standard a Florida judge applies, the court enters judgment only after finding that it is.
- A waiting period. No final judgment may be entered until at least 20 days after the original petition is filed. A party can ask the court to sign sooner by showing the delay would cause injustice.
- A marital settlement agreement. No statute requires one, but it turns your understanding into an enforceable order covering property, debts, support, and parenting.
Get those right and an agreed case moves quickly. Get one wrong and the filing comes back, stretching out a divorce both spouses wanted.
Three Steps Cooperating Spouses Still Have to Take
Agreement resolves the fight. It does not clear the file. Three requirements still shape an agreed dissolution’s schedule:
Financial Disclosure
Mandatory disclosure under Florida Family Law Rule of Procedure 12.285 applies to an ordinary uncontested dissolution. Documents are due within 45 days of service of the initial pleading on the respondent, although spouses can agree to extend that. A simplified dissolution is exempt, as is an uncontested case in which the respondent was served by publication and never answered.
The Parenting Course
If you share minor children, both parents must complete a parent education and family stabilization course of at least four hours, approved by the Department of Children and Families. The petitioner has 45 days from filing and the other parent 45 days from service. Proof must be filed before the final judgment unless the court excuses a party for good cause.
The Child Support Calculation
Florida’s guidelines presumptively set the number. A judge can approve an amount within 5% of the guideline figure after weighing the relevant factors, but anything further requires a written finding that the guideline amount would be unjust or inappropriate. The guidelines worksheet is the one filing parties can never waive.
We build all three into the schedule on day one, so they never stall your hearing. If child support or dividing a home or retirement account is the sticking point, we address it before your case turns contested.
An Uncontested Divorce Is Not a Simplified Dissolution
These two terms get used interchangeably online, and they are not the same. Simplified dissolution under Rule 12.105 requires both spouses to certify under oath to three things. First, they have no minor or dependent children together, and the wife has no minor or dependent children born during the marriage and is not pregnant. Second, they have divided their property and agreed on payment of joint obligations. Third, the remaining facts in the simplified petition form are true. Both must appear before the judge.
Any couple with a minor child is disqualified by the rule itself, as is anyone with debt or equitable distribution issues still to resolve. Those families file a regular dissolution, uncontested because the parties agree, not because a shorter rule applies. When you are close but not quite there, mediation can close the gap.
Talk With an Orlando Uncontested Divorce Attorney Today
An agreed divorce is your best chance to end a marriage on your terms instead of a judge’s. Protect it by having a board-certified family lawyer review the agreement before you sign. Contact Bernal-Mora & Nickolaou, P.A. to discuss your situation with an attorney.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does an uncontested divorce take in Orlando?
Florida sets a floor, not a schedule. No final judgment may be entered until at least 20 days after the original petition is filed, unless a party shows the delay would cause injustice. A case with minor children rarely finishes that fast, because the parenting course runs on separate 45-day clocks.
Can we file an uncontested divorce if we have children?
Yes. You file a regular dissolution rather than a simplified one. Your parenting plan has to describe how you will share daily responsibilities and set out a time-sharing schedule. It must also designate who is responsible for health care, school matters, and other activities, describe how you will each communicate with the child, and, unless you both agree otherwise in writing, name where exchanges happen. The judge reviews it against the child’s best interests.
What happens if we stop agreeing partway through?
Florida law anticipates it. Suppose your spouse answers by denying that the marriage is irretrievably broken, or there is a minor child. The court can order the parties to consult a counselor, continue the case up to three months, or take other action in the family’s best interest. If the dispute is over money or parenting, we shift onto a contested track.
