The Florida financial affidavit, in plain English

01 The basics

What the financial affidavit actually is

A financial affidavit is a sworn snapshot of your finances — monthly income, monthly expenses, what you own, and what you owe. In Florida, it's the backbone of mandatory disclosure under Family Law Rule of Procedure 12.285, and the court relies on it to decide child support, alimony, attorney's fees, and how property gets divided.

Because you sign it under penalty of perjury, the numbers matter. Guesses, round figures that don't reconcile, or "I'll fix it later" entries can come back to hurt your credibility — and your case. The good news: the form walks you through it line by line, and once you understand the structure, it's far less intimidating than it looks.

02 Choose your form

Short form or long form?

There's one number that decides it: your individual gross annual income. Under $50,000 and you use the short form, 12.902(b). At $50,000 or above, you use the long form, 12.902(c). Enter your income below and we'll point you to the right one.

03 The pain point

Everything is monthly — here's the converter

The single most common stumbling block: the affidavit wants monthly figures, but most people get paid weekly, every two weeks, or twice a month, and bills arrive on their own schedules. Convert each amount before you enter it. This little tool does the math the instructions describe.

04 Step by step

How to fill it out

Both forms follow the same logic, top to bottom. Work through it in order and the totals largely take care of themselves.

1. Section I — IncomeEnter every recurring monthly source: salary and wages, bonuses and tips, self-employment, benefits, pension, Social Security, alimony actually received, interest, dividends, rental income, and so on. Add them for your total monthly gross income.
2. DeductionsSubtract the deductions allowed under section 61.30, Florida Statutes — income taxes, FICA and Medicare, mandatory union dues and retirement, allowable health insurance, and court-ordered support actually paid. The result is your net monthly income.
3. Section II — Monthly expensesTotal your recurring costs: household, automobiles, children's expenses, insurance, and other categories. Compare expenses to net income to show a monthly surplus or deficit. If a figure is an estimate, write "estimate" next to it.
4. Section III — Assets & liabilitiesDescribe each asset and debt (listing only the last four digits of any account number). In a divorce, mark items marital or non-marital per section 61.075, and check anything you're asking the court to award you.
5. Contingent items & child supportList possible assets or liabilities (a pending lawsuit, a bonus, accrued leave). If support is at issue, the Child Support Guidelines Worksheet, Form 12.902(e), must also be filed — that requirement can't be waived.
6. Sign, serve, and fileSign under penalty of perjury, serve a copy on the other party (or their attorney) per Rule 2.516, and file with the clerk — within 45 days of being served the petition.

05 Avoid these

Common mistakes that slow cases down

• Mixing time periods. Entering a weekly paycheck on a monthly line throws off every total beneath it. Convert first.
• Leaving lines blank. If something doesn't apply, that's fine — but blanks where a number belongs invite objections and amended filings.
• Round-number expenses that don't reconcile. If your expenses wildly exceed net income with no explanation, expect questions. Note estimates as estimates.
• Full account numbers. List only the last four digits — putting full numbers on a filed document is a privacy risk.
• Forgetting the worksheet. When child support is in play, Form 12.902(e) is mandatory and separate from the affidavit.

06 Questions

Frequently asked