For remarriage abroad, foreign registration of a divorce, name restoration and immigration filings. $190 per document, 5 business days. Serving Lakeland.
A Florida divorce is final in Florida the moment the judge signs. Everywhere else, it has to be proved — and foreign registries, consulates and courts will only accept a certified copy of the final judgment with an apostille attached. Remarrying abroad is the most common trigger, but foreign property division and immigration filings run a close second.
Certified copies come from the Clerk of Court in the county where the divorce was granted — the Hillsborough County Clerk of Court for divorces finalised locally. The clerk's certified copy carries the seal the Department of State verifies. We check the copy, file it in person in Tallahassee, and return the apostilled original in 5 business days. Lakeland clients can hand it off at our Westshore office or arrange a booked appointment.
Foreign civil registries will not issue a new marriage licence to a previously married U.S. citizen without an apostilled final judgment of dissolution.
Many countries require a divorce granted abroad to be registered locally before either party is legally considered single there.
Restoring a maiden name on a foreign passport, national ID or property record generally requires the apostilled decree showing the restoration.
Dividing real estate or accounts held in another country means producing an apostilled decree to the foreign court or registry.
Consular and residency applications routinely require proof that a prior marriage was legally dissolved, in apostilled form.
Foreign courts asked to recognise or enforce a U.S. custody arrangement want the apostilled judgment containing those terms.
With roughly 120,000 residents, Lakeland sits the largest city in Polk County. Polk County residents click through to us at nearly twice the rate of the Tampa Bay average — there is real unmet demand between Tampa and Orlando, and Lakeland sits at the centre of it. A large agricultural and logistics workforce with strong Mexican and Central American ties drives Spanish-language vital records work, while Florida Southern College and the corporate presence in town generate diploma and corporate apostille requests.
Across Lakeland we handle documents for residents of Lake Morton, Dixieland, Grasslands, South Lakeland and Highland City. Lake Mirror, Florida Southern College and the Publix corporate campus are part of the everyday geography here, and we work it in person rather than by post.
Our office sits about 45 minutes away from Lakeland. We work by appointment, which means no queue at the counter when you get here. Nearby Plant City, Brandon and Tampa are served on the same terms.
Documents leaving Lakeland most often head to Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, the United Kingdom and Canada. Agricultural and logistics households drive Spanish-language vital records and powers of attorney, while Florida Southern College and the corporate presence in town generate diploma and corporate authentications.
Polk clients come across I-4. Given the distance, book ahead and let us confirm the document qualifies by phone first. Whichever route you take, the document is filed in person at the Florida Department of State rather than mailed, which is what holds the return to 5 business days.
What gets apostilled is a certified copy of the Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage, issued by the Clerk of Court in the county that granted the divorce and carrying the clerk's seal and signature. Your attorney's file copy, a conformed copy, or a photocopy of the judgment will not be accepted. Some destinations also require the Certificate of Dissolution of Marriage from the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics, which is a shorter summary record.
Divorced in Hillsborough County? Order the certified copy from the Hillsborough County Clerk of Court. Divorced elsewhere in Florida — Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Manatee, Sarasota, Hernando — order from that county's clerk. Divorced in another state or country? That jurisdiction has to certify the judgment before it can be authenticated. Bring the certified copy to our Westshore office — about 45 minutes from Lakeland — or book a booked appointment.
We work by appointment, which means no queue and no wasted trip. Ring us and we'll confirm a time within the hour.
We check that what you have is actually apostillable — certified copy, correct seal, complete notarization — and that it matches what the receiving country asks for.
A person carries your document to the state counter in Tallahassee. That single decision is what removes the multi-week postal queue from the timeline.
Your originals come back apostilled inside 5 business days, available for collection at the office, with a call the moment they arrive.
You are told the number before we take the document, and it does not move. The state's per-document filing fee is already counted inside it.
Every price covers the $10-per-document Florida Department of State filing fee, in-person submission at the state counter, and complete document handling. If your paperwork needs notarization first, we offer that as a separate add-on service.
Grab the Apostille and Notarial Certificate Request Form from the Florida Department of State here. There's no need to fill it out ahead of time — we'll complete it with you at your appointment.
Usually the same day or the next. Tell us when suits and we'll hold the slot; confirmation comes back within one business hour of the request, not the following morning.
Ours, at 4830 W Kennedy Blvd, Suite 633K in Tampa's Westshore district — about 45 minutes away away. Appointments only, confirmed within one business hour of your request.
Five business days from the moment we take the document to the moment it's back apostilled. That figure doesn't change with distance — Lakeland runs on the same in-person filing schedule as everywhere else we serve. On a tighter deadline, call and we'll tell you honestly what's achievable.
The Hillsborough County Clerk of Court, which holds the case file. Request a certified copy of the Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage — not a plain or conformed copy. If your divorce was granted in a neighbouring county, that county's clerk holds it instead.
No. The apostille attaches to the certified document as a whole, and the clerk's certification page is what the state verifies. Long judgments with marital settlement agreements attached are completely normal and cost the same $190.
Sometimes. The Certificate of Dissolution of Marriage from the Bureau of Vital Statistics is a brief summary record that satisfies some foreign registries. Others insist on the full judgment. Check with the receiving authority first — we can apostille either one.
Yes. A divorce judgment is a court record, and either party — or in most cases any person — can request a certified copy from the clerk. Your former spouse's involvement or consent is not required at any stage.
Usually, for anything heading to a non-English-speaking country. Foreign registries want the judgment readable in the local language. We coordinate certified translations alongside the apostille so both arrive together.
Certified copies of final judgments of dissolution.
Florida Bureau of Vital StatisticsCertificate of Dissolution of Marriage.
Florida Department of StateThe office that issues the apostille itself.
One flat rate, volume bundles, and the few things that add cost.
Processing timeThe 5-day timeline vs the mail-in queue.
Same-day & rush serviceA straight answer on what a tight deadline allows.
Booking an appointmentHow office visits work, and what to bring.
Same-day appointments available for Lakeland — call and we'll confirm your window within one business hour.
