Florida Form 12.902(b) preparation checklist

Start with the current official form

Florida Courts publishes Form 12.902(b) as a free PDF with instructions. The October 2021 instructions describe the short form as generally intended for a person whose individual gross income is under $50,000 per year, while also identifying exceptions. Read the full instructions rather than using that income statement alone to select a form.

Source freshness: the Florida Supreme Court has announced family-law form title changes effective October 1, 2026, and stated that the forms remain valid during the transition. Check the current forms index before starting. Read the official amendment opinion ↗

1. Case and personal information

The top of the form asks for information identifying the case and the person completing the affidavit. Have the information you intend to enter available, such as:

• Judicial circuit, county, case number, and division
• Petitioner and respondent names as they appear in the case
• Your full legal name
• Your occupation, employer, and business address
• Your pay rate and pay frequency, or the unemployment selection shown on the form

2. Monthly income information

The official instructions say that amounts on the form are monthly unless the form says otherwise. Gather the records you plan to use for the income categories actually shown on the PDF. Those categories include wages and similar payments, business income, certain benefits, retirement payments, alimony received, interest and dividends, rental income, and other recurring income.

• Recent pay information and the pay frequency shown by your records
• Records for other income categories you intend to report
• The source description for any recurring income entered as “other”
• Your own monthly figures, after reviewing the conversion directions in the official instructions

This checklist does not decide whether a payment counts as income or calculate a figure for you.

3. Monthly deduction information

The deductions section contains specific lines rather than a general blank. Review the PDF and gather records for the lines you plan to complete, including:

• Income-tax deductions, filing status, and number of dependents claimed
• FICA or self-employment taxes and Medicare payments
• Mandatory union dues or retirement payments
• Health-insurance payments
• Court-ordered child support or alimony amounts actually paid, where a listed line applies

4. Average monthly expenses

The form separates expenses into categories. Having bills, statements, or another record you already use nearby can make data entry easier. The displayed categories cover household costs, transportation, child-related expenses, insurance, personal expenses, other described expenses, and monthly creditor payments.

Enter only the amounts you independently decide belong on the form. Sun State does not determine whether an expense applies or whether an amount is reasonable.

5. Assets, liabilities, and contingent items

The official PDF provides rows for current values or amounts owed, certain requested-award or responsibility selections, and nonmarital-owner entries. It also contains rows for contingent assets and liabilities. Before completing these sections, consider having the records you plan to consult for:

• Cash, financial accounts, investments, real estate, vehicles, personal property, and retirement plans
• Mortgages, auto loans, credit-card accounts, and other debts
• Any additional or contingent item you intend to place on the form
• The current value or amount owed that you choose to enter

This guide cannot characterize property or debt as marital, nonmarital, contingent, or otherwise, and it cannot recommend what award or responsibility selection to make.

6. Contact, review, and signing items

The final portion of the form includes party contact information, certification, signature, service, notarization, and nonlawyer-assistance areas. Review the completed document carefully and use the official instructions for any signing, notarization, service, or filing step.

Complete the form you already selected

The official blank PDF is free. Sun State’s optional $29 self-service software transfers your entries into its configured copy of Form 12.902(b), performs arithmetic totals without evaluating your entries, and delivers editable, print, and unchanged blank PDFs.

Official information and independent help