Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.912(b), Affidavit of Military Service

Start with the free official Form 12.912(b)

Florida Courts currently lists Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.912(b), Affidavit of Military Service, revised November 2015. The official PDF is four pages: two pages of instructions followed by the two-page affidavit. Read the entire packet before entering information or choosing a statement.

Source checked October 1, 2026. Confirm the revision on the current Florida Courts forms index ↗ before starting.

What the official instructions say this form is for

The instructions state that the affidavit is required in a case where the respondent has not filed an answer or appearance. They then say the form should be used when all three listed conditions are true: the other person has been served, the other person has not responded to the petition, and the petitioner is requesting a default judgment.

Those are the packet's general instructions, not a determination about a particular case. Whether service is complete, the respondent has filed an answer or otherwise appeared, a default may be requested, or a particular military-status statement is accurate can require legal judgment. Confirm those questions with current rules, the clerk or a self-help program for permitted procedural information, or a licensed Florida attorney.

What information appears on Form 12.912(b)?

1. Match the existing case caption

Organize the judicial circuit, county, case number, division, petitioner, and respondent exactly as they appear in the existing case. The person making the affidavit also enters a full legal name in the opening sworn statement.

The affidavit's printed sentence identifies that person as the petitioner. Do not change party labels or the court caption based on assumptions; compare them with the filed case record.

2. Read all four statements before choosing one

The official form says to choose only one. The four options are materially different:

Do not combine statements or select one merely because it seems closest. Each is a sworn factual assertion. Sun State cannot determine what the petitioner knows, whether an investigation was adequate, or which statement is truthful.

3. Keep military-status research separate from form completion

Completing the affidavit does not itself verify military status. Statement 3 expressly refers to certificates and says they are attached. The instructions also say to attach copies of all verifications of nonmilitary service received from each branch of the U.S. military service.

The U.S. Department of Defense maintains an official SCRA status-report website ↗ that can produce a report concerning Title 10 active-duty status. That resource does not select a Form 12.912(b) statement, decide what other research or certificates are required, or establish that a filing is complete. Preserve the reports and other records actually obtained, and seek legal help if their meaning or sufficiency is unclear.

4. If statement 4 is selected, describe actual efforts

Statement 4 provides four lines for a description of what was done to determine whether the respondent is on active duty. It then contains the printed assertion that the petitioner has no reason to believe the respondent is on active duty at that time.

Record only steps that actually occurred. A software questionnaire should not invent searches, contacts, dates, results, or a conclusion. If the available information does not support the entire printed statement, obtain legal guidance before signing.

5. Review the oath, signature, and notarization section

The affidavit warns that the signer is swearing or affirming that its claims are truthful and that knowingly making a false statement may result in fines or imprisonment. The instructions say to sign before a notary public or deputy clerk.

6. Follow the packet's filing and attachment instructions

The instructions say to file the original affidavit with the clerk of the circuit court when filing Form 12.922(a), Motion for Default, attach the identified nonmilitary-service verifications, and keep a copy. Florida Courts publishes Form 12.922(a) and its instructions separately ↗.

Preparing Form 12.912(b) does not prepare a motion for default, file either document, attach certificates, or confirm that all papers required in a particular case are present. Check current statewide rules and the procedures of the circuit where the case is pending.

Read the e-filing and e-service sections in context

The November 2015 packet contains instructions about e-filing, e-service, Form 12.915, Form 12.914, and rules numbered 2.525 and 2.516. Because the packet is older and rules, terminology, local procedures, and administrative orders can change, use those paragraphs as prompts to check current official requirements rather than as a substitute for them.

Florida Courts' current self-help guidance ↗ emphasizes that self-represented parties are responsible for following the rules and local procedures that apply to their cases. Completing a PDF does not file it, serve it, or make a default effective.

Nonlawyer assistance has its own disclosure fields

The instructions say that a nonlawyer who helps complete the form must provide Form 12.900(a), Disclosure from Nonlawyer, before helping and must place identifying information at the bottom of the last page. Form 12.912(b) provides those blanks below the notarization section.

Do not treat the nonlawyer section as part of the petitioner's ordinary contact block. Complete it only from the facts of any assistance actually provided and review the current official disclosure requirements.

Common factual questions

Official information and independent help

Prepared by Sun State Legal Forms. Published and substantively reviewed October 1, 2026 using the complete official Florida Courts packet and current official form listing. Read our content and source-review standards.