IN RE: AMENDMENTS TO the FLORIDA RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE (2021)

This matter is before the Court for consideration of proposed amendments to the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, the Florida Small Claims Rules, the Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure, and the Florida Family Law Rules. See Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin. 2.140(f). We have jurisdiction.¹

In response to a referral by the Court, the Civil Procedure Rules Committee, Small Claims Rules Committee, Appellate Court Rules Committee, and Family Law Rules Committee filed a joint report proposing amendments to Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.080 (Service and Filing of Pleadings, Orders, and Documents), Florida Small Claims Rule 7.221 (Hearing in Aid of Execution) and Form 7.343 (Fact Information Sheet), Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure 9.410 (Sanctions) and 9.420 (Filing; Service of Copies; Computation of Time), and Florida Family Law Rule 12.080 (Service of Pleadings and Filing of Documents) to require documents that are served but not filed with the court to be served in accordance with Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.516 (Service of Pleadings and Documents). All rule amendments were approved by each respective committee and unanimously approved by the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar. The committees and the Court published the proposals for comment and received no comments.

We adopt the amendments as proposed by the committees. Accordingly, the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, the Florida Small Claims Rules, the Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure, and the Florida Family Law Rules are amended as reflected in the appendix to this opinion. New language is indicated by underscoring; deletions are indicated by struck-through type. The amendments shall take effect immediately upon the release of this opinion.

It is so ordered.

APPENDIX

FOOTNOTES

1.   See art. V, § 2(a), Fla. Const.

PER CURIAM.

CANADY, C.J., and POLSTON, LABARGA, LAWSON, MUÑIZ, COURIEL, and GROSSHANS, JJ., concur.