?? Important Rule Changes for Florida Civil Procedure ??

The Florida Supreme Court has finalized several key amendments, set to take effect on January 1, 2025.

Key Amendments Include:

?? Case Management & Deadlines

• Clearer deadlines for motions for summary judgment and trial continuances.
• Customization of case management orders by judicial circuits.

?? Discovery Reforms

• Incorporation of federal proportionality standards to ensure more efficient discovery practices.
• Specificity required in objections to discovery requests, including grounds for objections.
• New sanctions for failure to comply with discovery certifications.

?? Summary Judgment Procedures

• Deadlines for responses to summary judgment motions tied to motion service dates, not hearing dates.

?? Conferral Before Filing Motions

• New rule requiring conferral before filing non-dispositive motions, with potential sanctions for noncompliance.

As a new attorney, I actually see these changes as a positive: we’re able to start our careers with these updated rules at the forefront of our minds, which should help us be more efficient and strategic from the start. Additionally, many of these updates align Florida’s rules more closely with federal standards, particularly in discovery and case management. This alignment can make the transition between state and federal practice smoother and ensure more consistent litigation approaches across both systems.

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