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SC2023-1401, IN RE: AMENDMENTS TO FLORIDA RULES OF GENERAL PRACTICE AND JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATION

TBA,

The Florida Supreme Court recently amended the Florida Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration, effective Tuesday, July 1, 2025.  The opinion, SC2023-1401, is linked here.

Mr. Shawn G. Brown has provided the following helpful summary, but please refer to the opinion for full details:

A reminder that several amendments to Florida’s Rules of General Practice & Judicial Administration will become effective on Tuesday.  There are new signature block requirements and margin and font requirements for documents submitted through the e-portal.  There are also representations that are made when you sign a document that is submitted through the e-portal.  Florida licensed attorneys are required to file using the e-portal.  Below is a summary of these amendments:

 Rule 2.345 – This is a newly adopted Rule that creates a presumption that a document in the court file that purports to have been signed by the judge or other court official is presumed to be authentic.  The document is to be placed in the court file only after the clerk has authenticated it under the Florida Court Technology Standards.

 Rule 2.511 – This Rule is a new rule.  It defines the e-Portal as the central electronic court filing facility for all courts.  It also explains the registration process for filers, sets guidelines for access, and establishes a governance structure for the Portal.  The Portal is to be used by all unless the Chief Judge designates a different e-filing system or the document is submitted in paper form when permitted by Rule 2.525(c).

 Rule 2.514 – This rule is amended to replace “midnight” with “11:59:59 p.m., eastern time” to clarify filing and service deadlines.  In computing time, if the period is stated in 7 days or longer, then you count all days that fall in between the first day counted and last day counted, even if they are weekend days or legal holidays.  If the last day is a weekend day or legal holiday, then the deadline falls on the next day that is not a weekend day or legal holiday.  If the period is less than 7 days, then you do not count weekend days or legal holidays.  If service is only made by mail, then you add 5 days to the time period.

 Rule 2.515 – The Court has added that every document filed or served “must be signed” and not only by the attorney, by also by an “unrepresented party, or other person authorized by law to file or serve the document”.  The Rule clarifies the “act of filing a document constitutes the filer’s signature” unless an exception applies under subdivision (b)(1)(B).  The exception provides “when an attorney files a document on behalf of an unrepresented party as permitted in subdivision (b)(1)(A)(iii) and when the filing attorney’s signature is omitted from the document, the act of filing that document does not constitute the filer’s signature.”  The Court also revised the signature block requirements and added a new subdivision that details the representations a filer makes to the court when filing a document.  You must include with the signature block, your mailing address, telephone number, email address for service of court documents, Florida Bar number, and the party you represent.  You also make specific representations by filing and signing documents.  In filing, you represent that you have complied with all rules of procedure regarding filing and service of the document, represent that each person signing has authorized their signature and you are responsible for proving authority if it is later disputed, and that no confidential or sensitive information is in the document.  For signing, each signer represents they have read the document, to the best of the signer’s knowledge, information, and belief, there are good grounds to support the document, and the document is not interposed for delay.

 Rule 2.516 – This Rule is retitled and now requires documents that are filed through the e-Portal must also be served through the Portal’s service function.  Documents that are served but not filed are to be served by attaching the document in PDF format to an email and set to the recipient’s email address.  The Rule also sets out a document must be served on all parties unless one of the 5 exceptions in the Rule applies.  Unrepresented parties must file and serve a designation of email address unless the unrepresented party is in custody or declares in a form under penalty of perjury the party does not have an email account or does not have regular access to the internet.  Subdivision (f) sets out the new Certificate of Service requirements.

 Rule 2.520 – The amendment to this Rule addresses formatting requirements for documents that are filed under Rule 2.525 or served under Rule 2.516.  Electronic documents must comply with the Florida Court Technology Standards.  Documents that are not created by an attorney or unrepresented party for filing and service must be appended as exhibits to the document being filed.  Documents must also be no less than 12-point font, have a 1-inch margin, and be letter size pages.  If the document will be recorded in the official records, there must also be a 3-inch x 3-inch blank space at the top right corner of the first page.

 Rule 2.525 – Florida attorneys are now required to file through the e-Portal.  Unrepresented parties who are not members of the Florida Bar or attorneys who are admitted pro hac vice may elect to file through the Portal or other electronic court filing facility.  Notably, once an individual makes a filing election, it may not be withdrawn without leave of court.  The rule also requires clerks to make a document that is submitted part of the official court file and index it in the docket unless there is an issue with the document.  Documents that have issues will be placed in the correction queue for 30 days.