Case Title: In Re: Amendments to the Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure

Citation: 

Docket Number: SC11-2164

State: florida

Court: Florida Supreme Court

Date: 2012-10-04T00:00:00Z

Document:
Supreme Court of Florida 
 
 
____________ 
 
No. SC11-2164 
____________ 
 
 
IN RE:  AMENDMENTS TO THE FLORIDA FAMILY LAW RULES OF 
PROCEDURE. 
 
[October 4, 2012] 
 
PER CURIAM. 
 
This matter is before the Court for consideration of proposed amendments to 
the Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure.  We have jurisdiction.  See art. V, § 
2(a), Fla. Const. 
On November 7, 2011, the Family Law Rules Committee (Committee) filed 
an out-of-cycle report proposing several amendments, the majority of which were 
prompted by recent amendments to the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure.  See In re 
Amend. to Fla. R. Civ. P., 52 So. 3d 579 (Fla. 2010).  The proposals were 
approved by unanimous vote of the Committee and the Board of Governors of The 
Florida Bar.  After submission to the Court, the proposals were published for 
comment.  No comments were received.       
 
 
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Upon consideration, we adopt new Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure 
12.071 (Constitutional Challenge to State Statute or County or Municipal Charter, 
Ordinance, or Franchise; Notice by Party) and 12.281 (Inadvertent Disclosure of 
Privileged Materials);1 we amend rule 12.340 (Interrogatories to Parties); and we 
adopt new rule 12.442 (Proposals for Settlement).  New rule 12.071 expressly 
incorporates into the family law rules the provisions of Florida Rule of Civil 
Procedure 1.071, governing constitutional challenges to statutes, charters, 
ordinances, or franchises.  New rule 12.281 expressly incorporates the provisions 
of Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.285, governing inadvertent disclosure of 
privileged materials, into the family law rules.  Subdivisions (a)(1) and (a)(2) of 
rule 12.340 (Interrogatories to Parties) are amended to add a sentence stating that 
parties may serve fewer than the interrogatories set forth in Florida Family Law 
Rule of Procedure Forms 12.930(b) and (c).  This conforms to a similar 
amendment to Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.340(a).2  Finally, the Committee 
has pointed out that proposals for settlement are not used and are not appropriate in 
family law matters; accordingly, new rule 12.442 (Proposals for Settlement) is 
                                          
 
 
1.  The Committee proposed that this new rule be numbered 12.285(a); 
however, rule 12.285(a) already exists.  Thus, we have numbered this new rule as 
12.281.   
 
2.  The referenced civil rules were adopted or amended, effective January 1, 
2011.  See In re Amend. to Fla. R. Civ. P., 52 So. 3d 579, 581 (Fla. 2010). 
 
 
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adopted, specifically stating that Florida Rule of  Civil Procedure 1.442 (Proposals 
for Settlement) does not apply in family law matters.   
 
Accordingly, the Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure are hereby 
amended as reflected in the appendix to this opinion.  New language is indicated 
by underscoring, and deletions are indicated by struck-through type.  The 
amendments shall become effective immediately upon release of this opinion.   
It is so ordered. 
POLSTON, C.J., and PARIENTE, LEWIS, QUINCE, CANADY, LABARGA, 
and PERRY, JJ., concur. 
 
 
THE FILING OF A MOTION FOR REHEARING SHALL NOT ALTER THE 
EFFECTIVE DATE OF THESE AMENDMENTS. 
 
 
Original Proceedings – Family Law Rules Committee 
 
Matthew Burns Capstraw, Chair, Family Law Rules Committee, Longwood, 
Florida; John F. Harkness, Jr., Executive Director, and Ellen H. Sloyer, Staff 
Liaison, The Florida Bar, Tallahassee, Florida, 
 
 
for Petitioner 
   
 
 
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APPENDIX 
 
RULE 12.071. 
CONSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGE TO STATE 
 
 
 
 
STATUTE OR COUNTY OR MUNICIPAL CHARTER,  
 
 
 
ORDINANCE, OR FRANCHISE; NOTICE BY PARTY  
 
 
Constitutional challenges to a state statute or county or municipal charter, 
ordinance, or franchise, and the notice requirements of such challenges shall be 
governed by Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.071. 
 
RULE 12.281. 
INADVERTENT DISCLOSURE OF PRIVILEGED   
 
 
 
MATERIALS 
 
 
Inadvertent disclosure of privileged materials shall be governed by Florida 
Rule of Civil Procedure 1.285. 
 
RULE 12.340. 
INTERROGATORIES TO PARTIES 
 
Interrogatories to parties shall be governed generally by Florida Rule of 
Civil Procedure 1.340, with the following exceptions. 
 
 
(a) 
Service of Interrogatories. 
 
 
 
(1) 
Initial Interrogatories.  Initial interrogatories to parties in 
original and enforcement actions shall be those set forth in Florida Family Law 
Rules of Procedure Form 12.930(b).  Parties governed by the mandatory disclosure 
requirements of rule 12.285 may serve the interrogatories set forth in Florida 
Family Law Rules of Procedure Form 12.930(b) as set forth in rule 1.340. A party 
may serve fewer than the interrogatories set forth in Florida Family Law Rules of 
Procedure Form 12.930(b).  
 
 
 
(2) 
Modification Interrogatories.  Interrogatories to parties in 
cases involving modification of a final judgment shall be those set forth in Florida 
Family Law Rules of Procedure Form 12.930(c).  Parties governed by the 
mandatory disclosure requirements of rule 12.285 may serve the interrogatories set 
forth in Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure Form 12.930(c) as set forth in rule 
1.340. A party may serve fewer than the interrogatories set forth in Florida Family 
Law Rules of Procedure Form 12.930(c).  
 
 
(b) – (c) [No change] 
 
 
 
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Commentary 
[No change] 
 
 
Committee Note 
[No change] 
 
RULE 12.442. 
PROPOSALS FOR SETTLEMENT 
 
 
Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.442 shall not apply in proceedings 
governed by these rules.