Title: In Re: Amendments to Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.520

State: florida

Issuer: Florida Supreme Court

Document:

Supreme Court of Florida 
 
 
____________ 
 
No. SC14-721 
____________ 
 
 
IN RE:  AMENDMENTS TO FLORIDA RULE OF JUDICIAL 
ADMINISTRATION 2.520. 
 
[April 2, 2015] 
REVISED OPINION 
 
PER CURIAM. 
 
Consistent with the order entered in this case on April 2, 2015, the opinion 
dated November 26, 2014, is withdrawn and the following revised opinion is 
substituted in its place. 1 
 
We have for consideration an out-of-cycle report proposing amendments to 
Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.520 (Documents) filed by The Florida 
                                          
 
 
1.  We issue the revised opinion in response to a “Motion for 
Reconsideration” filed by the Rules of Judicial Administration Committee asking 
the Court to add new subdivision (d)(2)(C) (Paper Filings) to rule 2.520 to clarify 
the implementation of the amendments to the rule adopted in the November 26, 
2014, opinion, with respect to paper filings and to make several technical 
corrections to the amendments to subdivision (d)(2)(A) (Format).  In re Amend. to 
Fla. Rule of Jud. Admin. 2.520, No. SC14-721 (motion filed Feb. 27, 2015). 
 
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Bar’s Rules of Judicial Administration Committee (Committee).  See Fla. R. Jud. 
Admin. 2.140(e).  We have jurisdiction2 and adopt the amendments as proposed. 
BACKGROUND 
According to the Committee’s report, the more significant amendments 
address format requirements for paper documents filed with the court and the use 
of margins by the clerks of court, which are issues of great concern to the clerks.  
The proposed amendments were approved by the Committee by a vote of 36-1 and 
were unanimously approved by the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar.3  The 
Committee did not publish the proposals before filing them with the Court.  The 
Court published the proposals for comment after they were filed.  But, no 
comments were filed. 
AMENDMENTS 
The more significant amendments are to subdivisions (b) (Type and Size) 
and (d) (Recording Space) of the rule.  In order to make it easier for clerks to scan 
paper documents, subdivision (b) is amended, as proposed, to require paper 
documents filed with the court to be legibly typewritten or printed, on only one 
                                          
 
 
2.  See art. V, § 2(a), Fla. Const. 
 
3.  The Committee approved proposed new subdivision (d)(2)(C) by a vote 
of 31-0 and the Board of Governors Executive Committee unanimously approved 
the proposal. 
 
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side of letter-sized white recycled paper with one-inch margins and consecutively 
numbered pages.  Subdivision (b) also is amended, as proposed, to clarify that all 
documents electronically filed must be filed in a format capable of being 
electronically searched consistent with state and federal accessibility requirements.  
Subdivision (d) (Recording Space) is amended, as proposed, to add a one-inch 
margin requirement and format, location, and font-size requirements for the date 
and time stamp on electronically filed documents.  New subdivision (d)(2)(C), as 
proposed in the Committee’s motion for reconsideration, provides a procedure for 
docketing paper filings, which clerks of court continue to receive, especially from 
self-represented parties, as authorized by rule 2.525(d).   
CONCLUSION 
 
Accordingly, we amend the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration as 
reflected in the appendix to this opinion.  New language is indicated by 
underscoring; deletions are indicated by struck-through type.  New subdivision 
(d)(2)(C) shall become effective immediately upon the release of this revised 
opinion.  The remainder of the amendments shall become effective nunc pro tunc 
January 1, 2015, at 12:01 a.m. to the extent they apply to electronic filings.  The 
Court recognizes that clerks of court may have had to vary from the requirements 
of those amendments when docketing paper filings after January 1, 2015.  
Therefore, as clarified with the addition of new subdivision (d)(2)(C), the 
 
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remainder of the amendments shall become effective as they apply to paper filings 
immediately upon the release of this revised opinion.   
 
It is so ordered. 
LABARGA, C.J., and PARIENTE, LEWIS, QUINCE, CANADY, POLSTON, 
and PERRY, JJ., concur. 
 
THE FILING OF A MOTION FOR REHEARING SHALL NOT ALTER THE 
EFFECTIVE DATE OF THESE AMENDMENTS.  
 
Original Proceedings – Florida Rules of Judicial Administration  
 
Murray Bruce Silverstein, Chair, Rules of Judicial Administration Committee, 
Greenberg Traurig, P.A., Tampa, Florida, Judge Jon Berkley Morgan, Past Chair, 
Rules of Judicial Administration Committee, Kissimmee, Florida, John F. 
Harkness, Jr., Executive Director, and Krys Godwin, Bar Staff Liaison, The 
Florida Bar, Tallahassee, Florida,  
 
for Petitioner 
 
 
 
 
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APPENDIX 
RULE 2.520. 
DOCUMENTS 
(a) 
Electronic Filing Mandatory. All documents filed in any court shall 
be filed by electronic transmission in accordance with rule 2.525. “Documents” 
means pleadings, motions, petitions, memoranda, briefs, notices, exhibits, 
declarations, affidavits, orders, judgments, decrees, writs, opinions, and any other 
paper or writing submitted to a court. 
(b) 
Type and Size. Documents subject to the exceptions set forth in rule 
2.525(d) shall be legibly typewritten or printed, on only one side of letter sized (8 
1/2 by 11 inch) white recycled paper with one inch margins and consecutively 
numbered pages filed on recycled paper measuring 8 ½ X 11 inches. For purposes 
of this rule, paper is recycled if it contains a minimum content of 50 percent waste 
paper. Xerographic rReduction of legal-size (8 1/2 by 14 inches) documents to 
letter size (8 1/2 by 11 inches) is prohibited. All other documents filed by 
electronic transmission shall comply with rule 2.526 and be filed in a format 
capable of being electronically searched and printed in a format consistent with the 
provisions of this rule. 
(c) 
Exhibits. Any exhibit or attachment filed with pleadings or papersto 
any document may be filed in its original size. 
(d) 
Recording Space and Space for Date and Time Stamps. 
(1) 
On all papers and documents prepared and filed by the court or 
by any party to a proceeding which are to be recorded in the public records of any 
county, including but not limited to final money judgments and notices of lis 
pendens, a 3-inch by 3-inch space at the top right-hand corner on the first page and 
a 1-inch by 3-inch space at the top right-hand corner on each subsequent page shall 
be left blank and reserved for use by the clerk of court.  
(2) 
On all documents filed with the court, a 1-inch margin on all 
sides must be left blank for date and time stamps. 
(A) 
Format. Date and time stamp formats must include a 
single line detailing the name of the court or Portal and shall not include clerk 
seals. Date stamps must be 8 numerical digits separated by slashes with 2 digits for 
the month, 2 digits for the day, and 4 digits for the year. Time stamps must be 
 
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formatted in 12 hour time frames with a.m. or p.m. included. The font size and 
type must meet the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. 
(B) 
Location. The Portal stamp shall be on the top left of the 
document.  The Florida Supreme Court and district courts of appeal stamps shall 
be on the left margin horizontally. Any administrative agency stamp shall be on the 
right margin horizontally. The clerk’s stamp for circuit and county courts shall be 
on the bottom of the document.  
(C) Paper Filings. When a document is filed in paper as 
authorized by rule, the clerk may stamp the paper document in ink with the date 
and time of filing instead of, or in addition to, placing the electronic stamp as 
described in subdivision (B). The ink stamp on a paper document must be legible 
on the electronic version of the document, and must neither obscure the content or 
other date stamp, nor occupy space otherwise reserved by subdivision (B). 
 (e) 
Exceptions to Recording Space. Any papers or documents created 
by persons or entities over which the filing party has no control, including but not 
limited to wills, codicils, trusts, or other testamentary documents; documents 
prepared or executed by any public officer; documents prepared, executed, 
acknowledged, or proved outside of the State of Florida; or documents created by 
State or Federal government agencies, may be filed without the space required by 
this rule. 
(f) 
Noncompliance. No clerk of court shall refuse for filingto file any 
document or paper because of noncompliance with this rule. However, upon 
request of the clerk of court, noncomplying documents shall be resubmitted in 
accordance with this rule.  
Court Commentary 
[No Change]