Title: In Re: Amendments to Florida Probate Rules 5.550 and 5.695 - 2017 Fast-Track Report
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: SC17-1365
State: Florida
Issuer: Florida Supreme Court
Date: September 7, 2017

Supreme Court of Florida 
 
 
____________ 
 
No. SC17-1365 
____________ 
 
 
IN RE:  AMENDMENTS TO FLORIDA PROBATE RULES 5.550 AND 
5.695—2017 FAST-TRACK REPORT. 
 
[September 7, 2017] 
 
PER CURIAM. 
In response to recent legislation, The Florida Bar’s Probate Rules Committee 
(Committee) has filed an out-of-cycle, fast-track report1 proposing amendments to 
Florida Probate Rules 5.550 (Petition to Determine Incapacity) and 5.695 (Annual 
Guardianship Reports).2  The Board of Governors of The Florida Bar unanimously 
approved the proposals.  We adopt the proposed rule amendments and make minor 
revisions to the new committee note to rule 5.550 in order to correct some of the 
statutory references.    
                                          
 
 
1.  See Fla. R. Jud. Admin. 2.140(e).   
 
2. We have jurisdiction.  See art. V, § 2(a), Fla. Const. 
 
 
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The proposed amendments are in response to changes to sections 744.331 
and 744.367, Florida Statutes (2016), that were made by sections 1 and 2 of 
chapter 2017-16, Laws of Florida, which became effective July 1, 2017.3  After 
considering the Committee’s proposals and the relevant legislation, we amend the 
Florida Probate Rules as proposed.   
We amend rule 5.550 (Petition to Determine Incapacity) to add new 
subdivisions (e) (Reports) and (f) (Adjudicatory Hearing) to address changes made  
to sections 744.331(3)(e), (3)(h), and (5)(a), Florida Statutes (2016), and the 
creation of new section 744.331(3)(i), Florida Statutes, by section 1 of chapter 
2017-16, Laws of Florida.  New subdivisions (e)(1) (Filing), (e)(2) (Service), and 
(e)(3) (Objections) of rule 5.550 provide the filing, service, and objection 
requirements for the reports of committee members appointed to examine an 
alleged incapacitated person.  See § 744.331(3)(e), (3)(h), & (3)(i), Fla. Stat. 
(2017).  New subdivision (f) (Adjudicatory Hearing) provides the timing 
requirements for conducting the adjudicatory hearing on a petition to determine 
incapacity.  See § 744.331(5)(a), Fla. Stat. (2017).  We have revised the new 
committee note to rule 5.550 to reference the appropriate statutory provisions. 
                                          
 
 
3.  See ch. 2017-16, § 6, Laws of Fla.   
 
 
 
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Finally, we amend subdivision (a)(1) (Contents and Filing; Guardian of the 
Person) of rule 5.695 to change the reporting deadlines for annual guardianship 
reports consistent with the changes made to section 744.367(1), Florida Statutes 
(2016), by section 2 of chapter 2017-16, Laws of Florida.  A new committee note 
also is added to this rule. 
Accordingly, we amend the Florida Probate Rules as reflected in the 
appendix to this opinion.  New language is indicated by underscoring; deletions are 
indicated by struck-through type.  The committee notes are offered for explanation 
only and are not adopted as an official part of the rules.  The amendments shall 
become effective immediately upon the release of this opinion.  Because the 
amendments were not published for comment prior to their adoption, interested 
persons shall have sixty days from the date of this opinion in which to file 
comments with the Court.4 
                                          
 
4.  All comments must be filed with the Court on or before November 6, 
2017, with a certificate of service verifying that a copy has been served on the 
Committee Chair, Jonathan Adam Galler, 2255 Glades Road, Suite 421, Boca 
Raton, Florida 33431-7382, jgaller@proskauer.com, and on the Bar Staff Liaison 
to the Committee, Heather Telfer, 651 E. Jefferson Street, Tallahassee, Florida 
32399-2300, HTelfer@floridabar.org, as well as a separate request for oral 
argument if the person filing the comment wishes to participate in oral argument, 
which may be scheduled in this case.  The Committee Chair has until November 
27, 2017, to file a response to any comments filed with the Court.  If filed by an 
attorney in good standing with The Florida Bar, the comment must be 
electronically filed via the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (Portal) in accordance 
with In re Electronic Filing in the Supreme Court of Florida via the Florida Courts 
E-Filing Portal, Fla. Admin. Order No. AOSC13-7 (Feb. 18, 2013).  If filed by a 
 
 
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It is so ordered.  
LABARGA, C.J., and PARIENTE, LEWIS, QUINCE, CANADY, POLSTON, 
and LAWSON, JJ., concur. 
 
THE FILING OF A MOTION FOR REHEARING SHALL NOT ALTER THE 
EFFECTIVE DATE OF THESE AMENDMENTS. 
 
Original Proceeding – The Florida Probate Rules Committee 
 
Jonathan Adam Galler, Chair, Florida Probate Rules Committee, Proskauer Rose, 
LLP, Boca Raton, Florida; John F. Harkness, Jr., Executive Director, and Heather 
Savage Telfer, Staff Liaison, The Florida Bar, Tallahassee, Florida, 
 
 
for Petitioner 
 
 
 
                                          
 
nonlawyer or a lawyer not licensed to practice in Florida, the comment may be, but 
is not required to be, filed via the Portal.  Comments filed via the Portal must be 
submitted in Microsoft Word 97 or higher.  See In re Electronic Filing in the 
Florida Supreme Court, Fla. Admin. Order No. AOSC17-27 (May 9, 2017).  Any 
person unable to submit a comment electronically must mail or hand-deliver the 
originally signed comment to the Florida Supreme Court, Office of the Clerk, 500 
South Duval Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1927; no additional copies are 
required or will be accepted. 
 
 
 
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APPENDIX 
 
 
RULE 5.550. 
PETITION TO DETERMINE INCAPACITY 
(a) – (d) 
[No Change] 
(e) 
Reports. 
(1) 
Filing. Each member of the examining committee must file his 
or her report with the clerk of the court within 15 days after appointment. 
(2) 
Service. Within 3 days after receipt of each examining 
committee member’s report, the clerk shall serve the report on the petitioner and 
the attorney for the alleged incapacitated person by electronic mail delivery or 
United States mail, and, upon service, shall file a certificate of service in the 
incapacity proceeding. The petitioner and the attorney for the alleged incapacitated 
person must be served with all reports at least 10 days before the hearing on the 
petition, unless the reports are not complete, in which case the petitioner and 
attorney for the alleged incapacitated person may waive the 10-day requirement 
and consent to the consideration of the report by the court at the adjudicatory 
hearing. If such service is not timely effectuated, the petitioner or the alleged 
incapacitated person may move for a continuance of the hearing. 
(3) 
Objections. The petitioner and the alleged incapacitated person 
may object to the introduction into evidence of all or any portion of the examining 
committee members’ reports by filing and serving a written objection on the other 
party no later than 5 days before the adjudicatory hearing. The objection must state 
the basis upon which the challenge to admissibility is made. If an objection is 
timely filed and served, the court shall apply the rules of evidence in determining 
the reports’ admissibility. For good cause shown, the court may extend the time to 
file and serve the written objection. 
(f) 
Adjudicatory Hearing. Upon appointment of the examining 
committee, the court shall set the date upon which the petition will be heard. The 
adjudicatory hearing must be conducted within at least 10 days, which time period 
may be waived, but no more than 30 days after the filing of the last filed report of 
the examining committee members, unless good cause is shown. 
 
 
 
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Committee Notes 
Rule History 
1980 Revision - 2016 Revision:   [No Change] 
2017 Revision: Adopts new subdivisions (e)(1)–(e)(3) to address statutory 
changes in sections 744.331(3)(e), (3)(h), and (3)(i), Florida Statutes, regarding 
filing, service, and objections to examining committee members’ reports. Adopts 
new subdivision (f) to address statutory changes regarding the timing of the 
adjudicatory hearing in section 744.331(5)(a), Florida Statutes. Committee notes 
revised. 
Statutory References 
[No Change] 
Rule References 
[No Change] 
 
RULE 5.695. 
ANNUAL GUARDIANSHIP REPORTS 
(a) 
Contents and Filing. 
(1) 
Guardian of the Person. Unless the court requires reporting on 
a calendar-year basis, the guardian of the person shall file an annual guardianship 
plan at least 60 days, but no more than 90 days, beforewithin 90 days after the last 
day of the anniversary month in which the letters of guardianship were signed. The 
plan must cover the coming fiscal year, ending on the last day of such anniversary 
month. If the court requires calendar-year reporting, the guardianship plan for the 
forthcoming year must be filed on or after September 1, but no later than 
December 1, of the current yearbefore April 1 of each year. 
(2) 
[No Change] 
(b) 
[No Change] 
Committee Notes 
[No Change] 
 
 
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Rule History 
1975 Revision - 2015 Revision [No Change]  
2017 Revision: Subdivision (a)(1) amended to conform to statutory changes 
regarding reporting deadline in section 744.367(1), Florida Statutes. Committee 
notes revised. 
Statutory References 
[No Change] 
Rule References 
[No Change]