Rule 12.000. PREFACE

RULE 12.000. PREFACE

These rules consist of two separate sections. Section I contains

the procedural rules governing family law matters and their

commentary. Section II contains forms.

Commentary

1995 Adoption. These rules were adopted after the Florida

Supreme Court determined that separate rules for family court

procedure were necessary. See In re Florida R. Fam. Ct. P., 607

So.2d 396 (Fla. 1992). The court recognized that family law cases

are different from other civil matters, emphasizing that the 1993

creation of family divisions in the circuit courts underscored the

differences between family law matters and other civil matters. In

adopting the family law rules, the Court stressed the need for

simplicity due to the large number of pro se litigants (parties

without counsel) in family law matters. In an effort to assist the

many pro se litigants in this field, the Court has included simplified

forms and instructional commentary in these rules. See Section II.

The instructional commentary to the forms refers to these rules or

the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, where applicable.

The forms originally were adopted by the Court pursuant to

Family Law Rules of Procedure, No. 84,337 (Fla. July 7, 1995); In re

Petition for Approval of Forms Pursuant to Rule 10-1.1(b) of the Rules

Regulating the Florida Bar—Stepparent Adoption Forms, 613 So.2d

900 (Fla. 1992); Rules Regulating the Florida Bar—Approval of

Forms, 581 So.2d 902 (Fla. 1991).

SECTION I

FAMILY LAW RULES OF PROCEDURE