If your case is in a Florida trial court, the statewide rules are only half the picture. Each of Florida’s 20 judicial circuits publishes its own local court rules and administrative orders that govern how filings, hearings, and courtroom conduct actually work in that circuit, and getting a statewide rule right while missing a local requirement is enough to have your filing rejected or your motion struck.
How Statewide and Local Authority Fit Together
The Florida Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration set the baseline for every court in the state. Rule 2.110 makes this explicit: these rules “shall supersede all conflicting rules and statutes.”1The Florida Bar. Florida Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration No local rule or administrative order can contradict a statewide rule.
Below that baseline sit two categories of local authority, and the distinction matters. A “local court rule” under Rule 2.120 is a permanent policy addressing matters the constitution, statutes, court rules, or a Supreme Court opinion require to be adopted locally; the Florida Supreme Court must approve it before it takes effect. An administrative order is a directive issued by the chief judge to manage day-to-day court operations. Administrative orders can include procedural rules but cannot conflict with the constitution, statewide rules, local court rules, or orders from the chief justice.1The Florida Bar. Florida Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration In practice, administrative orders do most of the work: case assignment, duty judge rotations, emergency filing protocols, hearing scheduling, formatting. They change more often because they don’t need Supreme Court approval.
Finding Your Circuit’s Rules
Which circuit governs your case depends on the county where the action was filed. Every circuit maintains an official website that serves as the primary repository for its local court rules and administrative orders. Local court rules usually sit in a dedicated “Local Rules” or “Court Rules” section. Administrative orders are typically indexed chronologically or by subject, and many circuits keep a searchable archive going back years.
When you pull up a division, look for the most recent administrative order on your topic. Newer orders often supersede earlier ones without formally repealing them. The clerk of court for the county also posts filing instructions and fee schedules that supplement the circuit-level documents. If you’re unsure which circuit covers a particular county, the Florida Courts website maintains a directory mapping every county to its circuit.
Mandatory E-Filing Through the Portal
Every attorney filing in a Florida court must use the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal or another designated electronic system. Rule 2.525 requires attorneys to file through the portal “according to its instructions,” and once you’re in, paper filing is off the table except in narrow circumstances.2The Florida Bar. Florida Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration – Rule 2.525
Self-represented parties who are not members of the Florida Bar have a choice. They may register for the portal and file electronically, but they are not required to. There is a catch: once a self-represented party elects to e-file, they cannot withdraw that election without the court’s permission.2The Florida Bar. Florida Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration – Rule 2.525 Registering also means you agree to receive service of future court documents by email at the addresses you provide.3Florida Courts E-Filing Authority. Portal Filer User Manual
A self-represented party who has not elected to e-file may submit paper documents to the clerk, who will convert them to electronic format. The same paper option exists when a judge accepts a document in open court or in chambers, when a rule or statute requires an original paper document, or when the court specifically orders paper filing.2The Florida Bar. Florida Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration – Rule 2.525 The portal also offers a “DIY Documents” feature for self-represented litigants, walking them through an interview-style process that generates a filing.3Florida Courts E-Filing Authority. Portal Filer User Manual
Formatting, Forms, and Proposed Orders
Florida courts enforce specific formatting standards. The Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure require computer-generated documents to use either Arial or Bookman Old Style in 14-point size. Trial-level circuits set their own formatting rules through administrative orders, and these frequently mirror or adapt the appellate standard. Before filing, check the circuit’s administrative orders for font requirements, margin specifications, and any page or word-count limits.
Most circuits require standard one-inch margins and cap motions at a set number of pages. The caps vary by circuit and by motion type: a routine motion to compel might be limited to 10 or 15 pages, while a more complex dispositive motion could allow 20 or 25. Filing over the limit without prior court permission is one of the fastest ways to get a motion rejected by the clerk or struck by the judge.
Many circuits also require circuit-specific forms for particular filings. These live in the “Forms” or “Downloads” section of the circuit’s website and often demand details like the division letter, the presiding judge’s name, or a case category code. Every field matters. A clerk can reject a filing for an incomplete cover sheet, and a judge can strike a motion missing required information.
Proposed Orders
When a circuit requires you to submit a proposed order, many judges want an editable Word file rather than a PDF so they can modify the language before signing. Submission methods vary by circuit and sometimes by individual judge. Some circuits handle proposed orders through the e-filing portal, while others require direct email to the judge’s judicial assistant. Check the presiding judge’s page on the circuit website or the relevant administrative order, because submitting through the wrong channel can result in the order being ignored.
Filing Fees
Florida Statute 28.241 sets filing fees for circuit court actions. For a general civil case with five or fewer defendants, the fee is up to $395. Family law matters filed under chapters covering dependency, dissolution of marriage, domestic violence, paternity, and related actions carry a lower cap of up to $295. Each additional defendant beyond five adds up to $2.50.4The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 28.241 – Filing Fees for Circuit Court
Those base fees don’t cover everything. Separate charges apply for filing cross-claims, counterclaims, garnishment actions, and certain motions. Clerks also charge for ancillary items like issuing a summons or recording a lis pendens. Some circuits add small e-filing convenience fees on top of the statutory amounts; these vary by county and add up over a case with many filings. Reviewing the full fee schedule posted by the clerk’s office in your county before filing gives you a clearer picture of the actual cost.
Confer Before You File a Motion
Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.202 requires the party filing a non-dispositive motion to confer with the opposing party in a good-faith effort to resolve the dispute without court intervention.5Ninth Judicial Circuit Court. Florida Rules of Civil Procedure 1.202 A motion filed without the required certificate of conferral can be rejected or denied on that basis alone.
The certificate must appear at the end of the motion, above the signature block, and include three things: the method of communication used, the date conferral occurred, and whether the opposing party agrees or disagrees with the relief sought. If the other side never responded, the certificate must describe every effort you made to reach them before filing.5Ninth Judicial Circuit Court. Florida Rules of Civil Procedure 1.202
Certain motions are exempt. You do not need to confer before filing a motion for injunctive relief, judgment on the pleadings, summary judgment, dismissal for failure to state a claim, or involuntary dismissal. For any of these, the certificate simply states that conferral is not required under Rule 1.202. Most discovery disputes, scheduling issues, and procedural disagreements do require conferral, and judges take the requirement seriously. A boilerplate certificate signals that you didn’t actually try to work things out.
Scheduling Hearings
Once your motion is filed, the next step is getting on the judge’s calendar, and this is where circuit-level variation becomes most obvious. Some circuits use the Judicial Automated Calendaring System (JACS), an online tool that lets attorneys pick available time slots on a judge’s calendar.6Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court. Judicial Automated Calendaring System Others use proprietary scheduling portals, some of which require separate user registration beyond the statewide e-filing account.
Whatever the system, the scheduling party is expected to coordinate with opposing counsel to find a mutually agreeable date before reserving a slot. Many administrative orders explicitly require this coordination, and some require the hearing notice to state whether all parties were consulted. If the parties cannot agree, most circuits have a protocol that lets the moving party pick a date unilaterally after documenting a good-faith attempt to coordinate.
After a date is set, file and serve a Notice of Hearing through the portal. This puts the event on the docket and triggers automated notification to all parties. Confirmation typically appears in your portal history or an email receipt from the clerk. Pay attention to the circuit’s minimum notice requirements. Filing the notice late can knock the hearing off the calendar.
Serving Documents After Filing
Filing with the court is only half the job. Rule 2.516 requires that every pleading after the initial complaint, and every other filed document, be served on each party. For attorneys, the default is email service. When you e-file through the portal, the system can automatically serve registered parties, which satisfies the rule, but you must verify the portal has the correct email addresses for everyone.7Broward County State Attorney’s Office. Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.516 – Service of Pleadings and Documents
Every attorney in a proceeding must designate a primary email address and may designate up to two secondary addresses. Service must go to all designated addresses. If an attorney hasn’t designated one, you can serve to the email on record with the Florida Bar.7Broward County State Attorney’s Office. Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.516 – Service of Pleadings and Documents Self-represented parties who haven’t registered for the portal may need to be served by conventional means such as mail.
Courtroom and Remote Hearing Conduct
Each circuit enforces standards of professional courtesy through administrative orders that apply to attorneys and parties alike. In-person appearances require professional attire. For remote hearings on platforms like Zoom or Microsoft Teams, administrative orders increasingly specify stable internet connections, appropriate backgrounds, and cameras turned on. Judges notice when a participant is clearly driving, lounging on a couch, or otherwise signaling that the proceeding isn’t being taken seriously.
Electronics inside a physical courtroom are generally restricted to legal research and presentation tools, and mobile devices must be silenced. Contact with judicial assistants should stay limited to procedural questions like scheduling and filing logistics; they cannot give legal advice or discuss pending rulings.
Judges have broad authority to enforce these standards. Sanctions for courtroom misconduct can include fines, a finding of contempt, or the striking of a motion, and these apply equally to remote appearances. The informality of a video call does not reduce the court’s expectations or its power to hold participants accountable.
What Happens if You Ignore Local Requirements
The penalties scale with the failure. At the mild end, a clerk may reject a filing that uses the wrong form, omits required information, or doesn’t comply with formatting. That isn’t a merits ruling, but it forces you to resubmit and can blow a deadline.
A step up, a judge can strike a motion that lacks a certificate of conferral, exceeds a page limit, or ignores the circuit’s scheduling protocols. Discovery violations carry their own consequences under Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.380, which authorizes the court to treat disputed facts as established against the non-complying party, prohibit that party from supporting or opposing certain claims, strike pleadings, stay proceedings, enter a default judgment, or hold the violator in contempt.
At the extreme end, repeated or willful non-compliance can lead to dismissal of the action itself. Florida courts have inherent authority to manage their dockets, and a pattern of ignoring local rules signals that a party is not prosecuting or defending in good faith. The most preventable version of this problem is the litigant who researches the statewide rules carefully but never checks the local administrative orders. The statewide rules tell you what Florida requires; the local rules tell you how your particular circuit wants it done.