In Re: Amendments to Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure - Forms 12.911(a)-(e)

CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedMarch 24, 2022
DocketSC21-1172
StatusPublished

This text of In Re: Amendments to Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure - Forms 12.911(a)-(e) (In Re: Amendments to Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure - Forms 12.911(a)-(e)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

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In Re: Amendments to Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure - Forms 12.911(a)-(e), (Fla. 2022).

Opinion

Supreme Court of Florida ____________

No. SC21-1172 ____________

IN RE: AMENDMENTS TO FLORIDA FAMILY LAW RULES OF PROCEDURE—FORMS 12.911(a)-(e).

March 24, 2022

PER CURIAM.

This matter is before the Court for consideration of proposed

amendments to Florida Family Law Rule of Procedure Forms

12.911(a) (Subpoena for Hearing or Trial (Issued by Clerk)),

12.911(b) (Subpoena for Hearing or Trial (Issued by Attorney)),

12.911(c) (Subpoena Duces Tecum for Hearing or Trial (Issued by

Clerk)), 12.911(d) (Subpoena Duces Tecum for Hearing or Trial

(Issued by Attorney)), and 12.911(e) (Subpoena for Deposition

(Issued by Clerk)). See Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin.

2.140(b)(1). We have jurisdiction. See art. V, § 2(a), Fla. Const.

In In re Amendments to Florida Family Law Rule of Procedure

12.407, 259 So. 3d 752 (Fla. 2018), this Court amended rule

12.407 (Testimony and Attendance of Minor Child) to clarify that children who are witnesses, potential witnesses, or related to the

family law case are prohibited from being brought to court or a

deposition or being subpoenaed without an order of the court.

The Florida Bar’s Family Law Rules Committee (Committee)

has filed a report proposing amendments to forms 12.911(a)-(e),

which reference rule 12.407, to ensure they reflect the 2018

amendment to the rule. The Committee and the Board of

Governors of The Florida Bar approved the proposed amendments.

The Committee published its proposals for comment prior to filing

them with the Court and received no comments. After the

Committee filed its report, the Court published the proposals for

comment. One comment was received in support of the proposed

amendments, and the Committee filed a response.

Having considered the proposed amendments, the comment,

and the Committee’s response, the Court hereby amends Florida

Family Law Rule of Procedure Forms 12.911(a)-(e) as proposed by

the Committee, with minor technical corrections.

First, the second paragraph in the instructions to forms

12.911(a)-(e) is rewritten to state that “unless otherwise provided by

law or another rule of procedure, children who are witnesses, -2- potential witnesses, or related to a family law case are prohibited

from being subpoenaed to appear at any family law proceeding or

from attending any family law proceedings without prior order of

the court based on good cause shown.”

Additionally, throughout the forms’ instructions, references to

the Rules of Judicial Administration are amended to reflect the

updated name, the Rules of General Practice and Judicial

Administration. See In re Amends. to Fla. Rules of Jud. Admin.—

2020 Regular-Cycle Report, 310 So. 3d 374 (Fla. 2021).

Accordingly, forms 12.911(a)-(e) are hereby amended as set

forth in the appendix to this opinion. The forms are fully engrossed

and ready for use. The forms may also be accessed and

downloaded from the Florida State Courts’ website at

https://www.flcourts.org/Resources-Services/Office-of-Family-

Courts/Family-Courts/Family-Law-Forms. The amendments shall

become effective April 1, 2022, at 12:01 a.m.

It is so ordered.

CANADY, C.J., and POLSTON, LABARGA, LAWSON, MUÑIZ, COURIEL, and GROSSHANS, JJ., concur.

THE FILING OF A MOTION FOR REHEARING SHALL NOT ALTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THESE AMENDMENTS. -3- Original Proceeding – Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure

Ashley Elizabeth Taylor, Chair, Family Law Rules Committee, Tampa, Florida, Joshua E. Doyle, Executive Director, and Mikalla Andies Davis, Staff Liaison, The Florida Bar, Tallahassee, Florida,

for Petitioner

Heather L. Apicella, Chair, Family Law Section of The Florida Bar, Boca Raton, Florida, Kristin R.H. Kirkner, Co-Chair, Rules and Forms Committee, Family Law Section of The Florida Bar, Tampa, Florida, and Jack A. Moring, Co-Chair, Rules and Forms Committee, Family Law Section of The Florida Bar, Crystal River, Florida,

Responding with comments

-4- APPENDIX

INSTRUCTIONS FOR FLORIDA FAMILY LAW RULES OF PROCEDURE FORM 12.911(a) SUBPOENA FOR HEARING OR TRIAL (ISSUED BY CLERK) (04 /22)

When should this form be used?

This form is used to require the appearance of witnesses at a trial or a hearing and also to notify the other party(ies) of those witnesses you have subpoenaed as required by Florida Family Law Rule of Procedure 12.410. This form should be typed or printed in black ink. After you complete the form, you will need to take it to the clerk of the circuit court’s office to obtain the clerk or deputy clerk’s signature. The party issuing the subpoena should also sign it.

NOTE: Under Florida Family Law Rule of Procedure 12.407, unless otherwise provided by law or another rule of procedure, children who are witnesses, potential witnesses, or related to a family law case are prohibited from being subpoenaed to appear at any family law proceeding or from attending any family law proceedings without prior order of the court based on good cause shown. See Forms 12.944(a)–(b).

What should I do next?

The form must be served on the other party/parties and witness(es) in accordance with Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.516.

This form must be served on the witness(es) in accordance with Florida law and notice must also be given to the other parties in accordance with Florida Family Law Rule of Procedure 12.410 and with Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.516.

Where can I look for more information?

Before proceeding, you should read General Information for Self-Represented Litigants found at the beginning of these forms. The words that are in bold underline in these instructions are defined there. For further information, see Florida Family Law Rule of Procedure 12.410.

Nonlawyer: Remember, a person who is NOT an attorney is called a nonlawyer. If a nonlawyer helps you fill out these forms, that person must give you a copy of a Disclosure from Nonlawyer, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure Form 12.900(a), before he or she helps you. A nonlawyer helping you fill out these forms also must put his or her name, address, and telephone number on the bottom of the last page of every form he or she helps you complete.

Instructions for Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure Form 12.911(a), Subpoena for Hearing or Trial (Issued By Clerk) (04/22)

-5- IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE ___________________ JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR ______________________COUNTY, FLORIDA

Case No.: ___________________ Division: ___________________

In re: ___________________________

________________________________ , Petitioner, and

________________________________, Respondent.

SUBPOENA FOR HEARING OR TRIAL (ISSUED BY CLERK)

THE STATE OF FLORIDA: TO ___________________________,

YOU ARE COMMANDED to appear before the Honorable {name} _______________________________, Judge of the Court, at the ________________________________________ County Courthouse in {city} ________________________, Florida, on {date} ___________________, at {time} ____________, to testify in this action. If you fail to appear you may be held in contempt of court.

You are subpoenaed to appear by the following party, and unless you are excused from this subpoena by the party, or court, you must respond to this subpoena as directed.

DATE: _________________________

_________________________________________ DEPUTY CLERK

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Related

In Re: Amendments to Florida Family Law Rule Of Procedure 12.407
259 So. 3d 752 (Supreme Court of Florida, 2018)

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In Re: Amendments to Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure - Forms 12.911(a)-(e), Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-amendments-to-florida-family-law-rules-of-procedure-forms-fla-2022.