New Rules Bring New Requirements in the Fifth DCA

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If you are a registered filer with e-DCA, you may have received this notice from the Fifth DCA last week.  Because of changes to the Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure, attorneys are now required to notify the appellate court when there is a pending motion in the trial court that delays rendition of a final order.  In the civil/family law contexts, such motions would include motions for new trial, for rehearing, for certification, to alter or amend the final judgment, for judgment in accordance with prior motion for directed verdict, for arrest of judgment, to challenge the verdict, or to vacate an order based upon recommendation of a hearing officer pursuant to Fla. Family Law Rule of Procedure 12.491.

Previously, the filing of a notice of appeal while a post-trial motion was pending resulted in abandonment of the motion.  On January 1, 2015, Rule 9.020(j) was amended such that, if a notice of appeal is timely filed before adjudication of a post-trial motion, the appeal is held in abeyance until the trial court has ruled on the motion.  To facilitate the administration of the new rule, the Fifth DCA has adopted the requirement that attorneys must notify the appellate court when such a motion is pending in the trial court, and when an order disposing of the motion has been entered.

At this point, only the 5th DCA has adopted this formal requirement, but other courts will likely follow suit.  In any event, it’s good practice to ensure the appeal is abated.

DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations.

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