The Florida Supreme Court has taken steps to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of civil litigation, and it has issued two separate per curiam opinions introducing proposed substantial amendments to the Florida Rules of...more
Last week, the Florida Supreme Court released two opinions [here and here] announcing changes to its rules of civil procedure in an attempt “to promote the fair and timely resolution of civil cases.” The amendments are broad...more
It is long-standing law in Florida (and elsewhere) that an insurer can deny a claim when it was prejudiced by a policyholder’s failure to provide timely notice. However, there has been some debate in recent years about whose...more
In a recent opinion, Florida’s First District Court of Appeal provided further guidance regarding the changes to Florida’s summary judgment rule. See Whitlow v. Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare, Inc., --- So. 3d ---, Case No....more
Just about two years ago, the Florida Supreme Court essentially adopted the federal summary judgment standard. This was a major change for Florida, given that movants no longer had to disprove the other side’s case...more
On June 1, 2021, theEleventh Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a summary judgment granted in favor of an insurer in a third party bad faith claim. The case, Eres v. Progressive American Insurance Company, Case No. 20-11006,...more
The Situation: The Florida Supreme Court considered whether and how to amend Florida's summary judgment rule to comport with the federal summary judgment standard, which is easier to satisfy. The Result: The Florida...more
The Florida Supreme Court recently amended Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.510 (Summary Judgment), adopting the less restrictive federal summary judgment standard as articulated by the United States Supreme Court in Celotex...more
Nearly four months to the day from when the Florida Supreme Court announced the state's adoption of the federal summary judgment standard, the Court went a step further and announced the adoption of the text of the federal...more
Effective May 1, 2021, the federal summary judgment standard is the law in Florida state court. The Florida Supreme Court announced this shift would take place in December 2020 and sought further comment concerning the...more
On December 31, 2020, the Florida Supreme Court issued an opinion amending Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.510 governing summary judgment proceedings, to adopt the summary judgment standard articulated by the United States...more
Executive Summary: - In a monumental shift for state-court litigators and litigants, the Florida Supreme Court recently decided to forego the established state law standard for summary judgment in favor of adopting the...more
The Supreme Court, on its own initiative, amended Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.510, which governs summary judgment.[1] In doing so, the court has elected to adopt the federal summary judgment standard, overriding the...more
Resources - Florida Supreme Court Amends Summary Judgment Procedural Rule to Mirror Federal Doctrine - Florida courts have required the moving party to "conclusively disprove" the nonmovant's theory of the case in...more
Lawyers and insurance industry professionals are undoubtedly familiar with motions for summary judgment. For years, Florida state courts have followed their own summary judgment standard. While similar to the rule followed by...more
On December 31, 2020, the Florida Supreme Court announced the amendment of Florida’s summary judgment standard, adopting the more relaxed federal summary judgment standard, in an effort to improve the fairness and efficiency...more
On December 31, 2020, the Florida Supreme Court, on its motion, amended Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.510 to adopt the federal summary judgment standard. The amendment will become effective May 1, 2021. The Court noted...more
Florida courts have required the moving party to “conclusively disprove” the nonmovant’s theory of the case in order to eliminate any issue of fact, whereas the federal doctrine permits the entry of summary judgment when...more
It’s Time to Adapt Your Litigation Strategy to a More Flexible Summary Judgment Standard - On the final day of 2020, the Florida Supreme Court waived adieu to the past in two related decisions on the summary judgment...more
Out with the old, in with the new: the Florida Supreme Court closed out 2020 with a key decision that eliminates Florida’s previous summary judgment standard in favor of the federal standard articulated in the Celotex...more
In the waning hours of 2020, the Florida Supreme Court changed Florida’s summary-judgment standard by adopting the much more relaxed federal standard. Although the change does not take effect until May 2021–and even then...more
The Florida Supreme Court ended 2020 with a bang! The Supreme Court amended Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.510 to adopt the federal summary judgment standard. This change will affect different types of civil...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - - Constructive Notice: a memorandum of agreement that is recorded in the official records of the county in which the property is located and refers to an unrecorded agreement entered into by the...more