With every new year, change (big or small) is inevitable. For the Florida court system, 2020 will be an exception to the rule in that regard as the state legislation has agreed to update jurisdiction standards when it comes to civil court proceedings.

It might not sound like breaking news, but facts show this will be the first time in nearly 30 years the state is making adjustments when it comes to “amount-in-controversy” monetary threshold that divides the workload between county civil and circuit civil courts, according to FLCourts.org.

Passed unanimously during the most recent legislative session, Florida House Bill 337 will raise the existing $15,000 county court threshold to $30,000, starting Jan. 1, 2020.

Among other noteworthy changes coming in 2020 include:

• Small claims limits are increasing to $8,000 from $5,000
• New cover sheets must be included for disputes more than $8,000
• And there’s more ...

Anyone seeking to file civil action in the new year should be aware of these changes and note the required fields when filling out the “Civil Cover Sheet” paperwork. One factor not changing: filing fees!

For the new year, resolve to “know your court” if planning to endeavor in any legal action. Cheers to a happy 2020!

Live in Central Florida and have questions about the law? Contact Woodard & Ferguson - Attorneys at Law to set up a consultation.