AO 2025-001

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE THIRD JUDICIAL CIRCUIT,
IN AND FOR COLUMBIA, DIXIE, HAMILTON, LAFAYETTE, MADISON, SUWANNEE AND TAYLOR COUNTIES, FLORIDA

ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO, 2025-001
(Supersedes AO2021-004 and AO2021-005B)

INRE: CIVIL CASE MANAGEMENT

WHEREAS, on May 23, 2024, the Florida Supreme Court issued Administrative Order SC2023-09621 (1), amending the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure and requiring the chief judge of each judicial circuit to enter an administrative order addressing certain case management
requirements, including the issuance of case management orders, deadlines for completing certain pretrial matters, and setting trial dates consistent with the time standards specified in the
Florida Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration.

WHEREAS, each civil case must be assigned within 120 days after the action commences to a complex, general, or streamlined case management track.

WHEREAS, Rule 1.200 (i) requires that form case management orders will be set by the chief judge of
each circuit for general and streamlined cases.

WHEREAS, Florida Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.545(a), (b), and (e),
respectively, require judges to conclude litigation as soon as it is reasonably and justly
possible to do so, to take charge of all cases at an early stage and to control the progress of the
case thereafter until it is determined, and to apply a firm continuance policy allowing
continuances only for good cause shown.

NOW, THEREFORE, by the authority vested in me as the Chief Judge of the Third Judicial
Circuit, specifically, Article V, section 2(d) of the Florida Constitution, sections 40.001 and
43.26, Florida Statutes, and Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.215, it is
therefore ORDERED as follows:

1 On December 5, 2024, the Florida Supreme Court issued an amended order and mle
language after receiving comments and conducting oral arguments regarding the amendments
announced in its May 23, 2024, opinion. See In Re: Amendments to Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, No. SC2023-0962, 2024 WL 4983566 (Fla. Dec. 5, 2024), op’n corrected January 23, 2025. This Administrative Order incorporates the amended requirements.

A.O. 2025-001 (In Re: CM/ Case Management)

I. TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

A. “Civil Cases” – Under rule 1.200, civil cases2 are differentiated as follows:

1. “Complex” cases are actions designated by court order as complex under rule
1.201(a). Complex cases must proceed as provided in rule 1.201.

2. “General” cases are all other actions that do not meet the criteria for streamlined or
complex.

3. “Streamlined” cases are actions that reflect some mutual knowledge about the
underlying facts, have limited needs for discovery, well-established legal issues related
to liability and damages, few anticipated dispositive pretrial motions, minimal documentary
evidence, and an anticipated trial length of no more than 3 days. Uncontested circuit cases and
all county civil cases should generally be presumed to be streamlined cases.

B. “Commencement” – Pursuant to rule 1.050, every action of a civil nature shall be deemed
commenced when the complaint or petition is filed except that ancillary proceedings
shall be deemed commenced when the writ is issued or the pleading setting forth the claim of the
party initiating the action is filed.

II. CASE MANAGEMENT – GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

A. In contested cases subject to this order, the parties are required to diligently participate in
case management, including engaging in early consultation and cooperation, early
interaction with a Civil Case Manager and early involvement with the Court. Parties are also
required to adhere to case-specific compliance deadlines as established in case
management orders, confer in a good faith attempt to narrow or resolve matters in
controversy, and identify issues that require direct involvement by the Court. If a case
management conference is scheduled, attendance by trial counsel and those parties who are not
represented by counsel is mandatory.

B. Failure to appear at a case management or pretrial conference or failure to comply with the
terms of this order may result in such sanctions as are just and lawful including: an immediate ex
parte hearing and entry of final judgment or default or dismissal, limitation of witnesses or
other evidence, striking of claims or defenses, or imposition of attorney fees or costs.

 

2 Rule 1.200 exempts many different types of civil actions from the rule’s general requirements.
See R. 1.200 (a). Some examples of exempted actions include: certain actions under the
Florida Small Claims Rules; petitions for habeas corpus or other extraordinary writs; actions
to enforce or quash an administrative summons or subpoena; and, eminent domain actions under
article X, section 6 of the Florida Constitution or chapters 73 and 74, Florida Statutes.

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A.O. 1025-001 (In Re: Civil Case Management)

C. Parties must mediate by the Court’s deadline. The parties are responsible for assuring that
they have all the necessary information to value their position prior to mediation. If the
parties fail to mediate without good cause before the mediation deadline, sanctions shall
be imposed by the Court. Failure to timely mediate shall not constitute just cause for a trial
continuance.

D. Extensions of deadlines established in case management orders are governed by rule
1.200 or rule 1.201, and trial continuances are governed by rule 1.460.

III. CASE MANAGEMENT ORDERS – STREAMLINED AND GENERAL CASES

A. Within 120 days after the commencement of any civil case subject to rule 1.200, the presiding
judge in the case must review and designate the case as “Complex,” “Streamlined,” or “General” and issue a case management order for each streamlined or general civil case, complete with the applicable deadlines. Standardized orders for streamlined cases (Appendix A) and general cases (Appendix B) are attached hereto.

B. A change in case designation may be made by the presiding judge on the judge’s own initiative
or upon motion of any party. Should any party assert that a civil case should be treated other
than designated above, such party shall file a written motion requesting such change and the motion shall be expeditiously resolved by the presiding judge.

C. Case management orders must specify, at a minimum, deadlines for the following case events:

1. Service of complaints;
2. Service under extensions;
3. Adding new parties;
4. Completion of fact discovery;
5. Completion of expert discovery;
6. Filing and service of motions for summary judgment:
7. Resolution of all objections to pleadings;
8. Resolution of all pretrial motions;
9. Completion of alternative dispute resolution; and,
10. Projected trial date. [Actual trial date(s) shall be set by subsequent order.]

D. Deadlines must be consistent with the time standards specified in Florida Rule of General
Practice and Judicial Administration 2.250 (a)(l)(B).

E. Plaintiff (if self-represented) or Plaintiff’s counsel must file a Notice of Final Service

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A.O. 21125-001 (In Re: Civil Case Management)

(“notice”) when the last-named defendant has been served with the complaint. The notice must be
filed within five days of final service. Failure to file and serve the notice as required by this
paragraph may result in the imposition of sanctions.

F. If any party desires to amend the initial case management order, an amended case
management order meeting the time and form requirements set forth in this Order may be prepared and stipulated to by the parties. The agreed order may extend a deadline if the extension does not affect the ability to comply with the remaining dates in the case management
order. The proposed order should be submitted for final approval by the presiding judge.
Parties’ requests for trial continuances are governed by rule 1.460 and if a trial is not reached
during the trial period set by court order, the court must enter an order setting a new trial
period that is as soon as practicable, given the needs of the case and resources of the court.

G. Rule 1.200 as amended is intended to supersede any case management rules issued by circuit
courts and administrative orders on case management to the extent of contradiction.3 Neither this Administrative Order nor the attached model orders shall be construed as granting any
rights not already provided for by rule, statute, or law. Case management orders already in
effect on January 1, 2025, continue to govern pending actions; however, any extensions of
deadlines specified in those existing case management orders are governed by amended rule
1.200 or amended rule 1.201. For actions commenced before January 1, 2025, and in which the court has not issued a case management order by that date, a case management order must be issued by April 4, 2025.

IV. CONFERENCES

A. Case Management Conferences

1. Conferences may be set by the court or by a party upon reasonable notice. Notices by parties
must identify specific issues to be addressed and contain a list of all pending motions.
2. Motions for summary judgment and motions requiring evidentiary hearings may not be heard as part of a case management conference, unless agreed to by the parties.
3. Attorneys and self-represented litigants appearing at conferences must be prepared on the
pending matters in the case, be prepared to make decisions about future progress of the case and
have authority to make representations to the court and enter into binding agreements
concerning motions, issues and scheduling.
4. Failure to appear may result in sanctions including dismissal of the action, striking of
pleadings, limiting proof or witnesses, or any other appropriate action by the Court.

3 See In Re: Amendments to Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, No. SC2023-0962, 2024 WL 4983566 at
*8 (Fla. Dec. 5, 2024), op’n corrected January 23, 2025 (Court Commentary, 2024 Amendment).

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A.O. 2025-00/ (In Re: Civil Case Management)

B. Pretrial Conferences

1. Once the case has been set for an actual trial period, the Court or a party may set a
conference to consider and determine the issues to be tried, stipulations, witnesses and evidence,
logistics and scheduling, jury instructions and verdict forms, or any other appropriate trial
planning matters.

V. DISCOVERY

A party must, without awaiting a discovery request, provide to the other parties certain
initial discovery disclosures unless privileged or protected from disclosure. Seer. 1.280(a),
Fla.R.Civ.P4. A party may not seek discovery from any source before that party’s initial
disclosure obligations are satisfied, except when authorized by stipulation or by court order. The
discovery rules are to be construed and applied in accordance with the federal
proportionality standard. Grounds for objection must be provided with specificity,
including the reasons. Objections must state whether any responsive materials are being withheld
on the basis of that objection. An objection to part of a request must specify the part and
permit inspection of the rest. Written discovery shall be propounded promptly. Any use of
standard interrogatories must be adjusted for proportional discovery.

VI. CASE MANAGEMENT – COMPLEX CASES

Rule 1.200 as amended does not require the Chief Judge to set the form for case
management orders in complex cases. Complex litigation is governed by Rule 1.201, and the Court
may hold a hearing to determine whether any case should be designated as complex.
Counsel for the parties and pro se individuals representing themselves in complex cases
may believe that the unique circumstances presented in their cases support the entry of a case
management order tailored to the cause and agreed to by the litigants rather than an order
unilaterally issued by the presiding judge. Therefore, the parties are encouraged to consult
and confer in an effort to draft a mutually acceptable Agreed Mandatory Civil Case
Management Order for submission to the court that addresses mandatory deadlines and moves
the case to disposition in a timely fashion. This should be done as soon as reasonably possible
because a case management order must issue within ten (10) days after completion of an initial
case management conference. A final case management conference must be scheduled not less than
90 days before the date the case is set for trial. In complex cases, parties must notify
the court immediately if a case management conference or hearing time becomes
unnecessary. Motions for trial

4 Parties are cautioned to review Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.280 in its entirety and to familiarize
themselves with the 2024 amendments to the rnle.

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A.O. 2025-00/ (In Re: Civil Case Management)

continuances in complex cases are governed by rule 1.460.

VII. CONCLUSION

Counsel for the parties and prose individuals who are representing themselves in pending civil
cases, whether in circuit court or county court civil divisions, shall review the Supreme Court
case management and resolution provisions contained in AOSC2023-0962, as well as Fla. R. Jud. Admin 2.250 and 2.545. Thereafter, they shall review their pending civil cases with the
requirements of the Supreme Court and this local administrative order in mind.

DONE AND ORDERED in Chambers in Lake City, Columbia County, Florida, this 26th day of February, 2025.

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A.O. 2025-001 (APPENDIX A)

IN THE [COUNTY or CIRCUIT] COURT IN AND FOR [COUNTY] COUNTY, FLORIDA

[PLAINTIFF(S)]
Plaintiff(s),

Case Number: (CASE NO.)
Division: (DIVISION)

v.

[DEFENDANT(S)]
Defendant(s).

CIVIL CASE MANAGEMENT ORDER – STREAMLINED CASES

Pursuant to Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.200, the Court finds this case should be assigned to
a streamlined case management track. Pursuant to Florida Rule of General Practice and
Judicial Administration 2.250(a)(l )(8), the expected completion date of a nonjury case is 12
months from the date of service of initial process on the last defendant or 120 days after
commencement of the action as provided in rule 1.050, whichever occurs first.

The initial complaint was filed on [DATm. Accordingly, the following terms and deadlines shall
apply in this case:

I. CASE DEADLINES AND EVENTS

A. Deadline for service of complaints: 120 days after the complaint is filed.
B. Deadline for service under extensions: 150 days after the complaint is filed.
C. Deadline for addition of new parties: 180 days after the complaint is filed.
D. Deadline for completion of fact discovery: 240 days after the complaint is filed.
E. Deadline for completion of expert discovery: 270 days after the complaint is filed.
F. Deadline for filing and service of motions for summary judgment: 90 days before
trial. Motions for summary judgment must comply with rule l.510(b) and be resolved no later than 15
days before trial.
G. Motion hearings: within 20 days of filing any motion for which a hearing is required, the
moving party must contact the presiding judges office to set the motion for hearing.
H. Deadline for all objections to pleadings to be resolved: within 60 days after the objection is
filed and no later than 30 days before the pretrial conference.
I. Deadline for all pretrial motions to be resolved (excluding motions for summary judgment):
within 30 days after the motion is filed and no later than the Friday before the trial week.
J. Deadline for completion of alternative dispute resolution including mediation: 270 days after
the complaint is filed.

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A.O. 2025-001 (APPENDIX A)

K. Projected trial date: 12 months after the complaint is filed. Not later than 45 days before
the projected trial period, a firm trial date will be determined and ordered by the presiding judge
if the firm trial date has not otherwise already been set pursuant to Florida Rule of
Civil Procedure 1.400(c).

II. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

A. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provides parties with an out-of-court alternative to
settling disagreements through mediation. All parties must mediate prior to trial unless
excused by court order for good cause shown or as otherwise required by law and in
compliance with the Rules of Civil Procedure.
B. Notices of unavailability have no effect on the deadlines set by the case management order. If
a party is unable to comply with a deadline in a case management order, the party must take action consistent with rule 1.200. The Court will consider a request to approve changes to these
deadlines upon a showing of good cause by either party based on matters arising from an
emergency or unavailability. Procrastination in completing discovery or mediation will not
constitute good cause for a change to these deadlines.
C. Motions to continue trial are disfavored and should rarely be granted and then only upon
good cause shown. Any motion to continue a trial date must comply with rule 1.460.
D. In cases wherein one party is unrepresented (prose), it is the responsibility for the sole
attorney in the case to serve within five business days this Order upon any pro se party who does
not have access to and is not a registered user of the Florida Courts e-Filing Portal.

IT IS ORDERED that all parties shall abide by the terms of this Order. Deadlines will be strictly
enforced unless changed by court order. Failure by a party to follow the deadlines in this Order
may result in the imposition of sanctions.

DONE AND ORDERED in _______________COUNTY, FLORIDA.

(COUNTY or CIRCUIT JUDGE)
JUDGE

 

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A.O. 2025-001 (APPENDIX B)

 

IN THE [COUNTY or CIRCUIT] COURT IN AND FOR (COUNTY) COUNTY, FLORIDA

 

[PLAINTIFF(S)]

Plaintiff(s),

 

Case Number: [CASE NO.]
Division: [DIVISION]

 

v.

[DEFENDANT(S)]
Defendant(s).
——————-‘/

CIVIL CASE MANAGEMENT ORDER- GENERAL CASES
Pursuant to Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.200, the Court finds this case should be assigned to
a general case management track. Pursuant to Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial
Administration 2.250(a)(l)(B), the expected completion date of a jury case is 18 months from the
date of service of initial process on the last defendant or 120 days after commencement of the
action as provided in rule 1.050, whichever occurs first.

The initial complaint was filed on (DATE). Accordingly, the following terms and deadlines shall
apply in this case:

I. CASE DEADLINES AND EVENTS

A. Deadline for service of complaints: 120 days after the complaint is filed.
B. Deadline for service under extensions: 180 days after the complaint is filed.
C. Deadline for addition of new parties: 210 days after the complaint is filed.
D. Deadline for completion of fact discovery: 420 days after the complaint is filed.
E. Deadline for completion of expert discovery: 450 days after the complaint is filed.
F. Deadline for filing and service of motions for summary judgment: 120 days before trial. Motions for summary judgment must comply with rule 1.51O(b) and be resolved no later than 30 days before trial.
G. Motion hearings: within 20 days of filing any motion for which a hearing is required, the
moving party must contact the presiding judges office to set the motion for hearing.
H. Deadline for all objections to pleadings to be resolved: within 75 days after the objection is
filed and no later than 45 days before the pretrial conference.
I. Deadline for all pretrial motions to be resolved (excluding motions for summary
judgment): within 60 days after the motion is filed and no later than the Friday before the trial
week.
J. Deadline for completion of alternative dispute resolution including mediation: 450 days after
the complaint is filed.

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A.O. 2025-001 (APPENDJX B)

K. Projected trial date: 18 months after the complaint is filed. Not later than 45 days before
the projected trial period, a firm trial date will be determined and ordered by the presiding judge
if the firm trial date has not otherwise already been set pursuant to Florida Rule of
Civil Procedure 1.400(c).

II. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

A. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provides parties with an out-of-court alternative to
settling disagreements through mediation. All parties must mediate prior to trial unless excused
by court order for good cause shown or as otherwise required by law and in compliance
with the Rules of Civil Procedure.
B. Notices of unavailability have no effect on the deadlines set by the case management order. If
a party is unable to comply with a deadline in a case management order, the party must take action consistent with rule 1.200. The Court will consider a request to approve changes to these
deadlines upon a showing of good cause by either party based on matters arising from an emergency or unavailability. Procrastination in completing discovery or mediation will not constitute good cause for a change to these deadlines.
C. Motions to continue trial are disfavored and should rarely be granted and then only upon good
cause shown. Any motion to continue a trial date must comply with rule 1.460.
D. In cases wherein one party is unrepresented (“pro se”), it is the responsibility for the
sole attorney in the case to serve within five business days this Order upon any pro se party who
does not have access to and is not a registered user of the Florida Courts e-Filing Portal.

IT IS ORDERED that all parties shall abide by the tenns of this Order. Deadlines will be strictly
enforced unless changed by court order. Failure by a party to follow the deadlines in this Order
may result in the imposition of sanctions.

DONE AND ORDERED in ______ COUNTY, FLORIDA.

[COUNTY or CIRCUIT JUDGE]
JUDGE

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