Small Claims Rules.

• Author: Magee, Christina
• Position: Annual Reports of Committees of the Florida Bar: 2018-2019

The Small Claims Rules Committee had a productive year for the 2018-2019 term, highlighted by the filing of the committee's regular-cycle report with the Florida Supreme Court in February. It has been a pleasure to serve as chair of this committee and participate in its work over the past six years. The committee has worked diligently throughout the past three years to eliminate archaic language, enhance consistency where appropriate and without diminishing the unique character of small claims as the "People's Court," and enable access and participation on behalf of both pro se and represented parties.

The regular-cycle report contains proposed amendments for 17 rules. Changes were made to address outdated language, clarify potential ambiguities, and extinguish inconsistencies between the Small Claims Rules and the Rules of Judicial Administration and the Rules of Civil Procedure, where deemed advisable by a majority of the Small Claims Rules Committee. Two entirely new forms were proposed in this cycle to allow designation of, and changes to, an email address, as this content was not previously contained in the Small Claims Rule set. Fifteen forms already present in the Small Claims Rules have had amendments submitted. The amendments focus on making the forms more accessible to pro se litigants and enhancing consistencies...