This is not our typical posting, but felt it was important.

On January 1, 2020, Florida’s county courts will see their civil jurisdiction jump from $15,000 to $30,000. This is the first increase since 1992. This amount increases to $50,000 in 2023.

On November 14, 2019, the Florida Supreme Court approved new rules of civil procedure that, in addition to technical changes, raise the jurisdiction of small claims court from $5,000 to $8,000, also on January 1, 2020.

One of the most significant changes will require those filing civil actions in county courts to file a cover sheet listing the amount in controversy. The cover sheets will allow court administrators to track the changes and report the impact to lawmakers by February 1, 2021.

The new legislation also directs civil appeals from county courts with amounts between $15,000 to $30,000 to district courts of appeal, bypassing circuit courts.