MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR LAWYER APPLICANTS

(a) Minimum Period of Practice. The applicant must have at least 5 years of the actual practice of law immediately preceding application, of which at least 50 percent has been spent in active participation of marital and family law.

(b) Substantial Involvement. The applicant must have trial experience and substantial involvement as set forth in this rule during the 5-year period immediately preceding the application date. All 25 cases must have involved substantial legal or factual issues other than the dissolution of marriage. In each of these 25 cases, the applicant must have been responsible for at least a majority of the presentation of evidence and representation of the client. At least 7 of the 25 cases must have been trials as defined in these rules. An advanced trial advocacy seminar approved by the marital and family law certification committee completed either by teaching, attendance, or a combination qualifies as 1 of the 7 trials. The determination of whether the applicant has sufficiently demonstrated substantial involvement in each case submitted is made on a qualitative basis by the marital and family law certification committee using the information provided by the applicant. The marital and family law certification committee reserves the right to seek additional information from the applicant as it deems necessary to make its determination that the minimum number of cases requirement has been met.

(c) Peer Review.

(1) Lawyer References. The applicant must submit names and addresses of 6 lawyers who are neither current nor former associates or partners of the applicant within the 5-year period immediately preceding the date of application to complete peer review forms. At least 3 of the lawyers must be members of The Florida Bar with their principal office located in the state of Florida. Such lawyers need not be Florida Bar board certified in marital and family law, however, they should be substantially involved in marital and family law and familiar with the applicant’s practice. All lawyer references must have participated with the applicant as either opposing or co-counsel in a marital and family law or juvenile dependency proceeding involving some combination of discovery beyond mandatory disclosure, settlement negotiations, evidentiary hearings in excess of 3 hours, trials, or alternative dispute resolution mechanism such as collaborative law, mediation, or arbitration during the 5-year period immediately preceding the application date.

(2) Judicial References. The applicant must submit the names and addresses of 3 judicial officers who have presided in circuit courts in Florida and before whom the applicant has appeared as an advocate in a trial or an evidentiary hearing of at least 3 hours in length for a marital and family law or juvenile dependency case during the 5-year period immediately preceding the application date.

(d) Education. The applicant must complete 75 credit hours of approved continuing legal education in the field of marital and family law during the 5-year period immediately preceding the application date. At least 5 of the 75 credit hours must be in ethics, dispute resolution, collaborative law, or mental health continuing legal education. Accreditation of educational hours is subject to policies established by the marital and family law certification committee or the board of legal specialization and education.

(e) Examination. The applicant must pass an examination applied uniformly to all applicants, to demonstrate sufficient knowledge, proficiency, experience, and professionalism in marital and family law to justify the representation of special competence to the legal profession and the public.