PREFACE

1995 Adoption. These rules were adopted after the Florida Supreme Court determined that separate rules for family court procedure were necessary. See In re Florida R. Fam. Ct. P., 607 So.2d 396 (Fla. 1992). The court recognized that family law cases are different from other civil matters, emphasizing that the 1993 creation of family divisions in the circuit courts underscored the differences between family law matters and other civil matters. In adopting the family law rules, the Court stressed the need for simplicity due to the large number of pro se litigants (parties without counsel) in family law matters. In an effort to assist the many pro se litigants in this field, the Court has included simplified forms and instructional commentary in these rules. See Section II. The instructional commentary to the forms refers to these rules or the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, where applicable. The forms originally were adopted by the Court pursuant to Family Law Rules of Procedure, No. 84,337 (Fla. July 7, 1995); In re Petition for Approval of Forms Pursuant to Rule 10-1.1(b) of the Rules Regulating the Florida Bar—Stepparent Adoption Forms, 613 So.2d 900 (Fla. 1992); Rules Regulating the Florida Bar—Approval of Forms, 581 So.2d 902 (Fla. 1991). SECTION I FAMILY LAW RULES OF PROCEDURE