RULE 12.000. PREFACE

These rules consist of two separate sections. Section I contains
the procedural rules governing family law matters and their
commentary. Section II contains forms.

Commentary
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