At the direction of the Florida Supreme Court, the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit has implemented Differentiated Case Management Plans. There is a Retroactive Plan, which applies to cases pending as of April 29, 2021, and a Prospective Plan, which applies to cases filed on April 30, 2021 or later. The term “civil cases” is defined in the Plans, but generally speaking, includes all cases filed in the county or circuit civil divisions except small claims cases and cases subject to summary procedure. Some other types of cases are also excluded from the Retroactive Plan.

These Plans require the parties to civil cases to confer and agree on a case track and certain case management deadlines within the model time frames for the case track.

The case tracks and model time frames are:

• Complex (requires court approval): to trial within 24 months
• General: to trial within 18 months
• Streamlined: to trial within 12 months
• Expedited: to trial within 8 months

If parties are unable to agree on these deadlines, the Court will enter a case management order at a specified time point as outlined in the Plans. Please note that issues relating to the parties’ agreement on case management deadlines will not be addressed at UMC.

See Plans and all model forms.