how long does a florida attorney have to complete a motion the judge has asked him to do?

by Roxane Schmidt 9 min read

Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.070 (j) states that a complaint must be served upon the defendant within 120 days after the complaint is filed. If it is not served within this time frame, a motion to dismiss is appropriate and the case is dismissed without prejudice.Jun 6, 1999

When to file a motion to dismiss a judgment in Florida?

Oct 09, 2000 · An important requirement contained in rule 2.160 (e) is that a disqualification motion must be made within 10 days after the “discovery of the facts constituting the grounds” for the motion. Additionally, the motion must be “promptly presented” to …

When to file a motion for a final judgment taxing attorney's fees?

Jun 06, 1999 · Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.070 (j) states that a complaint must be served upon the defendant within 120 days after the complaint is filed. If it is not served within this time frame, a motion to dismiss is appropriate and the case is dismissed without prejudice. The complaint can be refiled so long as the statute of limitations has not run.

What is the procedure for filing disqualification motions in Florida?

(3) Florida Bar Referee Time Standards: Report of referee — within 180 days of being assigned to hear the case (4) Circuit Court Acting as Appellate Court: Ninety days from submission of the case to the judge for review (f) Reporting of Cases. The time standards require that the following monitoring procedures be implemented:

What is the 120 day rule of civil procedure in Florida?

Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.525provides: Any party seeking a judgment taxing costs, fees, or both shall serve a motion no later than 30 days after filing of the judgment, including a judgment of dismissal, or the service of a notice of voluntary dismissal, which judgment or notice concludes the action as to that party.

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How long does a judge have to answer a motion Florida?

(A) Time to file. Any party may file a response to a motion; Rule 27(a)(2) governs its contents. The response must be filed within 10 days after service of the motion unless the court shortens or extends the time.

How long do you have to file a motion to dismiss in Florida?

approximately two to three weeksWhat is the time to respond to motion to dismiss? The time for a response to a motion to dismiss in Florida will depend on the court. In general, the opposing party will have approximately two to three weeks to answer to a motion to dismiss.Sep 17, 2021

What is the 52 rule?

If a party has been fully heard on an issue during a nonjury trial and the court finds against the party on that issue, the court may enter judgment against the party on a claim or defense that, under the controlling law, can be maintained or defeated only with a favorable finding on that issue.

What do you do when opposing counsel won't respond?

In a nutshell, if opposing counsel isn't responding:Document your repeated efforts at contact, including your statement of the consequence of continued nonresponse.Wait a reasonable amount of time.To be safe, get a court order authorizing direct contact.More items...•Jun 22, 2018

What are the grounds for a motion to dismiss in Florida?

Under Rule 3.190, a Motion to Dismiss can be filed for a multitude of reasons, including, but not limited to, statute of limitations violations, pardons, failures to establish a prima facie case of guilt (factual insufficiencies), double jeopardy, prosecutorial immunity, discovery violations, prosecutorial misconduct, ...

How long can a case be dismissed without prejudice in Florida?

Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.070 (j) states that a complaint must be served upon the defendant within 120 days after the complaint is filed. If it is not served within this time frame, a motion to dismiss is appropriate and the case is dismissed without prejudice.Jun 6, 1999

How long do lawyers have to respond to each other?

A: The lawyer should be responsive to your questions within 24-48 hours after you left a message. If the lawyer is not responsive, perhaps he or she is on vacation and unable to return.Dec 28, 2019

What should you not say to a lawyer?

9 Taboo Sayings You Should Never Tell Your LawyerI forgot I had an appointment. ... I didn't bring the documents related to my case. ... I have already done some of the work for you. ... My case will be easy money for you. ... I have already spoken with 5 other lawyers. ... Other lawyers don't have my best interests at heart.More items...•Mar 17, 2021

Is it normal for lawyers to not respond?

One of the most common reasons that lawyers fail to communicate with their clients is because they are simply too busy. If you feel like you are getting the runaround, it may be time to take a more direct approach and call your lawyer directly.Jul 10, 2021

How long does it take to dismiss a complaint in Florida?

Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.070 (j) states that a complaint must be served upon the defendant within 120 days after the complaint is filed. If it is not served within this time frame, a motion to dismiss is appropriate and the case is dismissed without prejudice. The complaint can be refiled so long as the statute of limitations has not run. A problem arises, however, if the complaint is not served within the statutory time period and the statute of limitations subsequently runs. In this scenario, any such dismissal is very prejudicial to both the attorney and his or her client and the lawyer is subject to a malpractice action.

How long did Morales have to serve the defendants?

After the Morales’ attorneys received the executed summons, they did not have enough time left to serve the defendants within the 120-day time frame. The Supreme Court held that this was only a “half-hearted” effort at serving the defendants and ruled that these facts would not support a finding of “good cause.”.

What is the saving clause in the rule?

There is a saving clause in the rule, however, which states that if the plaintiff can show “good cause” why the complaint was not served within the 120-day time frame, the time frame shall be expanded to accommodate appropriate service. This article will discuss how the courts view the various “good cause” arguments raised by plaintiffs.

How many cases have been decided since Morales decision?

Approximately 11 cases have been decided since the Morales decision in 1992 which define “good cause” and found enough “good cause” to defeat a motion to dismiss for failure to serve within the 120-day period. The underlying theme in all 11 cases is that the plaintiff’s attorney made some attempt at securing service of process within the 120-day period of time. For example, good cause was found when, within the 120 days, the plaintiff attempted to serve incorrect summons, invalid complaints, or the wrong defendants. 1

What is the 120 day rule?

The 120-day mandate imposed by the rule was not meant to be enforced harshly or inflexibly. 5 However, if the plaintiffs forget to serve or “sleep on their rights,” this rule can cause a dismissal of the lawsuit.

What court case was Patterson v Lowenstein?

The Fourth District Court in Patterson v. Lowenstein, 686 So. 2d 776 (Fla. 4th DCA 1997), held that the plaintiffs’ claim that they were investigating the case after they filed it was not good cause for the plaintiffs’ failure to make any attempts at service within the 120-day period.

What rule should be treated more strictly than the default rule?

The Florida Supreme Court in Morales held that Rule 1.070 (j) should be treated more strictly than the default rule. The Supreme Court held that the plaintiff’s attorney, unlike in the default judgment rule, could not cure the problem by the perfection of service prior to the order of dismissal.

Can a Florida attorney file a motion for release?

A Florida attorney may immediately file a motion for release in a misdemeanor case concerning a violation of a restraining order. This, of course, does not mean that a Judge will grant the motion however. The motion must present adequate evidence as to why the alleged violator will not be a further danger to the community or victim. It would probably be wise to include suggestions like use of an ankle monitoring...

Can a motion be filed at any time?

Literally, as quickly as possible. Technically, the motion may be filed at any time, however reality is often driven by other factors such as availability of sufficient evidence or even just simply where in the lawyer's pile of work your case falls. And that's just reality. If you're unhappy with the speed you may seriously consider seeking alternative counsel. However, if the lawyer is merely being cautious or...

What happens if your boyfriend responds to your motion?

If the opposing party responds, your boyfriend will likely have an opportunity to file a reply in support of his motion. While the Court can often take as long as it likes to grant or deny his motion, in certain circumstances the motion will be determined to be denied after a certain... 1 found this answer helpful.

Can you force a judge to make a ruling?

You can't force a Judge to make a ruling. If it has been over 90 days, I have nicely asked the judges clerk if a ruling or decision has been made, and remind her that a motion is pending and has been taken under submission. The last thing you want to do is alienate the judge by upsetting or pushing the judges clerk for a ruling.

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