Florida's family law forms now live under one name.

The court ended the two-track form system

The Florida Supreme Court changed its family law forms system effective October 1, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. The court acted on its own motion in a per curiam opinion dated September 10, 2026, in In re: Amendments to Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure and Rule Regulating The Florida Bar 10-2.2, No. SC2026-1262.

Chief Justice Couriel and Justices Labarga, Muñiz, Grosshans, Francis, Barrios and Tanenbaum concurred. All seven justices joined the decision.

The court said the division between the two form categories “has become less than ideal.” A more unified and flexible approach, it said, “would be more effective.”

The court adopted the Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure in 1995. The rules included almost 70 family law forms. In 1998, the court noted overlap between the Family Law Rules Committee and the Family Court Steering Committee.

In 2000, the rules committee asked that 16 specific forms remain within the formal rulemaking process. The court deferred to that request and kept the other forms as “Supreme Court Approved Forms,” maintained with assistance from an advisory workgroup.

That created two tracks. The “rules forms” were amended through formal rulemaking. The court-approved forms were amended by opinion. In 2000, the court said it could assign total responsibility to one entity if the division became unworkable.

By 2026, Rule 12.015(a) listed 41 rules forms. The opinion’s footnote observes that the number had grown beyond the original 16.

Amended Rule 12.015 is now titled “Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Forms.” The forms previously designated “Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure Forms” are incorporated into that category and receive the new designation.

The language allowing the Family Law Rules Committee of The Florida Bar to propose amendments to those forms through the Rule 2.140 process is deleted.

The Supreme Court can change forms outside Rule 2.140

The amended rule gives the court authority to create, amend or abrogate a form “with or without notice.” The action may occur by order or opinion and is not subject to the rulemaking process in Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.140.

The Advisory Workgroup on the Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Forms will provide input and recommendations to the court. Its work will proceed as directed by an administrative order of the chief justice.

When the court adopts a form by order, it will attach an engrossed version and state that any person may submit comments to the Advisory Workgroup. When it adopts a form by opinion, the opinion process then in effect applies.

All forms will be published and maintained on the Family Courts webpage of the Florida Courts website.

That location now matters for practice. Form changes can come by order, potentially without advance notice, so the Florida Courts website is the official source for the current version of a family law form.

References throughout the family law rules to “Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure Form” become “Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form.” In those conforming changes, only the form designation changes.

The conforming changes include the summons pattern, Form 12.910(a), under Rule 12.070. They also include the short and long financial affidavits, Forms 12.902(b) and 12.902(c), under Rules 12.285 and 12.287; the certificate of compliance, Form 12.932; the child support guidelines worksheet, Form 12.902(e); standard interrogatories, Forms 12.930(b) and 12.930(c), under Rule 12.340; general magistrate forms, Forms 12.920(b) and 12.920(c), under Rule 12.490; and parenting coordinator forms, Forms 12.984(a) through 12.984(d), under Rule 12.742.

For the financial affidavits, the $50,000 gross annual income line separating the short and long forms remains unchanged. The changes concern the designation of the forms.

Old titles remain valid during the transition

The court said form titles will be updated through forthcoming form amendments. Until then, family law forms remain valid and may continue to be used regardless of how they are titled.

A cross-reference to a “rules form” must be read as a reference to the corresponding Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form. The court said this directive concerns only the redesignation of titles. It does not resolve any other question about the validity or use of a particular form.

The opinion also changes approval procedures for certain local forms.

Under amended Rule 12.610, additional standard provisions added to injunction forms with the written approval of a circuit chief judge now require final written approval from the Supreme Court justice serving as liaison to the Advisory Workgroup. Previously, final approval came from the chief justice.

The former requirement to send copies to the chair of the Family Law Rules Committee, the steering committee and a governor’s task force is deleted.

Rule 12.750 now defines an “approved form” as a Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form, or a family law form approved in writing by a circuit chief judge that is not inconsistent with a Supreme Court approved form. The chief judge must send a copy to the justice liaison and the chair of the Advisory Workgroup.

A chief judge approved form may be used unless the justice liaison specifically rejects it.

Before publishing, we read the full 25-page opinion, including the appendix showing every struck and underlined change. The opinion describes the Rule 10-2.2 amendment as removing a reference to the prior designation, but the appendix also adds title and email address lines to the nonlawyer assistance block.

Nonlawyer assistance blocks now require two more details

The amendment to Rule Regulating The Florida Bar 10-2.2 concerns form completion by a nonlawyer.

Subdivision (a) now identifies two categories of forms that a nonlawyer may help complete: forms approved under Rule 10-2.1(a), and Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Forms. The prior text listed three categories.

The appendix’s amended Rule 10-2.2(c)(1) requires the assistance block to include the individual’s title and email address. The block continues to require the individual’s name, business name, address and telephone number.

The exception for forms filed by the petitioner in a domestic or repeat violence injunction action is unchanged.

Archivar, which publishes The Docket, builds a system for law firms that answers every call 24/7 in English and Spanish, runs intake and remembers everything the firm does. A family law intake call often starts with a question about which form to file, which is why the desk follows where Florida now publishes its official forms.

Comments remain open until November 24

The amendments were not published for comment before the court issued its opinion. Interested persons have 75 days from the opinion to submit comments, making November 24, 2026, the deadline.

A lawyer in good standing with The Florida Bar must file electronically through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal. Nonlawyers and lawyers not licensed in Florida may use the Portal, but they are not required to do so.

Filing a motion for rehearing will not change the October 1 effective date.

The court consolidated all Florida family law forms under the Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Forms designation and changed who controls future form amendments. Older form titles remain valid during the transition. Comments are due November 24, 2026.

Every Florida family law form now carries one designation, and the court can change any of them by order.

Forms with the old titles stay valid while the titles catch up.

Comments on the amendments are due November 24, 2026.