   Christine Bilbrey Christine Bilbrey, the Barâs senior practice management advisor and âThe Florida Barâs LegalFuel Podcastâ host, has been named director of LegalFuel: the Practice Resource Center of The Florida Bar. âWe are all fortunate Christine has accepted this leadership position within the Programs Division,â said Programs Division Director Terry Hill. âI am…
Parties in family law cases who successfully defend dissolution-related agreements are not entitled to attorney fees if those contracts allow fees only for enforcing the contract, according to the Supreme Court. The court on October 7 ruled that F.S. §57.105(7) does not apply to such agreements. That statute converts unilateral fee awards into reciprocal awards.…
Prosaically, itâs known as the Uniform Guardianship Jurisdiction Act. Less formally, itâs knows as the effort to stop âgranny snatching.â âWe donât like granny snatching,â said Elder Law Section Treasurer Shannon Miller, who also serves on the Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollersâ Guardian Improvement Task Force. Thatâs why the section will be pursuing a…
  Rep. Michele Rayner A bill that would amend Floridaâs Stand Your Ground doctrine has been filed in the Florida House. Rep. Michele Rayner, D-St. Petersburg, has introduced HB 73 which reimposes the duty to retreat if possible before a person uses deadly force to defend themselves. She said it was both an attempt to reverse…
Florida lawyers could still use the âEsquireâ honorific in their twilight years, but they would have to indicate their retired status under a proposed amendment to Bar Rule 1-3.5 (Retirement). The Board of Governors will weigh the proposed amendment on first reading at an October 1 meeting. A final recommendation is not expected until later…
Rep. Travaris âTrayâ McCurdy A Central Florida lawmaker has filed a measure that would make juvenile confessions inadmissible if obtained by âdeception.â Rep. Travaris âTrayâ McCurdy, D-Orlando, filed HB 109 September 15. The bill faces hearings in the Criminal Justice & Public Safety Subcommittee and Judiciary before reaching the House floor. So far, there is no Senate…
     Rep. Erin Grall The House Judiciary Committee has given the Florida Department of Law Enforcement until April 30 to complete a criminal justice data transparency project that sponsors touted as a national âgold standardâ when it passed three years ago. âIt is my expectation, and that of the speakerâs, that…
The Florida Supreme Court is asking the Civil Procedure Rules Committee and Bar members for comments on proposed rule amendments making it easier to reach settlements with multiple parties on one or both sides of civil lawsuits. The court, on its own order, September 10 ordered an official notice published with proposed amendments to Civil…
Rep. Kevin Chambliss Released felons would have an easier time qualifying for an occupational license under a bipartisan criminal reform measure that has been filed in the Florida House. Rep. Kevin Chambliss, D-Miami, filed HB 87 on September 13. Rep. Scott Plakon, R-Longwood and chair of the Justice Appropriations Subcommittee, is a co-sponsor. The measure would allow…
Kacy Donlon The Business Law Section, two legal aid programs, a South Florida bankruptcy judge, and United Wayâs Mission United program are combining to offer a financial literacy and legal assistance program for veterans in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. The planners hope that the October 30 Veteranâs Financial Literacy Program will be a template for…
