Civil Cover Sheet - Florida State Court (Form 1.997)

CIVIL COVER SHEET

FLORIDA STATE COURT - FORM 1.997

FILING INSTRUCTIONS

Florida Rule of Civil Procedure Form 1.997 requires the filing of a Civil Cover Sheet with the Clerk of Court when initiating a civil action, for the purpose of reporting uniform data pursuant to Florida Statute Section 25.075. The cover sheet and the information contained in it neither replace nor supplement the filing and service of pleadings or other papers as required by law. The information is collected for statistical and administrative purposes only and is not admissible at trial.

Who Must File: The plaintiff or petitioner must complete and file the civil cover sheet with the initial complaint or petition.

Exemptions: Small claims cases, family law cases (use Form 12.928), and probate cases have separate cover sheet requirements.

E-Filing Requirement: All civil filings in Florida must be submitted electronically through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal unless the filer is exempt. See Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin. 2.525.

PART I: COURT AND CASE INFORMATION

Court Level (check one):

☐ Circuit Court (Fla. Stat. Section 26.012)
- Original jurisdiction over cases exceeding $50,000 (effective January 1, 2024, per amendment to Fla. Stat. Section 34.01)
- Equity matters, real property, and other matters not cognizable in county court

☐ County Court (Fla. Stat. Section 34.01)
- Original jurisdiction over cases at or below $50,000
- Landlord-tenant, small claims ($8,000 or less), and other statutory matters

Judicial Circuit: [________________________________] Judicial Circuit

County: [________________________________] County, Florida

Division (if applicable): [________________________________]

PART II: CASE CAPTION

IN THE ☐ CIRCUIT / ☐ COUNTY COURT OF THE [________________________________]
JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR [________________________________] COUNTY, FLORIDA

[________________________________],
Plaintiff / Petitioner,
Case No.: ________________________
v. (To be assigned by Clerk)

[________________________________],
Defendant / Respondent.

PART III: PARTY INFORMATION

Plaintiff(s) / Petitioner(s)

☐ Additional Plaintiff(s) listed on attached sheet.

Defendant(s) / Respondent(s)

☐ Additional Defendant(s) listed on attached sheet.

PART IV: ATTORNEY OR SELF-REPRESENTED PARTY

☐ Self-Represented (Pro Se)

PART V: AMOUNT OF CLAIM

(Enter the estimated amount of the claim, rounded to the nearest dollar. This is requested for data collection and clerical processing purposes only. The amount shall not be used for any other purpose.)

Estimated Amount: $ [________________________________]

Amount Range (check one):

☐ $8,000 or less (Small Claims - County Court)

☐ $8,001 - $30,000 (County Court)

☐ $30,001 - $50,000 (County Court)

☐ $50,001 - $75,000 (Circuit Court)

☐ $75,001 - $100,000 (Circuit Court)

☐ $100,001 - $250,000 (Circuit Court)

☐ Over $250,000 (Circuit Court)

☐ Non-monetary / Cannot be determined

(Note: Effective January 1, 2024, county court jurisdiction was raised to $50,000 per amendments to Fla. Stat. Section 34.01. Confirm the current jurisdictional amount with the local clerk.)

PART VI: CASE TYPE CATEGORIES (FORM 1.997)

(Place an "X" on the appropriate category line. If the cause fits more than one type of case, select the most definitive. If the most definitive label is a subcategory, place an "X" on both the category and subcategory lines.)

A. CIRCUIT CIVIL CATEGORIES

Tort - Negligence

☐ Auto Negligence
Motor vehicle accident personal injury or property damage claims.

☐ Negligence - Other
All negligence claims not involving motor vehicles (slip and fall, general negligence, etc.).

☐ Premises Liability - Commercial
Personal injury arising from condition of commercial real property.

☐ Premises Liability - Residential
Personal injury arising from condition of residential real property.

Tort - Intentional

☐ Business Torts
Tortious interference, unfair trade practices, fraud, and similar business-related torts.

☐ Other Intentional Torts
Assault, battery, false imprisonment, defamation, and other intentional torts not classified as business torts.

Products Liability

☐ Products Liability
Claims arising from defective products, including strict liability and negligence theories.

Professional Malpractice

☐ Medical Malpractice
Claims against health care providers governed by Fla. Stat. Ch. 766.

☐ Legal Malpractice
Claims against attorneys for professional negligence.

☐ Professional Malpractice - Other
Claims against accountants, engineers, architects, and other licensed professionals.

Environmental / Toxic Tort

☐ Environmental / Toxic Tort
Claims for personal injury or property damage arising from environmental contamination or toxic exposure.

Mass Tort

☐ Mass Tort
Cases involving common questions of fact arising from the same event, product, or course of conduct affecting multiple plaintiffs.

Construction

☐ Construction Defect
Claims arising from defective construction of real property.

Real Property

☐ Real Property / Mortgage Foreclosure - Homestead
Judicial foreclosure of a mortgage or lien on homestead property.

☐ Real Property / Mortgage Foreclosure - Non-Homestead Residential
Judicial foreclosure of a mortgage or lien on non-homestead residential property.

☐ Real Property / Mortgage Foreclosure - Commercial
Judicial foreclosure of a mortgage or lien on commercial property.

☐ Other Real Property
Quiet title, partition, boundary disputes, and other real property actions not involving foreclosure.

Condominium

☐ Condominium
Disputes arising under Fla. Stat. Ch. 718 (Florida Condominium Act).

Contract and Indebtedness

☐ Contracts and Indebtedness
Breach of contract, promissory notes, accounts stated, and other contract or debt claims.

Business Governance

☐ Business Governance
Shareholder disputes, derivative actions, partnership dissolution, and other business organizational disputes.

Eminent Domain

☐ Eminent Domain
Government taking of private property under Fla. Stat. Ch. 73 and Ch. 74.

Third-Party Indemnification

☐ Third-Party Indemnification
Claims for contribution or indemnification between co-defendants or third parties.

Other Circuit Civil

☐ Other Circuit Civil: [________________________________]
Describe the nature of the action.

B. COUNTY CIVIL CATEGORIES

☐ County Civil (non-small claims)
Civil actions within county court jurisdiction not classified as small claims.

☐ Small Claims
Actions at or below $8,000, governed by Fla. R. Sm. Cl. (Fla. Stat. Section 34.01).

☐ Real Property / Mortgage Foreclosure
Foreclosure actions within county court jurisdiction.

☐ Replevins
Actions for recovery of personal property (Fla. Stat. Ch. 78).

☐ Evictions / Landlord-Tenant
Residential and commercial eviction proceedings (Fla. Stat. Ch. 83).

☐ Other County Civil: [________________________________]

C. ADDITIONAL CLASSIFICATIONS

☐ Domestic Violence (Fla. Stat. Section 741.30)
Injunctions for protection against domestic violence.

☐ Repeat Violence / Dating Violence / Sexual Violence (Fla. Stat. Section 784.046)
Injunctions for protection.

☐ Stalking (Fla. Stat. Section 784.0485)
Injunctions for protection against stalking.

PART VII: COMPLEX LITIGATION

(Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.201 provides for designation of cases as complex litigation requiring special judicial management.)

☐ This case is designated or should be designated as complex litigation.
☐ This case is not complex litigation.

Factors indicating complexity (check all that apply):

☐ Large number of parties
☐ Large number of witnesses
☐ Extensive discovery anticipated
☐ Large number of separately represented parties
☐ Large number of issues
☐ Need for management of multiple expert witnesses
☐ Related cases pending in other courts or jurisdictions
☐ Significant legal questions of first impression
☐ Novel or complex legal issues
☐ Class action elements
☐ Other: [________________________________]

PART VIII: JURY DEMAND

☐ Jury Trial Demanded

☐ Non-Jury / Bench Trial

(Note: The right to jury trial must be preserved by demand. Failure to demand a jury in the initial pleading may constitute a waiver unless a subsequent demand is timely made. See Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.430(b).)

PART IX: RELATED CASES

☐ There are no known related cases pending in any Florida court.

☐ The following related case(s) are pending or have been previously filed:

PART X: SPECIAL ALLEGATIONS AND DESIGNATIONS

☐ This case involves allegations of sexual abuse as defined by law. Appropriate confidentiality protections are requested.

☐ This case involves a minor whose identity should be protected from public disclosure.

☐ This case involves claims under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (Fla. Stat. Ch. 501, Part II).

☐ This case involves claims under the Florida Whistleblower Act (Fla. Stat. Section 112.3187 or Section 448.102).

☐ This case is subject to mandatory arbitration under local court administrative order.

☐ This case is subject to mandatory mediation under Fla. Stat. Section 44.102 or local administrative order.

☐ Pre-suit requirements have been satisfied:
☐ Medical malpractice pre-suit notice (Fla. Stat. Section 766.106)
☐ Construction defect pre-suit notice (Fla. Stat. Section 558.004)
☐ Other: [________________________________]

PART XI: SERVICE INFORMATION

Method of Service on Defendant(s):

☐ Personal Service by Process Server (Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.070(b))
☐ Personal Service by Sheriff (Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.070(b))
☐ Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested (Fla. Stat. Section 48.031(5))
☐ Constructive Service / Service by Publication (Fla. Stat. Sections 49.011-49.161)
☐ Substituted Service on Secretary of State (Long-Arm Statute, Fla. Stat. Section 48.161)
☐ Service on Registered Agent (Fla. Stat. Section 48.091)
☐ Waiver of Service

PART XII: INTERPRETER / ACCOMMODATION NEEDS

☐ No interpreter or accommodation is needed.

☐ Interpreter Needed
Language: [________________________________]
For: ☐ Party ☐ Witness ☐ Other: [________________________________]

☐ ADA Accommodation Needed
Describe: [________________________________]

PART XIII: SENSITIVE INFORMATION COMPLIANCE

Pursuant to Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.425, the filer certifies that all documents filed in this case comply with the minimization of sensitive information requirements. The following sensitive data has been properly redacted or omitted:

☐ Social Security numbers (last four digits only, if required)
☐ Bank account numbers (last four digits only, if required)
☐ Dates of birth (year only, except as required by law)
☐ Names of minor children (initials only, except in specific proceedings)
☐ Other: [________________________________]

PART XIV: CERTIFICATION AND SIGNATURE

I certify that the information provided on this Civil Cover Sheet is accurate to the best of my knowledge and that I have complied with the requirements of Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.425 regarding the minimization of the filing of sensitive information.

Date: [__/__/____]

________________________________________
[Attorney Name / Pro Se Party Name]
Florida Bar No.: [________________________________] (if applicable)
[Firm Name]
[Street Address]
[City, State, ZIP]
Telephone: [________________________________]
Primary E-Service Email: [________________________________]
Attorney for / Pro Se: [________________________________]

PART XV: FILING FEE REFERENCE

(Fees are established by statute and may be updated periodically. Always confirm current fees with the Clerk of Court.)

(Note: Additional surcharges, service fees, and e-filing service provider fees may apply. Filing fees may be waived for indigent litigants upon approval of an Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status.)

PART XVI: PRACTITIONER CHECKLIST

Pre-Filing

☐ Determine the correct court level (circuit vs. county) based on amount in controversy
☐ Confirm venue under Fla. Stat. Sections 47.011 - 47.122
☐ Complete the official Form 1.997 Civil Cover Sheet (not just this worksheet)
☐ Select the correct case type category from the Form 1.997 list
☐ Verify compliance with Rule 2.425 (minimization of sensitive information)
☐ Confirm current filing fees with the local Clerk of Court
☐ Register for the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal if not already registered
☐ Determine whether pre-suit requirements apply (medical malpractice, construction defect)

Filing

☐ File complaint / petition and Form 1.997 Civil Cover Sheet simultaneously
☐ Pay filing fee through the E-Filing Portal or file Application for Indigent Status
☐ Obtain case number from the Clerk
☐ Request issuance of summons for service on defendant(s)

Post-Filing

☐ Serve defendant(s) within 120 days of filing (Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.070(j))
☐ File proof of service / return of service with the Clerk
☐ Calendar answer deadline (20 days after service, Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.140(a)(1))
☐ Designate as complex litigation if applicable (Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.201)
☐ Comply with any mandatory mediation or arbitration requirements

Sources and References

• Florida Rule of Civil Procedure Form 1.997 - Civil Cover Sheet: https://www.fljud13.org/Portals/0/Forms/pdfs/CivilCoverSheet.pdf
• Fla. Stat. Section 25.075 - Uniform Case Reporting System
• Fla. Stat. Section 26.012 - Circuit Court Jurisdiction
• Fla. Stat. Section 34.01 - County Court Jurisdiction
• Fla. Stat. Section 28.241 - Circuit Court Filing Fees
• Fla. Stat. Section 34.041 - County Court Filing Fees
• Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin. 2.425 - Minimization of Filing of Sensitive Information
• Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin. 2.525 - Electronic Filing
• Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.201 - Complex Litigation
• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal: https://www.myflcourtaccess.com/
• Florida Courts - Forms: https://www.flcourts.gov/Resources-Services/Court-Improvement/Family-Courts/Family-Law-Forms

This template is designed as a worksheet to accompany the official Florida Form 1.997 Civil Cover Sheet. The official form must be filed with the initial complaint in circuit civil cases. Family law cases use Form 12.928; probate and small claims cases have separate requirements. Filing fees, jurisdictional amounts, and local procedures vary by circuit and county. This document does not constitute legal advice.