Florida Senate - 2014                                    SB 1190
       
       
        
       By Senator Lee
       
       
       
       
       
       24-00252B-14                                          20141190__
    1  
    2                        A bill to be entitled                      
    3         An act relating to family law; creating part III of
    4         ch. 61, F.S., entitled the “Collaborative Process
    5         Act”; creating s. 61.51, F.S.; declaring the purpose
    6         of the act; creating s. 61.52, F.S.; defining terms;
    7         creating s. 61.53, F.S.; declaring that a
    8         collaborative process commences when the parties enter
    9         into a collaborative participation agreement; creating
   10         s. 61.54, F.S.; stating that the execution of a
   11         collaborative participation agreement tolls all legal
   12         time periods applicable under law between the parties
   13         for the amount of time the agreement remains in
   14         effect; creating s. 61.55, F.S.; stating that all
   15         collaborative communications are confidential;
   16         providing exceptions; creating s. 61.56, F.S.;
   17         providing sanctions; creating s. 61.57, F.S.;
   18         disqualifying an attorney from further representing a
   19         party if the collaborative process terminates without
   20         an agreement; providing an effective date.
   21          
   22  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   23  
   24         Section 1. Part III of chapter 61, Florida Statutes,
   25  consisting of ss. 61.51-61.57, Florida Statutes, is created and
   26  entitled the “Collaborative Process Act.”
   27         Section 2. Section 61.51, Florida Statutes, is created to
   28  read:
   29         61.51 Purpose.—The general purpose of this part is to
   30  create a uniform system of practice of the collaborative process
   31  in this state. It is the policy of this state to encourage the
   32  peaceful resolution of disputes and the early settlement of
   33  pending litigation through voluntary settlement procedures. The
   34  collaborative process is a unique nonadversarial method that
   35  preserves a working relationship between the parties and reduces
   36  the emotional and financial toll of litigation.
   37         Section 3. Section 61.52, Florida Statutes, is created to
   38  read:
   39         61.52 Definitions.—As used in this part, the term:
   40         (1) “Collaborative attorney” means an attorney licensed to
   41  practice law in this state by the Florida Supreme Court who
   42  satisfies any training and other requirements mandated by the
   43  Florida Supreme Court which enable the attorney to represent
   44  clients in the collaborative process.
   45         (2) “Collaborative communication” means any oral or written
   46  statement or any nonverbal act that is made following the
   47  execution by the parties of a collaborative participation
   48  agreement for the purpose of conducting, participating in,
   49  continuing, or otherwise furthering the collaborative process,
   50  until the time the collaborative process terminates or a final
   51  agreement is reached.
   52         (3) “Collaborative participant” means a party,
   53  collaborative attorney, or nonparty participant in the
   54  collaborative process.
   55         (4) “Collaborative participation agreement” means a written
   56  contract entered into pursuant to this act and the requirements
   57  adopted by the Florida Supreme Court pertaining to the
   58  collaborative process.
   59         (5) “Collaborative process” means a process in which
   60  parties, represented by collaborative attorneys, attempt to
   61  resolve a matter pursuant to a collaborative participation
   62  agreement without court intervention.
   63         (6) “Court” means a tribunal of competent jurisdiction
   64  acting in an adjudicative capacity in which a judicial officer,
   65  after presentation of evidence, testimony, and legal argument,
   66  renders a binding decision affecting a party’s interests in a
   67  matter.
   68         (7) “Matter” means a dispute, transaction, claim, problem,
   69  or issue for resolution described in a collaborative
   70  participation agreement.
   71         (8) “Nonparty participant” means a person, other than a
   72  party or collaborative attorney, who is retained by or serves as
   73  an advisor to a party in the collaborative process.
   74         (9) “Party” means a person who enters into a collaborative
   75  participation agreement and whose consent is necessary to
   76  resolve the matter disputed in the agreement.
   77         (10) “Proceeding” means a judicial, administrative, or
   78  other adjudicative process before a tribunal, including related
   79  prehearing and post-hearing motions, conferences, and discovery.
   80         Section 4. Section 61.53, Florida Statutes, is created to
   81  read:
   82         61.53 Commencement of collaborative process.—The
   83  collaborative process commences, whether or not a proceeding is
   84  pending, when the parties enter into a collaborative
   85  participation agreement.
   86         Section 5. Section 61.54, Florida Statutes, is created to
   87  read:
   88         61.54 Tolling of statutes of limitations.—The execution of
   89  a collaborative participation agreement tolls all legal time
   90  periods applicable to legal rights and issues under law between
   91  the parties for the amount of time the collaborative
   92  participation agreement remains in effect. This section applies
   93  to all applicable statutes of limitations, filing deadlines, and
   94  other time limitations imposed by law.
   95         Section 6. Section 61.55, Florida Statutes, is created to
   96  read:
   97         61.55 Confidentiality; privilege; exceptions.—
   98         (1) Except as provided in this section and unless the
   99  parties agree otherwise in writing, all collaborative
  100  communications are confidential. A collaborative participant may
  101  not disclose a collaborative communication to a person other
  102  than another collaborative participant. A violation of this
  103  section during the collaborative process may be sanctioned as
  104  agreed to by the parties, or a party may terminate the
  105  collaborative process. A violation of this section after the
  106  collaborative process terminates may be sanctioned as provided
  107  in s. 61.56.
  108         (2) A party has a privilege to refuse to testify and to
  109  prevent any other person from testifying in a subsequent
  110  proceeding regarding collaborative communications.
  111         (3)(a) Notwithstanding subsections (1) and (2),
  112  confidentiality or privilege does not attach to a signed written
  113  agreement reached during a collaborative process unless the
  114  parties agree otherwise, in writing, or to any collaborative
  115  communication that:
  116         1. Is willfully used to plan a crime, commit or attempt to
  117  commit a crime, conceal ongoing criminal activity, or threaten
  118  violence;
  119         2. Requires a mandatory report pursuant to chapter 39 or
  120  chapter 415 solely for the purpose of making the mandatory
  121  report to the entity requiring the report;
  122         3. Is offered to report, prove, or disprove professional
  123  malpractice or misconduct occurring during the collaborative
  124  process, solely for the purpose of the professional malpractice,
  125  misconduct, or ethics proceeding; or
  126         4. Is offered for the limited purpose of establishing or
  127  refuting enforceability of an agreement reached during the
  128  collaborative process.
  129         (b) A collaborative communication that is disclosed under
  130  subparagraph (a)2., subparagraph (a)3., or subparagraph (a)4.
  131  remains confidential and is not discoverable or admissible for
  132  any other purpose unless otherwise authorized by this section.
  133         (4) Information that is otherwise admissible or subject to
  134  discovery does not become inadmissible or protected from
  135  discovery by reason of its disclosure or use in a collaborative
  136  process.
  137         (5) A party that discloses or makes a representation about
  138  a privileged collaborative communication waives that privilege,
  139  but only to the extent necessary for the other party to respond
  140  to the disclosure or representation.
  141         Section 7. Section 61.56, Florida Statutes, is created to
  142  read:
  143         61.56 Confidentiality; sanctions.—
  144         (1) After the collaborative process terminates, a
  145  collaborative participant that knowingly and willfully discloses
  146  a collaborative communication in violation of s. 61.55 is
  147  subject to all of the following:
  148         (a) Equitable relief.
  149         (b) Compensatory damages.
  150         (c) Attorney fees and costs incurred during the
  151  collaborative process.
  152         (d) Reasonable attorney fees and costs incurred by the
  153  application for remedies under this section.
  154         (2) Notwithstanding any other law, an application for
  155  relief filed under this section may not be commenced later than
  156  2 years after the date on which the party has a reasonable
  157  opportunity to discover the breach of confidentiality, but in no
  158  case more than 4 years after the date of the breach.
  159         (3) A collaborative participant is not subject to a civil
  160  action under this section for lawful compliance with s. 119.07.
  161         Section 8. Section 61.57, Florida Statutes, is created to
  162  read:
  163         61.57 Disqualification.—If the collaborative process
  164  terminates without an agreement, the collaborative attorneys are
  165  disqualified from further representing the collaborative
  166  participants in the dissolution of marriage that is the subject
  167  of the collaborative process.
  168         Section 9. This act shall take effect July 1, 2014.