House Bill 1841

    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1841

        By Representative Ritter






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to fees for services for

  3         self-represented litigants; creating s. 25.389,

  4         F.S.; providing for fees for services rendered

  5         to self-represented litigants by the court;

  6         providing for a handling fee; providing for

  7         disposition of fees; amending s. 25.388, F.S.;

  8         providing for the deposit of fees in the Family

  9         Courts Trust Fund; providing an effective date.

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11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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13         Section 1.  Section 25.389, Florida Statutes, is

14  created to read:

15         25.389  Fees for services to self-represented

16  litigants.--

17         (1)  A self-help fee not to exceed $50 may be assessed

18  to self-represented litigants for the forms necessary for one

19  action and related services. The chief judge of each judicial

20  circuit shall establish the amount of the fee and may include

21  a waiver of the fee for indigency. The chief judge shall

22  determine the specific services available in a circuit;

23  however, the services provided shall be limited by rules of

24  the Supreme Court. The amount of the maximum fee shall be

25  adjusted annually by the Chief Justice on January 1, based

26  upon the most recent adjustment to the consumer price index.

27         (2)  Fees shall be paid to the clerk of the court. The

28  clerk may retain a handling fee of 1 percent and shall deposit

29  the remainder of the fee in the Family Courts Trust Fund.

30         Section 2.  Subsection (3) of section 25.388, Florida

31  Statutes, 1998 Supplement, is amended to read:

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1841

    585-119B-99






  1         25.388  Family Courts Trust Fund.--

  2         (3)  The trust fund shall be funded with moneys

  3  generated from fees assessed pursuant to ss. 28.101, 25.389,

  4  and 741.01(4).

  5         Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

  6  law.

  7

  8            *****************************************

  9                          HOUSE SUMMARY

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      Provides for fees for services provided to
11    self-represented litigants.  Provides for the deposit of
      such fees, less a handling fee, in the Family Courts
12    Trust Fund.  See bill for details.

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