Fla. Fam. L.R.P. 12.004

RULE 12.004. JUDICIAL ACCESS AND REVIEW OF RELATED FAMILY FILES (a) In General. A judge hearing a family case may access and review the files of any related case either pending or closed, to aid in carrying out his or her adjudicative responsibilities. Authorized court staff and personnel may also access and review the file of any related case. (b) Family Case Defined. For purposes of this rule, a related family case is another pending or closed case separate from the pending case, as defined in Rule of Judicial Administration 2.545(d). (c) Nondisclosure of Confidential Information. Judges or authorized court personnel shall not disclose confidential information and documents contained in related case files except in accordance with applicable state and federal confidentiality laws. (d) Notice by Court Staff. Authorized court staff may advise the court about the existence of related legal proceedings, the legal issues involved, and administrative information about such cases. RULE 12.005. TRANSITION RULE These rules apply to all family law cases as of March 16, 2017. Any action taken in a family law case before March 16, 2017, that conformed to the then-effective rules or statutes governing family law cases, will be regarded as valid during the pendency of the litigation. Commentary 1995 Adoption. This rule provides for an effective date of January 1, 1996, for these Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure. Under this rule, any action taken in a family law matter before January 1, 1996, will be regarded as valid during the pendency of the litigation so long as that action was taken in accordance with the then-effective rules or statutes governing family law cases. Any Family Law Rules of Procedure October 1, 2025 19