A local rules revision cycle was initiated earlier in the year with a period provided for the bar to provide suggested changes and/or comments to:

• the current set of local rules
• several preliminary suggestions forwarded by the local rules committee, the clerk’s office and the Judge
• those being made in conjunction with the national rule time computation project.

Based on the results of this initial period, a full package of proposed changes has been developed and is now available for comment by the bar from June 5 to July 3.


All comments are to be provided to Bill Miller, the chair of the local rules committee, either by e-mail at:


Once this comment phase is complete, a required public review period is scheduled for August. The final step will then be to obtain the required approvals from the U.S. District Court and the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals with a planned effective date of the new rules of December 1, 2009.

Associated Links (found at http://www.flnb.uscourts.gov/court_info/local_rules.aspx):

• DRAFT FRBP 3001 and 3002.1 and memo of Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules re: Mortgage Payments in Chapter 13 Cases
• Excerpt from Committee on Rules and Practice Report - Summary of Time Computation and Other National Rule/Form Changes (effective 12/1/09)
• Florida Middle Local Rule 2002-4 - Negative Notice Procedure
• Local Rule Committee Members