Time to Update Your Forms
Lawyers rely on templates. Notices of hearing, summonses, and other frequently used court documents are often created from forms that have been saved, copied, and reused for years, or built from forms added to a case management program. If you have not reviewed those templates recently, now is a good time to do so.
In an opinion issued May 14, 2026, the Florida Supreme Court amended Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.540, which governs requests for accommodations by persons with disabilities. The amendments took effect July 1, 2026, and they make several changes that may require lawyers to update forms used in their practices.
The ADA Notice Requirement Is Broader
Rule 2.540(c)(1) now expressly provides that all notices of court proceedings and all process compelling appearance at court proceedings, including but not limited to a summons, must contain the required ADA accommodation notice. This is true whether the notice is an order issued by a judge or a notice filed by an attorney or party. The amendment also deletes language that limited the requirement to proceedings “to be held in a public facility.”
That clarification is important. Lawyers should not assume the ADA notice belongs only on a traditional notice of hearing. Review the documents your office uses to notify or compel someone to appear at a court proceeding and determine whether the rule applies.
The Required Language Has Changed, Too
Even if your forms already contain an ADA notice, do not assume they are current.
The amended rule changes the required notice so that individuals seeking an accommodation are directed to contact the applicable “ADA Coordinator,” along with the applicable address and telephone number. Previously, the rule called for identifying particular court personnel by name.
The remainder of the statement advises individuals who need an accommodation to make contact at least seven days before their scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving the notification if fewer than seven days remain, and directs those who are hearing or voice impaired to call 711.
The full required statement now reads:
“If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact [ADA Coordinator, applicable address, and applicable telephone number] at least 7 days before your scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if the time before the scheduled appearance is less than 7 days; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711.”
Keep in mind that ADA Coordinator contact information differs from circuit to circuit. If your firm practices in more than one circuit, your templates will need either a placeholder or circuit-specific versions.
And Do Not Forget the Font
The requirement that the statement appear in bold face, 14-point type has not changed, but the typeface has. Times New Roman and Courier are out. The ADA statement must now appear in Bookman Old Style or Arial.
In other words, simply having the correct words somewhere at the bottom of the document is not enough. The rule specifies the formatting, and a notice that looks exactly the way it has for years may no longer comply.
A Five-Minute Template Check Could Save Trouble Later
This is a good opportunity to review more than the document you happen to be filing today. Look at the templates your firm regularly uses, including notices of court proceedings and process compelling an appearance, and check any document-automation system that generates them. Forms saved in practice-management software, shared drives, document-assembly programs, and old client files that attorneys or staff may use as starting points for new documents should all be reviewed.
The amendment has been effective since July 1, 2026, so this is not a change to put on a future to-do list. If your firm’s forms still contain the old ADA language or formatting, it is time to update them and let others in your firm know of the rule change.
Read the Florida Supreme Court’s opinion: In re: Amendments to Florida Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.530 and 2.540, No. SC2025-0725 (Fla. May 14, 2026), available at https://library.law.fsu.edu/Digital-Collections/flsupct/dockets/SC25-0725/op-sc25-0725.pdf
