Prepare the right documents and exhibit copies for your Florida case
Start with the court, proceeding and kind of copy you need. Use the source notes to check document format, Portal submission and trial delivery separately.
Each rule statement has its own source and scope. Compare the cited instructions with the current orders in your case before preparing the final set.
Documents created for filing or service
Separate the document you prepare from the existing materials you attach. Review the exhibit exception before resizing or reformatting source evidence.
- For documents created for filing under Rule 2.525 or service under Rule 2.516, Rule 2.520(a) requires letter-size pages, consecutive page numbers, margins of at least 1 inch and a font of at least 12 points; separately review the exhibit exception in subdivision (d). Florida Supreme Court: SC2023-1401 corrected opinion, Rule 2.520 — Rule 2.520(a)–(d), appendix pages 24–26; effective-date statement page 5 (opens in a new tab)Scope: Rule 2.520 document preparation for filing or service, electronic documents, paper documents and appended exhibits; adopted effective July 1, 2025. This source is not a universal trial-notebook binding instruction.Source checked . Check current rules and case orders before filing.
- Rule 2.520(a)(4) requires a 3-inch by 3-inch blank space at the top right of the first page for documents that will be recorded in the official records. Florida Supreme Court: SC2023-1401 corrected opinion, Rule 2.520 — Rule 2.520(a)–(d), appendix pages 24–26; effective-date statement page 5 (opens in a new tab)Scope: Rule 2.520 document preparation for filing or service, electronic documents, paper documents and appended exhibits; adopted effective July 1, 2025. This source is not a universal trial-notebook binding instruction.
- Under Rule 2.520(d), documents not created by an attorney or unrepresented party for filing or service are appended as exhibits to a document prepared under subdivision (a), unless another rule permits filing without a notice of filing; those exhibits are exempt from subdivision (a). Florida Supreme Court: SC2023-1401 corrected opinion, Rule 2.520 — Rule 2.520(a)–(d), appendix pages 24–26; effective-date statement page 5 (opens in a new tab)Scope: Rule 2.520 document preparation for filing or service, electronic documents, paper documents and appended exhibits; adopted effective July 1, 2025. This source is not a universal trial-notebook binding instruction.
Electronic documents and the Portal
Before submitting, check the finished files and the total submission size. If a filename is rejected, compare its characters and length with the linked naming standard.
- Rule 2.520(b) and (d)(1) require electronic documents and their attached exhibits to comply with the Florida Courts Technology Standards. Florida Supreme Court: SC2023-1401 corrected opinion, Rule 2.520 — Rule 2.520(a)–(d), appendix pages 24–26; effective-date statement page 5 (opens in a new tab)Scope: Rule 2.520 document preparation for filing or service, electronic documents, paper documents and appended exhibits; adopted effective July 1, 2025. This source is not a universal trial-notebook binding instruction.Source checked . Check current rules and case orders before filing.
- The myflcourtaccess e-filing portal caps a trial-court submission at 50 MB. Florida Courts E-filing Portal User Manual — Portal Filer User Manual, Documents submission-size warning (opens in a new tab)Scope: Aggregate trial-court submission size, not a per-document limit and not appellate submissions.
- The Florida Courts E-Filing Portal manual identifies PDF/A as the preferred filing format. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal User Manual: PDF/A advisory — Portal Filer User Manual, August 2023, page 91: PDF/A advisory (opens in a new tab)Scope: Portal manual PDF/A preference, not a claim that ordinary PDFs are prohibited or that ExhibitPrep converts or validates PDF/A.
- The Portal-linked Document Binary File Name Standards limit filenames to 110 bytes including spaces, count each space as 3 bytes, and list prohibited characters and filename endings. Florida Portal: Document Binary File Name Standards — Single-page standard: prohibited characters/endings and final paragraph (opens in a new tab)Scope: Portal-linked binary filename standards dated May 1, 2013, still linked by the Authority FAQ when checked; filename encoding and character restrictions only.
Paper filings and trial exhibit sets
Identify whether you are preparing a paper filing, a hearing exhibit set or a judge’s working copy. Read the assigned judge’s trial instructions before selecting clips, staples or binders; compare the scoped Palm Beach example below.
- For paper documents covered by Rule 2.520(c), multi-page documents should be held together by removable paper clips and must not be stapled or bound. Florida Supreme Court: SC2023-1401 corrected opinion, Rule 2.520 — Rule 2.520(a)–(d), appendix pages 24–26; effective-date statement page 5 (opens in a new tab)Scope: Rule 2.520 document preparation for filing or service, electronic documents, paper documents and appended exhibits; adopted effective July 1, 2025. This source is not a universal trial-notebook binding instruction.Source checked . Check current rules and case orders before filing.
- Rule 2.520(d)(2) permits an exhibit or attachment submitted for filing with a paper document to remain in its original size. Florida Supreme Court: SC2023-1401 corrected opinion, Rule 2.520 — Rule 2.520(a)–(d), appendix pages 24–26; effective-date statement page 5 (opens in a new tab)Scope: Rule 2.520 document preparation for filing or service, electronic documents, paper documents and appended exhibits; adopted effective July 1, 2025. This source is not a universal trial-notebook binding instruction.
Specific court and proceeding examples
Use each example only for the court and proceeding stated. Confirm the instructions for your assigned division before choosing labels, binding or a delivery deadline.
Miami-Dade: Judge Diaz, Circuit Civil CA 30
- Miami-Dade Circuit Civil, Judge Diaz (CA 30): Zoom trial exhibits must be uploaded to the e-portal and filed in the clerk docket at least five business days before trial. Judge Reemberto Diaz — Submission of Trial Exhibits — Submission of Trial Exhibits: Zoom Trials / In Person Trials (opens in a new tab)Scope: Judge Reemberto Diaz Circuit Civil CA 30 trial-exhibit instructions; distinguishes Zoom trials from in-person trials.Source checked . Check current rules and case orders before filing.
- For in-person trials before Judge Diaz (CA 30), do not file exhibits; bring hard copies pre-marked for identification and submit them on the first day of trial. Judge Reemberto Diaz — Submission of Trial Exhibits — Submission of Trial Exhibits: Zoom Trials / In Person Trials (opens in a new tab)Scope: Judge Reemberto Diaz Circuit Civil CA 30 trial-exhibit instructions; distinguishes Zoom trials from in-person trials.
Hillsborough: Circuit Civil instructions
- Hillsborough Circuit Civil exhibit-list instructions require numeric exhibit lists matching the exhibit labels. Hillsborough Circuit Civil — Exhibit List Instructions — Page 1: Exhibit List Instructions and numeric-list bullet (opens in a new tab)Scope: Posted Circuit Civil exhibit-list instructions pursuant to the pretrial conference order; not a rule for every Hillsborough proceeding.Source checked . Check current rules and case orders before filing.
- The posted Hillsborough Circuit Civil Nash trial-exhibit memo recommends Avery 5963 or a similar size for self-adhesive white labels. Hillsborough Circuit Civil — Nash Trial Exhibits Memorandum — Page 1: memorandum opening and label diagram caption (opens in a new tab)Scope: Posted Nash Circuit Civil trial/evidentiary-hearing exhibit memorandum; label-stock recommendation, not mandatory Avery brand.
- The Hillsborough Circuit Civil exhibit-list instructions place adhesive labels on the back of the last page, bottom left. Hillsborough Circuit Civil — Exhibit List Instructions — Page 1: Exhibit List Instructions and numeric-list bullet (opens in a new tab)Scope: Posted Circuit Civil exhibit-list instructions pursuant to the pretrial conference order; not a rule for every Hillsborough proceeding.
Broward: Clerk evidence procedures
- Broward Clerk evidence procedures require alphabetic pre-marking with court-provided color-coded labels: green for defense, pink for state or plaintiff, gold for joint, and blue for court exhibits. Broward County Clerk — Evidence: Exhibit Procedures — Exhibit Procedures for Parties; Exhibit Pre-Marking Procedures; Exhibit Label Procedures (opens in a new tab)Scope: Clerk Evidence Division exhibit procedures distinguish alphabetical identification labels from sequential exhibit-list/evidence numbers.Source checked . Check current rules and case orders before filing.
- Broward Clerk evidence procedures require a sequentially numbered exhibit list on the first day of the hearing or trial; identification letters and admitted-evidence numbers are separate label fields. Broward County Clerk — Evidence: Exhibit Procedures — Exhibit Procedures for Parties; Exhibit Pre-Marking Procedures; Exhibit Label Procedures (opens in a new tab)Scope: Clerk Evidence Division exhibit procedures distinguish alphabetical identification labels from sequential exhibit-list/evidence numbers.
- Broward Clerk recommends placing the label on the back of the exhibit without obscuring information. Broward County Clerk — Evidence: Exhibit Procedures — Exhibit Procedures for Parties; Exhibit Pre-Marking Procedures; Exhibit Label Procedures (opens in a new tab)Scope: Clerk Evidence Division exhibit procedures distinguish alphabetical identification labels from sequential exhibit-list/evidence numbers.
Palm Beach: Circuit Civil Division AH
- Palm Beach Circuit Civil Division AH’s posted trial-preparation order permits staples or ACCO-type fasteners for bound exhibits; ACCO is not the only listed option. Palm Beach Division AH — Standing Order on Trial and Trial Preparation Procedures — Attached Circuit Civil Pre-Marking Guidelines, Exhibit List Requirements item G (opens in a new tab)Scope: Pre-marking guidelines attached to the posted Division AH standing trial-preparation order; illustrative permitted binding methods, not a county-wide exclusive fastener mandate.Source checked . Check current rules and case orders before filing.
Resolve problems before submitting
- For a scan, test a phrase in the finished PDF. If it cannot be found, apply text recognition in an OCR-capable tool and inspect the result.
- Before converting a PDF, check the receiving court’s instructions; inspect searchability, signatures and appearance again after conversion. Do not assume stamping converts or validates PDF/A.
- For an oversized submission, check the receiving court’s instructions for splitting and identifying parts before changing your exhibit set.
- After replacing or renumbering an exhibit, reconcile the exhibit list, document labels, references and every copy you plan to distribute.
Common formatting questions
Which documents need the recording space?
Rule 2.520(a)(4) requires a 3-inch by 3-inch blank space at the top right of the first page for documents that will be recorded in the official records.
May a paper exhibit remain in its original size?
Rule 2.520(d)(2) permits an exhibit or attachment submitted for filing with a paper document to remain in its original size.
How are spaces counted in the Portal filename limit?
The Portal-linked Document Binary File Name Standards limit filenames to 110 bytes including spaces, count each space as 3 bytes, and list prohibited characters and filename endings.
Keep the checklist with your matter
Use the Florida PDF guide while preparing the packet, then revisit the linked sources before submission.
Free Florida Exhibit Guide
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Court-rule updates and exhibit-prep tips, by state
Use the guide as a preparation checklist
- Check the instructions for your assigned court.
- Confirm labels, deadlines, and delivery method.
- Review the finished files before submitting.
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