(a) General Form.

SUMMONS

THE STATE OF FLORIDA:

To Each Sheriff of the State:

YOU ARE COMMANDED to serve this summons and a copy of the complaint or petition in this action on defendant ………………..

Each defendant is required to serve written defenses to the complaint or petition on …. plaintiff’s attorney, whose address is …., within 20 days¹ after service of this summons on that defendant, exclusive of the day of service, and to file the original of the defenses with the clerk of this court either before service on plaintiff’s attorney or immediately thereafter. If a defendant fails to do so, a default will be entered against that defendant for the relief demanded in the complaint or petition.

DATED on ….

(Name of Clerk)

As Clerk of the Court

By ___________________________

As Deputy Clerk

(b) Form for Personal Service on Natural Person.

SUMMONS

THE STATE OF FLORIDA:

To Each Sheriff of the State:

YOU ARE COMMANDED to serve this summons and a copy of the complaint in this law-suit on defendant ….

DATED on ….

CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT

(SEAL)

(Name of Clerk)

As Clerk of the Court

By ___________________________

As Deputy Clerk

IMPORTANT

A lawsuit has been filed against you. You have 20 calendar days after this summons is served on you to file a written response to the attached complaint with the clerk of this court. A phone call will not protect you. Your written response, including the case number given above and the names of the parties, must be filed if you want the court to hear your side of the case. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case, and your wages, money, and property may thereafter be taken without further warning from the court. There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may call an attorney referral service or a legal aid office (listed in the phone book).

If you choose to file a written response yourself, at the same time you file your written response to the court you must also mail or take a copy of your written response to the “Plaintiff/Plaintiff’s Attorney” named below.

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 [identify applicable court personnel by name, address, and 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.

IMPORTANTE

Usted ha sido demandado legalmente. Tiene 20 dias, contados a partir del recibo de esta notificacion, para contestar la demanda adjunta, por escrito, y presentarla ante este tribunal. Una llamada telefonica no lo protegera. Si usted desea que el tribunal considere su defensa, debe presentar su respuesta por escrito, incluyendo el numero del caso y los nombres de las partes interesadas. Si usted no contesta la demanda a tiempo, pudiese perder el caso y podria ser despojado de sus ingresos y propiedades, o privado de sus derechos, sin previo aviso del tribunal. Existen otros requisitos legales. Si lo desea, puede usted consultar a un abogado inmediatamente. Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a una de las oficinas de asistencia legal que aparecen en la guia telefonica.

Si desea responder a la demanda por su cuenta, al mismo tiempo en que presenta su respuesta ante el tribunal, debera usted enviar por correo o entregar una copia de su respuesta a la persona denominada abajo como “Plaintiff/Plaintiff’s Attorney” (Demandante o Abogado del Demandante).

Si usted es una persona minusválida que necesita algún acomodamiento para poder participar en este procedimiento, usted tiene derecho, sin tener gastos propios, a que se le provea cierta ayuda. Tenga la amabilidad de ponerse en contacto con [identify applicable court personnel by name, address, and telephone number], por lo menos 7 días antes de la cita fijada para su comparecencia en los tribunales, o inmediatamente después de recibir esta notificación si el tiempo antes de la comparecencia que se ha programado es menos de 7 días; si usted tiene discapacitación del oído o de la voz, llame al 711.

IMPORTANT

Des poursuites judiciares ont ete entreprises contre vous. Vous avez 20 jours consecu-tifs a partir de la date de l’assignation de cette citation pour deposer une reponse ecrite a la plainte ci-jointe aupres de ce tribunal. Un simple coup de telephone est insuffisant pour vous proteger. Vous etes obliges de deposer votre reponse ecrite, avec mention du numero de dossier ci-dessus et du nom des parties nommees ici, si vous souhaitez que le tribunal entende votre cause. Si vous ne deposez pas votre reponse ecrite dans le relai requis, vous risquez de perdre la cause ainsi que votre salaire, votre argent, et vos biens peuvent etre saisis par la suite, sans aucun preavis ulterieur du tribunal. Il y a d’autres obligations juridiques et vous pouvez requerir les services immediats d’un avocat. Si vous ne connaissez pas d’avocat, vous pourriez telephoner a un service de reference d’avocats ou a un bureau d’assistance juridique (figurant a l’annuaire de telephones).

Si vous choisissez de deposer vous-meme une reponse ecrite, il vous faudra egale-ment, en meme temps que cette formalite, faire parvenir ou expedier une copie de votre reponse ecrite au “Plaintiff/Plaintiff’s Attorney” (Plaignant ou a son avocat) nomme ci-dessous.

Si vous êtes une personne handicapée qui a besoin de mesures d’adaptation pour participer à cette procédure, vous avez droit, sans frais pour vous, à une certaine assistance. Veuillez contacter [identify applicable court personnel by name, address, and telephone number]au moins 7 jours avant votre comparution prévue au tribunal, ou immédiatement après avoir reçu cette notification si le délai avant la comparution prévue est inférieur à 7 jours; si vous êtes malentendant ou avez un trouble de la parole, appelez le 711.

Enpòtan

Pwosedi legal yo te pran kont ou. Ou gen 20 jou konsekitif ki soti nan dat konklizyon sa a pou ou ranpli yon repons alekri pou plent sa a nan tribinal sa a. Yon apel telefon ki senp se pa ase pou pwoteje ou. Ou oblije ranpli repons alekri ou a, ak nimewo a dosye pi wo a ak non pati yo ki te nonmen isit la, si ou vle tribinal la tande ka w la. Si ou pa ranpli repons alekri ou nan rele egzije a, ou riske pedi koz la ak sale ou, lajan ou, ak pwopriyete ou yo ka mete men sou pita, san okenn lot avi nan tribinal la. Gen lot obligasyon legal epi ou ka mande sevis imedya yon avoka. Si ou pa konnen yon avoka, ou ka rele yon sèvis referans avoka oswa yon biwo ed legal (ki nan lis nan anye telefon).

Si ou chwazi pou ou soumet yon repons alekri tet ou, ou pral bezwen tou voye oswa voye yon kopi repons ekri ou nan fòm sa a an menm tan an tankou fomalite sa a “Avoka Pleyan/ Pwokire a” (Pleyan oswa avoka li) non anba a.

Si ou se yon moun ki enfim ki bezwen akomodasyon pou w kab patisipe nan pwosedi sa a, ou gen dwa, san ou pa bezwen peye okenn lajan, pou w jwenn yon sèten èd. Tanpri kontakte [identify applicable court personnel by name], Kòdonatris pwogram Lwa Ameriken pou Moun ki Enfim yo nan [identify court personnel’s address and telephone number], fè sa omwen 7 jou anvan dat ou gen randevou pou parèt nan Tribinal la, oswa fè sa imedyatman apre ou fin resevwa konvokasyon an si dat ou gen pou w parèt nan tribinal la mwens pase 7 jou; si ou gen pwoblèm pou w tande byen oswa pou w pale klè, rele 711.

__________________________________

Plaintiff/Plaintiff’s Attorney

………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………

Address

Florida Bar No. ……………………………….

(c) Forms for Service by Mail.

(1) Notice of Lawsuit and Request for Waiver of Service of Process.

NOTICE OF COMMENCEMENT OF ACTION

TO: (Name of defendant or defendant’s representative)

A lawsuit has been commenced against you (or the entity on whose behalf you are addressed). A copy of the complaint is attached to this notice. The complaint has been filed in the (Circuit or County) Court for the …. and has been assigned case no. ….

This is not a formal summons or notification from the court, but is rather my request that you sign the enclosed waiver of service of process form in order to save the cost of serving you with a judicial summons and an additional copy of the complaint. The cost of service will be avoided if I receive a signed copy of the waiver within 20 days (30 days if you do not reside in the United States) after the date you receive this notice and request for waiver. I have enclosed a stamped self-addressed envelope for your use. An extra copy of the notice and request, including the waiver, is also attached for your records.

If you comply with this request and return the signed waiver, it will be filed with the court and no summons will be served on you. The lawsuit will then proceed as if you had been served on the date the waiver is filed, except that you will not be obligated to respond to the complaint until 60 days after the date on which you received the notice and request for waiver.

If I do not receive the signed waiver within 20 days from the date you received the notice and the waiver of service of process form, formal service of process may be initiated in a manner authorized by the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure. You (or the party on whose behalf you are addressed) will be required to pay the full cost of such service unless good cause is shown for the failure to return the waiver of service.

I hereby certify that this notice of lawsuit and request for waiver of service of process has been sent to you on behalf of the plaintiff on …. (date) ….

____________________

Plaintiff’s Attorney or

Unrepresented Plaintiff

(2) Waiver of Service of Process.

WAIVER OF SERVICE OF PROCESS

TO: (Name of plaintiff’s attorney or unrepresented plaintiff)

I acknowledge receipt of your request that I waive service of process in the lawsuit of … v. … in the … Court in … I have also received a copy of the complaint, two copies of this waiver, and a means by which I can return the signed waiver to you without cost to me.

I agree to save the cost of service of process and an additional copy of the complaint in this lawsuit by not requiring that I (or the entity on whose behalf I am acting) be served with judicial process in the manner provided by Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.070.

If I am not the defendant to whom the notice of lawsuit and waiver of service of process was sent, I declare that my relationship to the entity or person to whom the notice was sent and my authority to accept service on behalf of such person or entity is as follows:

(describe relationship to person or entity and authority to accept service)

I (or the entity on whose behalf I am acting) will retain all defenses or objections to the lawsuit or to the jurisdiction or venue of the court except for any objections based on a defect in the summons or in the service of the summons.

I understand that a judgment may be entered against me (or the party on whose behalf I am acting) if a written response is not served upon you within 60 days from the date I received the notice of lawsuit and request for waiver of service of process. DATED on

DATED on …………….

______________________________

Defendant or Defendant’s Representative

¹ Except when suit is brought pursuant to section 768.28, Florida Statutes, if the State of Florida, one of its agencies, or one of its officials or employees sued in his or her official capacity is a defendant, the time to be inserted as to it is 40 days. When suit is brought pursuant to section 768.28, Florida Statutes, the time to be inserted is 30 days.