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FL S0644
Bill
Status
Introduced
11/21/2025
Primary Sponsor
Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice
Click for details
AI Summary
- Amends Florida Statutes 61.16 and 742.045 to authorize courts to order attorney fees, suit money, and costs in appellate proceedings for family law and paternity cases
- Allows attorney fee awards to be granted retroactively and prospectively, including fees incurred in pursuing the fee award itself
- Prohibits awarding attorney fees to a noncompliant party who unjustifiably refused to follow a court order in enforcement actions
- Authorizes courts to award, deny, or reduce attorney fees as sanctions when a party engages in vexatious or bad faith litigation, requiring written findings identifying the specific conduct
- Establishes that payment of support owed to the obligee has priority over fees, costs, and expenses, and permits courts to consider rejected good faith settlement offers when determining fee amounts
Legislative Description
Attorney Fees, Suit Money, and Costs
Last Action
CS/CS by Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice read 1st time
2/24/2026
Committee Referrals
Rules2/23/2026
Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice2/12/2026
Full Bill Text
No bill text available