FL · rules

Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.470

Exceptions Unnecessary; Jury Instructions

activein force · 2026-04-01 – presentact-effective-date

(a) Adverse Ruling. For appellate purposes no exception

shall be necessary to any adverse ruling, order, instruction, or thing

whatsoever said or done at the trial or prior thereto or after verdict,

which was said or done after objection made and considered by the

trial court and which affected the substantial rights of the party

complaining and which is assigned as error.

(b) Instructions to Jury. The Florida Standard Jury

Instructions appearing on The Florida Bar’s website may be used,

as provided in Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial

Administration 2.580, by the trial judges in instructing the jury in

civil actions. Not later than at the close of the evidence, the parties

shall file written requests that the court instruct the jury on the law

set forth in such requests. The court shall then require counsel to

appear before it to settle the instructions to be given. At such

conference, all objections shall be made and ruled upon and the

court shall inform counsel of such instructions as it will give. No

party may assign as error the giving of any instruction unless that

party objects thereto at such time, or the failure to give any

instruction unless that party requested the same. The court shall

orally instruct the jury before or after the arguments of counsel and

may provide appropriate instructions during the trial. If the

instructions are given prior to final argument, the presiding judge

shall give the jury final procedural instructions after final

arguments are concluded and prior to deliberations. The court shall

provide each juror with a written set of the instructions for his or

her use in deliberations. The court shall file a copy of such

instructions.

not be necessary to object or except to any order granting or

denying motions for new trials, directed verdicts, or judgments non

obstante veredicto or in arrest of judgment to entitle the party

against whom such ruling is made to have the same reviewed by an

appellate court.

History

Committee Notes 1988 Amendment. The word “general” in the third sentence of subdivision (b) was deleted to require the court to specifically inform counsel of the charges it intends to give. The last sentence of that subdivision was amended to encourage judges to furnish written copies of their charges to juries. 2010 Amendment. Portions of form 1.985 were modified and moved to subdivision (b) of rule 1.470 to require the court to use published standard instructions where applicable and necessary, to permit the judge to vary from the published standard jury instructions, and notes only when necessary to accurately and sufficiently instruct the jury, and to require the parties to object to preserve error in variance from published standard jury instructions and notes. 2014 Amendment. Florida Standard Jury Instructions include the Florida Standard Jury Instructions—Contract and Business Cases.

Provenance

Source: floridabar.org
Retrieved: 2026-09-14
Edition: 2026-09-14
Content hash: 6482581604692ed943b5b122689f10332340fa9042a6e63321e6dbc44c777a71

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