May Newsletter 2025
Trusted Experience. Proven Success. Unmatched Service.
Happy Mother’s Day!! (Yes, I know it is belated.) May is also the end of the academic year for most students. In our home, this means the university graduation of my oldest. He is graduating, with honors, with a B.A. in English and a minor in astronomy. He intends to enter law school and maintain the family legacy! This time is bittersweet in many ways. Watching him grow and excel is a thrill, while simultaneously mourning the little boy that once only needed mom’s snuggles to make it all better. I am so proud of him and I am grateful the good Lord picked me to be his mom.
Karen Montas, Esq.
To all graduates, congratulations and may you stay curious!
Many blessings.
Legally Speaking...
Major Changes to the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure
As of January 1, 2025, the Florida Supreme Court enacted major changes to the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, aiming to streamline how civil cases move through the courts. Nearly halfway through the year, the impact of the amended rules are apparent for all those involved.
Under the new Rule 1.200(b), every case must now be assigned to a case management track—streamlined, general, or complex—within 120 days of filing. This early categorization helps courts set deadlines and keep cases moving efficiently.
Rule 1.510, governing summary judgment, also saw key changes. The opposing party now has just 40 days to respond to a motion for summary judgment, and Florida courts now follow the same legal standard used in federal courts. These updates make it easier to resolve straightforward cases without going to trial.
To reduce unnecessary hearings, Rule 1.202 now requires attorneys to meet and discuss most non-dispositive motions before filing. Every motion must include a certification showing that the parties have conferred or that conferral is not required.
Continuances—requests to postpone court dates—are now harder to get. Courts are less likely to approve delays without a strong, well-documented reason.
While these changes increase attorneys’ responsibilities, they are intended to move cases along more quickly. For non-lawyers involved in lawsuits, the goal is a faster, more efficient path to resolution—without years of delay.
See. Am. Fla. R. Civ. P., No. SC2023-0962 (Fla. Dec. 5, 2024); Am. Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.150; Am. Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.200; and Am. Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.200
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Montas Turner in the Community:
$200 Gift Card to Three Lucky Moms
Congratulations to the winners of our 2025 Mother's Day Giveaway!
We truly appreciate all who took the time to sign up for our Mother's Day Giveaway. Your participation means a lot to us, and we were honored to be part of your celebration. Thank you for being part of our community!
Wishing you and the moms in your life a joyful and love-filled year!
Pictured left to right: Legal Assistant, Sun Ye Turner, and Winner, Christine Thompson
Pictured left to right: Paralegal, Emily Hoffman, Winner, Kory McRoy, and Paralegal, Joan Pfister.
Winner, Pace Dempsey, unavailable for photo.
Karen’s Shoe of the Month!
If you know Attorney Karen Montas, you know she is a shoe connoisseur. Any mother would look amazing in this tropical-themed slipper!
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