Computing Time in Florida Courts: Rules 2.514 and 2.516

Counting days under Rule 2.514

• Periods of 7 days or longer: start counting from the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday. Count every day after that, including weekends and holidays. If the last day is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, the period runs to the next day that is not.
• Periods shorter than 7 days: Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays are not counted.
• Periods stated in hours: count from the triggering event and count every hour. If the period would end on a weekend or legal holiday, it runs until the same time on the next day that is not.
• When the last day ends: unless a statute, local rule or court order says otherwise, at 11:59:59 p.m. eastern time for electronic filing or for service by any means, and when the clerk's office is scheduled to close for other filings.
• Counting backward: where a period is measured before an event, the next day is found by counting backward rather than forward.
• Legal holidays: the days observed under s. 110.117, Fla. Stat., for New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans' Day, Thanksgiving Day, the Friday after Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, plus any day observed by the clerk's office or designated by the chief justice or chief judge.

Read the rule itself at Rule 2.514.

A worked example

A document is served through the portal on Monday, November 2, 2026, and a response is due in 20 days. Counting starts with Tuesday, November 3 as day 1. Day 20 is Sunday, November 22, so the deadline moves to Monday, November 23.

Extra days for mail

When a party must act within a specified time after service and service is made by only mail, five days are added after the period that would otherwise expire. Service through the portal or by email does not add days.

How service works under Rule 2.516

• Portal service: documents filed through the portal are served using the portal's e-service function. Service on each listed recipient is complete on filing, and the filer must immediately serve by any permitted means anyone the filer learns did not receive the document.
• Email service: where email is used, the document is attached as a PDF to a message whose title begins with SERVICE OF COURT DOCUMENT, followed by the case number and an abbreviation of the style of the case. The body gives the style, the document title and the name and telephone number of the person serving. Service by email is complete when sent. If an attorney cannot be served at the address in the signature block, or there is none, the attorney may be served at the official Florida Bar email address.
• Paper service: where permitted or required, by hand delivery, U.S. mail or commercial delivery to the address where process was served unless a different address was designated. Mail service is complete on mailing and delivery is complete on the day of delivery.
• Certificate of service: to establish prima facie proof of service, include a certification, the date of service, the names of the people served, their service addresses and the method of service (Rule 2.516).

Probate and guardianship

Florida Probate Rule 5.042 provides that computation of time in probate proceedings is governed by Rule 2.514. Statutory periods such as those in the guardianship reporting calendar are counted the same way unless the statute specifies its own method.

General information for Florida practitioners, reviewed in October 2026 against the rule text linked above. It is not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm against the current text before relying on it.

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