Court Rules

Court-wide rules

Applies court-wide

These 197 rules apply across Twentieth Judicial Circuit of Florida, Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee Counties. Where this judge's own standing orders above address the same topic, the judge's requirement controls.

Filing Requirements

All 49
  • Applies to
    Case management plan

    A court-ordered case management plan must specify the projected trial date, state that its deadlines will be strictly enforced, and state that the presiding judge will order a final trial period no later than 45 days before the projected trial period.

  • Applies to
    Case management order

    The case management order must include the listed case-management deadlines, including service, discovery, motions, witness and exhibit disclosures, alternative dispute resolution, and the projected trial period.

  • Applies to
    Trial period reset order

    If the court-ordered trial period does not reach trial, the court must enter an order setting a new trial period as soon as practicable based on the case’s needs and court resources.

Service

All 42
  • Plaintiffs must serve their actions promptly, and service issues must be addressed promptly and diligently.

  • Applies to
    Court ordered case management plan

    If service has not been effected by the date of the court-ordered case management plan, the plaintiff must serve each defendant a copy of the plan with the summons and complaint.

  • Deadline
    180 calendar days
    Applies to
    Summons and complaint

    A defendant may not be served under an extension more than 180 days after filing.

Filing Timing

All 40
  • Expert-witness disclosure is due 160 days before trial.

  • The plaintiff must make the initial discovery disclosure within 60 days after service of the complaint or joinder.

  • Each defendant must make the initial discovery disclosure within 60 days after service.

Formatting

All 23
  • Composite exhibits must be satisfactorily marked and securely bound before presentation to the court.

  • Oversized exhibits may be used, but if practicable they must be reduced to 8½-by-11 inches, with the reduced copy retained by the clerk in the court file.

  • Format
    DOCX

    At docket sounding, counsel or parties must submit both a Microsoft Word electronic version and a printed copy of the jury instructions and verdict form.

About Judge Rachael Loukonen

Judge Rachael Spring Loukonen was appointed to the Twentieth Circuit Court by Governor Ron DeSantis. She began her service on February 10, 2025, and is assigned to the General Civil, Guardianship, and Probate Division in Lee County. A native Floridian, Judge Loukonen graduated with honors from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Cell Science. In 2003, she received her Juris Doctorate with honors from the University of Florida College of Law. Prior to her appointment, Judge Loukonen practiced in Florida state courts, including all federal courts in Florida, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, as well as the Supreme Court of the United States of America. She represented businesses and individuals in complex disputes involving contracts, commercial business, property, construction, employment, and corporate matters. In 2012, Judge Loukonen became Board Certified by the Florida Bar as an expert in Business Litigation. Judge Loukonen was an AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell in Litigation, Commercial Law and Business Law, which is the highest rating an attorney can receive for their professional ethics and legal ability by their peers. Judge Loukonen is actively involved in her community and her profession. In addition to serving as Board Chair for St. Matthew’s House, Inc., she has provided pro bono legal services for underserved working families that could not afford the cost of legal services. She also provided pro bono legal services for churches and individuals through the Alliance Defending Freedom, an organization devoted to defending and advocating for religious liberty, the sanctity of life, and marriage and family. Judge Loukonen served her profession on statewide level as the Chair of the Florida Bar’s Business Litigation Certification Committee, Vice Chair of the Florida Bar’s Standing Committee for the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, and as member of the Executive Council of the Trial Lawyers Section of the Florida Bar. Locally, Judge Loukonen served on the Twentieth Judicial Circuit’s Professionalism Committee, the Grievance Committee for the Middle District of Florida, and the Historical Society for the Middle District of Florida. She also served as President of the Michael R.N. McDonnell Inns of Court, Chair of the Trial Lawyers Section of the Collier County Bar Association, President of the Collier County Women’s Bar Association, and as a Board Member for the Collier County Bar Association. Judge Loukonen has been married since 1996 and has four children.

Mailing address: Lee County Justice Center 1700 Monroe Street Fort Myers, FL 33901 Judicial assistant: Missy Phone: (239) 533-2860 Email: lee-civil-divisioni@ca.cjis20.org

Common questions about Judge Rachael Loukonen's rules

Are courtesy copies required for Judge Rachael Loukonen?

Courtesy-copy rule applies for motion rehearings. Details: delivery upon filing. A courtesy copy must be submitted to the Court in Chambers when a Motion for Rehearing is filed.

View ruleSource: page 8, section Motions for Rehearing

Does Judge Rachael Loukonen require a pre-motion conference or letter before filing a motion?

Judge Rachael Loukonen's rules set a pre-motion procedure for nondispositive motion and motion listed under rule 1.202(c). Before filing a nondispositive motion or a motion listed under Rule 1.202(c), the movant must confer in good faith with opposing counsel, but the requirement does not apply to litigants without lawyers.

View ruleSource: page 6, section Rule 1.202 Certification of Conferral

What page or word limits apply to motion before Judge Rachael Loukonen?

Judge Rachael Loukonen's rule states these limits: 20 pages. A motion should not exceed 20 pages and must use 12-point font with double spacing.

View ruleSource: page 5, section Length and Content of Motions

What page or word limits apply to opposition before Judge Rachael Loukonen?

Judge Rachael Loukonen's rule states these limits: 20 pages. An opposition should not exceed 20 pages and must use 12-point font with double spacing.

View ruleSource: page 5, section Length and Content of Motions

What formatting rules apply to filings before Judge Rachael Loukonen?

Judge Rachael Loukonen's formatting rule includes file format pdf a, combine the individual exhibits into a single pdf file electronic exhibit binder., identify each exhibit separately using pdf bookmarks., for physical evidence, insert a placeholder stating, "exhibit [number] is [description of exhibit].", when possible, scan exhibits using optical character recognition., and save the electronic exhibit binder in reduced-file format (pdf/a)..

View ruleSource: page 14, section Electronic Exhibit Binders

What must be included with stipulation for dismissal filings before Judge Rachael Loukonen?

The rule requires proposed order. A proposed Order of Dismissal must accompany any stipulated dismissal submitted to the Court.

View ruleSource: page 4, section Notice of Settlement

What must be included with motion filings before Judge Rachael Loukonen?

The rule requires exhibit list. A motion with exhibits must include an exhibit index identifying each exhibit, its title, and its filing page, and the index may be filed separately or placed at the end of the motion.

View ruleSource: page 5, section Length and Content of Motions

How may parties contact Judge Rachael Loukonen's chambers?

The rule addresses email communications with Judge Rachael Loukonen's chambers. Every email to Chambers must copy all parties.

View ruleSource: page 1, section Contacting Chambers

How do I request an adjournment or extension before Judge Rachael Loukonen?

Advance notice is not fully stated in the structured details. The request must include reason for request. Deadline extensions are disfavored and may be granted only for good cause with court approval; seeking an extension does not toll other deadlines.

View ruleSource: page 2, section Strict Enforcement of Deadlines

Is electronic filing required before Judge Rachael Loukonen?

Yes. Electronic filing is required for the covered filings. Proposed orders must be submitted through the Florida Courts e-filing portal.

View ruleSource: page 13, section Proposed Orders

When is a filing treated as filed before Judge Rachael Loukonen?

The rule addresses filing timing, filing status, or cure windows. An agreed Pretrial Conference Order must be submitted at least seven calendar days before the conference, and the Court must have signed and entered an order approving it.

View ruleSource: page 3, section Pretrial Conference

What rule applies to service for proposed order before Judge Rachael Loukonen?

The rule addresses service method, recipient, or timing requirements. Details: method: service by mail. For parties without e-filing email service, the proposed order must state that a signed copy will be sent by regular mail.

View ruleSource: page 13, section Proposed Orders
Complete rules summary for Judge Rachael Loukonen

Counsel and pro se litigants may email the judge’s Judicial Assistant about scheduling, the judge’s preferences, and other non-substantive matters.

Every email to Chambers must copy all parties.

An email to Chambers must state the case number, identify the sender and represented party, disclose whether opposing counsel was consulted, and explain the reason for contacting Chambers.

The Judicial Assistant will not address case merits, provide legal advice, interpret rules, explain orders, or give time estimates on orders.

Before contacting Chambers, counsel and pro se litigants must review the judge’s preferences, the docket, and the applicable Florida civil and general practice rules.

Deadline extensions are disfavored and may be granted only for good cause with court approval; seeking an extension does not toll other deadlines.

An agreed Pretrial Conference Order must be submitted at least seven calendar days before the conference, and the Court must have signed and entered an order approving it.

Parties must file notices of conflict at least seven calendar days before docket sounding.

A proposed Order of Dismissal must accompany any stipulated dismissal submitted to the Court.

A motion should not exceed 20 pages and must use 12-point font with double spacing.

An opposition should not exceed 20 pages and must use 12-point font with double spacing.

Each document submission may not exceed 50 megabytes.

A motion and its exhibits exceeding 50 megabytes must be separated into multiple documents, each under 50 megabytes.

A motion with exhibits must include an exhibit index identifying each exhibit, its title, and its filing page, and the index may be filed separately or placed at the end of the motion.

Before filing a nondispositive motion or a motion listed under Rule 1.202(c), the movant must confer in good faith with opposing counsel, but the requirement does not apply to litigants without lawyers.

At the end of the motion and above the signature block, the movant must include substantially the prescribed Rule 1.202 certification of conferral.

An unopposed motion must include the word “unopposed” in its title.

A proposed agreed order should be provided immediately to Judge Loukonen when an unopposed motion is filed.

A movant’s summary-judgment memorandum and captioned Statement of Material Facts must be combined in one document of no more than 25 pages.

A summary-judgment motion must include a supporting memorandum and a section specifically captioned “Statement of Material Facts” in the same document.

Each allegedly undisputed material fact must appear in a separately numbered paragraph of the Statement of Material Facts.

Each material fact must have a pinpoint citation identifying the specific record material supporting it.

An opposition to summary judgment must combine a memorandum of law and a captioned Response to Statement of Material Facts in one document of no more than 25 pages.

A summary-judgment opposition must include a memorandum of law and a section specifically captioned “Response to Statement of Material Facts” in the same document.

The opposition must admit or deny each movant’s material-fact assertion using matching numbered paragraphs.

Every disputed-fact denial must identify the supporting record location through a pinpoint citation.

A movant’s optional summary-judgment reply is limited to seven pages, must contain pinpoint record citations, and may be filed within ten days after service of the response.

The ten-day period for filing an optional summary-judgment reply runs from service of the response.

A deposition citation must include its docket entry and transcript page and line numbers; a general deposition reference is insufficient.

Case-management deadlines are strictly enforced unless the court changes them by order.

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