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SB 644FLORIDA · STATEWIDESession 2026dead

Proposed Changes to Attorney Fee and Court Cost Rules

Original title: Attorney Fees, Suit Money, and Costs

March 13, 2026

Companion · HB 413same policy, House version
legal feesfamily lawcourt procedurescivil litigationchild supportcivil practice and proceduredomestic relations

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The Frame

What this does

The bill would have established that court-ordered child support payments take priority over the payment of attorney fees and legal costs, ensuring that support obligations are met first.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Family law litigants

Parties in family law proceedings would be subject to new rules regarding the awarding, reduction, or denial of attorney fees and costs.

Attorneys

Attorneys would be granted the authority to enforce fee orders in their own name.

Child support recipients

Recipients are prioritized to receive support payments before any attorney fees or legal costs are paid from the obligor's funds.

What changed

Last recorded activity March 13, 2026.

What's next

Introduced.

Summary

This bill would have updated how Florida courts handle attorney fees and legal costs in family law and contempt cases. It aimed to clarify when judges can award these fees, how they are paid, and how they interact with child support payments.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Why It Matters

The bill would have established that court-ordered child support payments take priority over the payment of attorney fees and legal costs, ensuring that support obligations are met first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this bill change who gets paid first if I owe both child support and legal fees?
Yes, the bill explicitly states that payment of support owed to the has priority over attorney fees, costs, and expenses.
Can a judge order me to pay the other side's legal fees if they think I am acting in bad faith?
Yes, the bill authorizes courts to award fees as a sanction if a party engages in vexatious or bad faith litigation.
Do I need an expert witness to prove my attorney fees are reasonable under this bill?
No, the bill states that an application for attorney fees or costs does not require corroborating expert testimony.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Voting Record

Motion succeededupper2/18/2026openstates_bulkOfficial roll call ↗

Favorable with Committee Substitute

Total

7

Yes

7

No

0

Present

0

Not Voting

0

Abstain

0

Motion succeededupper2/10/2026openstates_bulkOfficial roll call ↗

Favorable with Committee Substitute

Total

11

Yes

11

No

0

Present

0

Not Voting

0

Abstain

0

Full roll-call analysis →

Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Prioritization of Support

The bill explicitly codifies the priority of child support payments over legal fees, a significant policy stance in family law enforcement.

Department of Revenue

Connected Entities

organizationClerk of the Circuit CourtMap →
organizationFlorida LegislatureMap →
organizationDepartment of RevenueMap →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance65
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz15
    Current news / social attention level

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