Estate and Succession Planning
Dean Mead’s Estate and Succession Planning Department is one of the largest and most respected groups of estate planning attorneys in Florida. We are frequently…
Published: February 18, 2025
(Orlando, FL) Attorney Thomas P. Wert has published “Supreme Court Tweaks Mediation Settlement Agreement Rule”, which reviews the Supreme Court of Florida’s revisions to Rule 1.730, Completion of Mediation. The rule change becomes effective on April 1, 2025.
The Rule previously required both parties and their counsel to sign mediation settlement agreements. The amendment removes the requirement for counsel to sign, as it’s not mandated by Florida’s mediation statute. It also allows a party’s representative with full settlement authority (under Rule 1.720(c)) to sign the agreement instead of the party themselves. This change also clarifies that an insurer can sign on behalf of a defendant in cases where the defendant is absent, but the insurer has full settlement authority.
A shareholder in Dean Mead’s Orlando office, Tom is a member of the firm’s Litigation Department. He is a Circuit Civil Court Mediator, certified by the Florida Supreme Court, who has mediated numerous business disputes. Tom is also Board Certified in Construction Law by The Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization. Learn more: https://www.deanmead.com/attorneys/thomas-p-wert/.
