About Florida Legal Templates
We built this site because we kept seeing the same problem. People would download a free legal form, fill it out carefully, sign it in front of a notary, and feel confident they had handled it — only to discover months later that the document didn’t hold up. Not because they did anything wrong. Because the form itself was built for every state at once, which in practice means it was built for none of them.
Florida is not a generic state when it comes to legal documents. A landlord who sends a security deposit notice by regular mail instead of certified mail loses the right to claim against the deposit — regardless of what the tenant actually did to the unit. A family that signs a living will with two family members as witnesses has a defective document under Florida law, even if everyone’s intentions were clear. A power of attorney drafted before 2011 may not be recognized by Florida banks today because the statute was completely overhauled that year. These aren’t edge cases. We saw them happen repeatedly, and in almost every case the person had used a form that looked perfectly legitimate.
We decided to build something different. Every template on this site starts with the relevant Florida statute, not a generic national form. Every guide explains not just what to sign but why each section matters and what Florida courts actually look for when these documents are challenged. And every piece of content goes through attorney review before it goes live — because legal information that hasn’t been checked by someone who practices Florida law isn’t legal information worth trusting.
How We Work
We research each document type from the ground up — the applicable Florida statutes, the relevant court rules, the procedural requirements at the agency or courthouse level, and the specific details that trip people up most often. That research becomes the article. The article then goes to a licensed Florida attorney for review before we publish it.
We update content when Florida law changes. Not on a schedule — when the law changes. When Florida updated the month-to-month tenancy notice requirement from 15 days to 30 days in 2023 we updated the relevant content immediately. When the odometer disclosure rule changed for vehicle titles we corrected our bill of sale guides the same week. We track Florida legislative changes because our readers are relying on what we publish to make real legal decisions and outdated information in this space has real consequences.
We are a small team. We read every message that comes in. We fix mistakes when readers find them. We add content when readers ask for it. That is how we intend to keep operating.
Our Legal Review Team
We work with a team of licensed Florida attorneys who review content in their specific areas of practice. These are active practitioners — attorneys who work with these documents in real Florida legal matters, not consultants reviewing content in the abstract.
Candice Hayden
Legal Writer & Content Editor
Candice has nearly two decades of experience in legal content writing and SEO, specializing in Florida legal forms, agreements, affidavits, and estate planning documents. She holds a background in English studies and focuses on translating complex legal requirements into clear, accurate guidance that real people can actually use. Candice writes and edits the content across all five categories on this site. LinkedIn
Carly Johansson, J.D. Florida Contract Attorney & Legal Reviewer
Reviews: Business Contracts, Bills of Sale, Transaction Documents
Carly is a Florida contract attorney with extensive experience in contract preparation, litigation, and commercial legal documentation across Florida. She earned her J.D. from Emory University School of Law and studied at the University of Florida. She reviews all business contract and bill of sale content on this site for accuracy and compliance with current Florida law. LinkedIn
Maria Rosso, Esq.
Probate & Estate Planning Attorney | Legal Reviewer Reviews: Estate Planning Documents, Affidavits & Legal Declarations
Maria is a probate, guardianship, and estate planning attorney who previously served as Director of Probate for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court of Florida — one of the largest probate courts in the state. She earned her J.D. from St. Thomas University College of Law, where she also completed Elder Law and Tax Law certificate programs. She reviews all estate planning and affidavit content on this site. LinkedIn
Ross Bridger, J.D., LL.M.
Real Estate Attorney & Legal Reviewer Reviews: Real Estate & Property-Related Legal Content
Ross is a real estate attorney with more than 25 years of legal experience and over 30 years as a licensed Florida real estate broker. He earned his J.D. from St. Thomas University College of Law and an LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law. He reviews all real estate and property-related content on this site for accuracy and compliance with current Florida law. LinkedIn
What This Site Is — and What It Isn’t
We are a legal information resource. Everything on this site — the templates, the guides, the statutory breakdowns — is designed to help you understand what Florida law requires and start from a document that reflects those requirements. It is not legal advice and it is not a substitute for an attorney.
We are not a law firm. Reading our content, downloading our templates, or emailing us does not create an attorney-client relationship. The attorneys who review our content are reviewing it as general legal information — they are not reviewing it for your specific situation and they are not your attorneys.
For straightforward situations — a standard residential lease, a basic bill of sale, a general power of attorney for a healthy adult — our templates are designed to do the job. For complex situations — a disputed estate, a commercial lease with unusual terms, a business arrangement with significant financial exposure — please consult a qualified Florida attorney. The Florida Bar Lawyer Referral Service can help you find one at floridabar.org/public/lfrs.
We built this site to make Florida legal information more accessible. We did not build it to replace lawyers for people who genuinely need one.
Why Only Florida
We get asked sometimes why we cover only Florida. The honest answer is that covering one state well is harder than covering all fifty states generically — and the people using legal forms deserve the former.
Florida landlord-tenant law is different from landlord-tenant law anywhere else. Florida’s probate process has specific procedural requirements that a generic estate planning template will never address. Florida’s power of attorney statute has been completely different from most states since 2011. Florida’s vehicle title transfer process has its own forms, its own thresholds, and its own quirks that show up at the tax collector’s window rather than on any national template.
We chose to do one state and do it correctly. That decision shapes everything about how we research, write, and review content — and it is why we believe this site is genuinely more useful to a Florida resident than any national template site that covers all fifty states at once.
Get in Touch
We read every message personally and respond within 2 business days.
Email: contact@floridalegaltemplates.com
