The Florida Supreme Court eased some lawyer regulations Friday in response to the coronavirus.

The full court suspended deadlines for attorney discipline, attorney advertising and the unauthorized practice of law.

Florida has strict advertising rules requiring attorneys to submit their ads to the Florida Bar for review and evaluation. The order dropped all ad-related deadlines.

The latest order piles on top of others issued earlier to shrink court operations to essential services and live hearings in criminal and involuntary commitment cases where court orders require the presence of defendants and detainees.

Chief Justice Charles Canady initially suspended trials for two weeks but announced Thursday he would extend that to a total of five weeks ending April 17.

The Florida Bar delayed deadlines of its own after the executive committee met Friday on a conference call. Members who faced deadlines from February to May to report their three-year continuing legal education records now have until Aug. 31.

The committee also agreed to offer two new member benefits: Smith.ai, a virtual receptionist service oriented to small firms for live calls and web chat, and Indexed I/O, an e-discovery service. The bar also expects to introduce a mental health helpline July 1.

The proposed 2020-2021 budget was approved without a fee increase.

“In the midst of the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis, all of our lives, personally and professionally, have been impacted,” bar president John Stewart wrote in a message to members. “We recognize the myriad of serious challenges this crisis creates for our members. We are here to assist in any way we can.”

Meanwhile, Miami-Dade Circuit Court issued an advisory Friday suggesting pro se litigants should register with the Florida Courts e-filing portal to reduce in-person contacts. The online user manual and training videos also were offered.

Read the order:

Related stories: 

New Federal, State Court Orders Issued for COVID-19 Operations in Florida

Cancel Everything Nonessential: Florida Supreme Court Outlines COVID-19 Plan

‘Uncharted Waters Here’: South Florida Law Firms Prep, Then Switch to Remote Work

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