Before Florida adopted the federal summary judgment standard in 2021, parties could use pending discovery to prevent summary judgment. Summary judgment can decide all or part of a case and can be a devastating blow if granted to the opposing party. Before 2021, Florida courts typically held that litigants can substantially complete or even fully finish all outstanding discovery before the court would consider a motion for summary judgment. It was considered reversible error for a judge to grant such a motion when discovery, like the taking of depositions, had not occurred before a party was required to respond to the motion for summary judgment.