Fla. Stat. » 61
Florida Statutes

Fla. Stat. § 61.511 (2025)

Communication between courts.

✓ 2025 Florida Statutes — current through the 2025 Regular Session
Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section FL-LEGleg.state.fl.us JustiaFla. Statutes CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar
61.511 Communication between courts.—
(1) A court of this state may communicate with a court in another state concerning a proceeding arising under this part.
(2) The court shall allow the parties to participate in the communication. If the parties elect to participate in the communication, they must be given the opportunity to present facts and legal arguments before a decision on jurisdiction is made.
(3) Communication between courts on schedules, calendars, court records, and similar matters may occur without informing the parties. A record need not be made of the communication.
(4) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (3), a record must be made of a communication under this section. The parties must be informed promptly of the communication and granted access to the record.
(5) For purposes of this section, the term “record” means a form of information, including, but not limited to, an electronic recording or transcription by a court reporter which creates a verbatim memorialization of any communication between two or more individuals or entities.
History.—s. 5, ch. 2002-65.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 14 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 2005–2025 · leading case: Staats v. McKinnon, 206 S.W.3d 532 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2006).
Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment
Staats v. McKinnon, 206 S.W.3d 532 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2006). “§§ 36-6-213 to -215, -219(d), -221(b), -231; accord Fla. Stat. Ann. §§ 61.511 to 61.513, 61.517(4), 61.”
Haugabook v. Jeffcoat-Hultberg, 219 So. 3d 65 (Fla. 4th DCA 2016). · cites it 4× “” § 61.511(4), Fla. Stat. (2Q16). Finally, the statute states that the “term ‘record’ means a form of information, including, but not limited to, an electronic recording or transcription by a court reporter which creates a verbatim memorial-ization of any communication between,…”
Johnson v. Johnson, 88 So. 3d 335 (Fla. 2d DCA 2012). · cites it 6× “Section 61.511, Fla. Stat. (2010), provides: Communication between courts.”
KI v. Dep't of Child. & Families, 70 So. 3d 749 (Fla. 4th DCA 2011). · cites it 2× “4th DCA 1999) (emphasis in original)); see also § 61.511(2), Fla. Stat. (2010) (“The court shall allow the parties to participate in the communication.”
Homer Mcabee, III v. Alicia Marie Mcabee, 259 So. 3d 134 (Fla. 4th DCA 2018). “3 To the extent any contact was made with the Virginia court, the Florida trial court failed to make a record and inform the parties of the communication, as required by section 61.511(4), Fla. Stat. (2017). 7 5th DCA 2006) (affirming trial court’s temporary emergency…”
Slowinski v. Sweeney, 117 So. 3d 73 (Fla. 1st DCA 2013). · cites it 2× “§ 61.511(2), Fla. Stat. . Pennsylvania's codification of the UCCJEA is located at section 5401, et seq.”
Earney v. Quiloan, 206 So. 3d 147 (Fla. 5th DCA 2016). · cites it 2× “Further, section 61.511(4), Florida Statutes (2016), states that “a record must be made of a communication under this section.”
Schmitt v. Maile, 946 So. 2d 60 (Fla. 4th DCA 2006). “Specifically the order read: THIS CAUSE, having come before this Court to determine this Court's jurisdiction to modify the Final Judgment regarding child custody issued by the Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia, and, in accordance with Florida Statute § 61.511, this Court…”
Kelly Lunsford v. Kara Engle & Jake Phillips (Fla. 4th DCA 2020). · cites it 11× “§ 61.511, Fla. Stat. (2015) (emphasis added).”
Kelly Lunsford v. Kara Engle & Jake Phillips (Fla. 4th DCA 2021). · cites it 8× “If the parties elect to participate in the communication, they must be given the opportunity to present facts and legal arguments before a decision on jurisdiction is made.”
Loring E. Just. v. Linn Marie Guerrero-Just. (Fla. 3d DCA 2025). · cites it 5× “§ 61.511, Fla. Stat. (2024). Guerrero-Justice urges us to interpret this section as only requiring the trial court to provide notice of the communication where a party affirmatively elects to participate.”
McCormick v. Oakes, 899 So. 2d 393 (Fla. 4th DCA 2005). · cites it 4× “Additionally, under section 61.511(3), Florida Statutes, communications between courts on schedules, calendars, court records, and similar matters may occur without informing the parties, and a record need not be made of the communication.”
Show all 14 citing cases →
— 61.511(2) — 5 cases
Johnson v. Johnson, 88 So. 3d 335 (Fla. 2d DCA 2012). “Section 61.511, Fla. Stat. (2010), provides: Communication between courts.”
KI v. Dep't of Child. & Families, 70 So. 3d 749 (Fla. 4th DCA 2011). “4th DCA 1999) (emphasis in original)); see also § 61.511(2), Fla. Stat. (2010) (“The court shall allow the parties to participate in the communication.”
Slowinski v. Sweeney, 117 So. 3d 73 (Fla. 1st DCA 2013). “§ 61.511(2), Fla. Stat. . Pennsylvania's codification of the UCCJEA is located at section 5401, et seq.”
Kelly Lunsford v. Kara Engle & Jake Phillips (Fla. 4th DCA 2020). “§ 61.511, Fla. Stat. (2015) (emphasis added).”
Kelly Lunsford v. Kara Engle & Jake Phillips (Fla. 4th DCA 2021). “If the parties elect to participate in the communication, they must be given the opportunity to present facts and legal arguments before a decision on jurisdiction is made.”
— 61.511(3) — 1 case
McCormick v. Oakes, 899 So. 2d 393 (Fla. 4th DCA 2005). “Additionally, under section 61.511(3), Florida Statutes, communications between courts on schedules, calendars, court records, and similar matters may occur without informing the parties, and a record need not be made of the communication.”
— 61.511(4) — 4 cases
Haugabook v. Jeffcoat-Hultberg, 219 So. 3d 65 (Fla. 4th DCA 2016). “” § 61.511(4), Fla. Stat. (2Q16). Finally, the statute states that the “term ‘record’ means a form of information, including, but not limited to, an electronic recording or transcription by a court reporter which creates a verbatim memorial-ization of any communication between,…”
Homer Mcabee, III v. Alicia Marie Mcabee, 259 So. 3d 134 (Fla. 4th DCA 2018). “3 To the extent any contact was made with the Virginia court, the Florida trial court failed to make a record and inform the parties of the communication, as required by section 61.511(4), Fla. Stat. (2017). 7 5th DCA 2006) (affirming trial court’s temporary emergency…”
Earney v. Quiloan, 206 So. 3d 147 (Fla. 5th DCA 2016). “Further, section 61.511(4), Florida Statutes (2016), states that “a record must be made of a communication under this section.”
Kilcrease v. Brown (Fla. 1st DCA 2024).
— 61.511(5) — 1 case
Haugabook v. Jeffcoat-Hultberg, 219 So. 3d 65 (Fla. 4th DCA 2016). “” § 61.511(4), Fla. Stat. (2Q16). Finally, the statute states that the “term ‘record’ means a form of information, including, but not limited to, an electronic recording or transcription by a court reporter which creates a verbatim memorial-ization of any communication between,…”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.

This Florida statute resource is curated by Graham W. Syfert, a Jacksonville, Florida personal injury and workers' compensation attorney (Florida Bar No. 39104). For legal consultation, call 904-383-7448.