INSTRUCTIONS FOR FLORIDA SUPREME COURT APPROVED FAMILY LAW FORM 12.983(e), MOTION FOR SCIENTIFIC PATERNITY TESTING (11/15) When should this form be used? This form should be used when the mother or alleged father wants the court to order a scientific paternity test to determine the paternity of a minor child(ren). This form should be typed or printed in black ink. After completing this form, you should sign the form before a notary public or deputy clerk. You should file the original with the clerk of the circuit court in the county where the petition was filed and keep a copy for your records. IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING E-FILING The Florida Rules of Judicial Administration now require that all petitions, pleadings, and documents be filed electronically except in certain circumstances. Self-represented litigants may file petitions or other pleadings or documents electronically; however, they are not required to do so. If you choose to file your pleadings or other documents electronically, you must do so in accordance with Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.525, and you must follow the procedures of the judicial circuit in which you file. The rules and procedures should be carefully read and followed. IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING E-SERVICE ELECTION After the initial service of process of the petition or supplemental petition by the Sheriff or certified process server, the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration now require that all documents required or permitted to be served on the other party must be served by electronic mail (e-mail) except in certain circumstances. You must strictly comply with the format requirements set forth in the Rules of Judicial Administration. If you elect to participate in electronic service, which means serving or receiving pleadings by electronic mail (e-mail), or through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, you must review Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.516. You may find this rule at www.flcourts.org through the link to the Rules of Judicial Administration provided under either Family Law Forms: Getting Started, or Rules of Court in the A-Z Topical Index. SELF-REPRESENTED LITIGANTS MAY SERVE DOCUMENTS BY E-MAIL; HOWEVER, THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED TO DO SO. If a self-represented litigant elects to serve and receive documents by e-mail, the procedures must always be followed once the initial election is made. Instructions for Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.983(e), Motion for Scientific Paternity Testing (11/15) American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkFlow.com To serve and receive documents by e-mail, you must designate your e-mail addresses by using the Designation of Current Mailing and E-mail Address, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.915, and you must provide your e-mail address on each form on which your signature appears. Please CAREFULLY read the rules and instructions for: Certificate of Service (General), Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.914; Designation of Current Mailing and E-mail Address, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.915; and Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.516. What should I do next? When you have filed this motion, you are ready to set a hearing on this motion. You should check with the clerk, family law intake staff, or judicial assistant for information on the local procedure for scheduling a hearing. When you know the date and time of your hearing, you should file a Notice of Hearing (General), Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.923, or other appropriate notice of hearing form. A copy of this motion and the Notice of Hearing must be mailed, e-mailed or hand-delivered to the other party in your case. Where can I look for more information? Before proceeding, you should read General Information for Self-Represented Litigants found at the beginning of these forms. The words that are in bold underline in these instructions are defined there. For further information, see chapter 742, Florida Statutes. Special notes... These family law forms contain an Order on Motion for Scientific Paternity Testing, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.983(f), which the judge may use. You should check with the clerk, family law intake staff, or judicial assistant to see if you need to bring it with you to the hearing. If so, you should type or print the heading, including the circuit, county, case number, division, and the parties' names, and leave the rest blank for the judge to complete at your hearing or trial. Remember, a person who is NOT an attorney is called a nonlawyer. If a nonlawyer helps you fill out these forms, that person must give you a copy of a Disclosure from Nonlawyer, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure Form 12.900 (a), before he or she helps you. A nonlawyer helping you fill out these forms also must put his or her name, address, and telephone number on the bottom of the last page of every form he or she helps you complete. Instructions for Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.983(e), Motion for Scientific Paternity Testing (11/15) American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkFlow.com IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE _______________________ JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR ________________________ COUNTY, FLORIDA Case No.: ______________________________ Division: __________________________________________________________________________________ _ __________________________________, Petitioner, and __________________________________, Respondent, MOTION FOR SCIENTIFIC PATERNITY TESTING I, {choose only one} Petitioner Respondent certifies that the following information is true: 1. At this time, other than testimony, very little or no substantial proof of paternity or nonpaternity is available in this action. 2. I request, under section 742.12, Florida Statutes, that the Court enter an order for appropriate scientific testing of the biological samples of Petitioner and Respondent and the minor child(ren) listed below, so that a determination of paternity of the minor child(ren) can be made to a reasonable degree of medical certainty: Name Birth Date (1) ____________________________________________________________________________ (2) ____________________________________________________________________________ (3) ____________________________________________________________________________ (4) ____________________________________________________________________________ (5) ______________________________________