Other Practice Areas in Florida
Beyond personal injury, Florida civil litigators handle a range of disputes. This section covers three: life insurance disputes (denied claims and competing beneficiaries), rental-vehicle arrests (criminal exposure for an unreturned rental, and the renter's possible civil claims), and general civil lawsuit defense (contract, business, and debt claims).
By Find Local Law Editorial Team · Last reviewed: May 25, 2026
Researched and drafted with AI assistance and verified against primary sources (statutes, Judicial Council forms, and official court websites). This is general information, not legal advice.
This is general information, not legal advice. Talk to a Florida attorney about your specific matter.
Not every dispute is a personal injury claim. This section covers three other civil matters Florida litigators handle:
- Life insurance disputes — denied or delayed claims, rescission within the contestability period, the slayer rule, and competing-beneficiary fights (plus the all-important question of whether ERISA governs an employer policy).
- Rental vehicle arrests — how an unreturned rental can become a criminal charge under Fla. Stat. § 812.155, the required written demand, and a wrongfully arrested renter’s possible civil claims.
- Civil lawsuit defense — responding to contract, business, and debt claims; the short deadline to answer; default risk; and the statute of limitations.
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Guides
- Florida Civil Lawsuit Defense
Defending a Florida civil lawsuit (contract, business, or debt claims) starts with a tight clock: you generally have 20 days to respond after being served (Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.140), and missing it risks a default judgment. County courts handle civil cases up to $50,000; higher-value cases go to circuit court. The statute of limitations — 5 years for written contracts, 4 for oral — is a key early defense.
- Florida Life Insurance Disputes
When a life insurance claim is denied or two people claim the same proceeds, Florida law and the policy govern. A key protection is incontestability — after a policy has been in force two years during the insured's life, the insurer generally can't contest it (Fla. Stat. § 627.455). But employer-provided policies are often governed by federal ERISA instead, which changes the rules and the court.
- Florida Rental Vehicle Arrests
In Florida, failing to return a rental vehicle can be a crime under Fla. Stat. § 812.155, but only after the rental company sends a written demand by certified mail and the renter fails to return the vehicle within 5 days. A renter wrongfully arrested — for example, after returning the car or without proper notice — may have civil claims like false arrest or malicious prosecution.
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