Florida expert witness: experts for Florida state and federal courts.
Expert Witness Networks places board-certified physicians, licensed specialists and technical experts on Florida cases for record review, written opinions, deposition and trial testimony. Serving Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, Orlando and St. Petersburg and every county statewide.
How Florida courts treat expert testimony
The rules every expert must meet in Florida, medical or not.
Daubert
Fla. Stat. § 90.702, as amended in 2013, adopts the Daubert standard. After first declining to adopt it (DeLisle v. Crane Co. (Fla. 2018)), the Florida Supreme Court adopted it as a rule in In re Amendments to the Florida Evidence Code, 278 So. 3d 551 (Fla. 2019).
Circuit courts are the trial courts of general jurisdiction, in 20 judicial circuits; county courts handle smaller matters. Appeals go to the District Courts of Appeal (six since 2023), and the highest court is the Supreme Court of Florida.
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida
- U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
Florida medical expert requirements
What a medical expert must satisfy before testifying in a Florida malpractice case.
Who qualifies as a medical expert
Against a specialist, the expert must practice the same specialty. The expert must have spent the 3 years before the occurrence in clinical practice or consulting, accredited teaching, or affiliated clinical research in that specialty (Fla. Stat. § 766.102(5)(a)). The expert must hold an active license and complete a review of the pertinent medical records.
Certificate, affidavit or presuit requirement
Before suit, the claimant must serve a notice of intent with a verified written medical expert opinion corroborating reasonable grounds (§ 766.203(2)). A 90-day presuit screening period follows, during which the limitations period is tolled (§ 766.106(3)–(4)).
Out-of-state experts
A physician licensed elsewhere needs a Florida Expert Witness Certificate to sign a presuit opinion or testify on the standard of care against a Florida physician (§§ 458.3175, 766.102(12)). The certificate costs $50 and lasts 2 years, and holders are subject to Board of Medicine discipline. Non-medical experts need no Florida license.
Statute of limitations
Two years from the incident or its discovery, with a 4-year repose, extended to 7 years for fraud or concealment (§ 95.11). Neither outer limit bars a minor’s claim filed by the child’s 8th birthday.
Damage caps
No enforceable cap. The § 766.118 noneconomic caps were struck down for wrongful death (Estate of McCall v. United States (Fla. 2014)) and personal injury (N. Broward Hosp. Dist. v. Kalitan (Fla. 2017)). Section 768.21(8), the bar on some adult children’s and parents’ noneconomic damages in malpractice death cases, remains in force.
Case & Record Review
Thorough review of records, imaging, reports and evidence.
Written Opinions
Clear, defensible expert reports and affidavits.
Deposition Testimony
Prepared, credible testimony under examination.
Trial Testimony
Plain-language explanation for judge and jury.
Defense and prosecution experts in Florida
Public defenders pay for court-approved experts as due process costs (§ 29.006). For defendants with court-appointed counsel, or found indigent for costs while represented by private or pro bono counsel, the state pays through the Justice Administrative Commission (§ 29.007).
We place experts in homicide, abusive head trauma (shaken baby), child abuse and non-accidental trauma, competency and criminal responsibility, and vehicular cases.
Experts we place on Florida cases
A sample of our roster. Beyond medicine we also place engineers, architects, geologists, meteorologists, questioned-document examiners, DNA specialists and attorney experts.
Questions attorneys ask about Florida experts
Is Florida a Daubert state?
Yes. Fla. Stat. § 90.702 has followed Daubert since the 2013 amendment, and the Florida Supreme Court adopted it as a rule in May 2019, reversing its 2018 DeLisle decision.
Does an out-of-state doctor need a Florida license to be a medical malpractice expert?
Not a full license, but they need a Florida Expert Witness Certificate under § 458.3175. It costs $50, is valid for two years, and must be in hand before signing the presuit opinion.
How long is the Florida presuit period for medical malpractice?
90 days after the notice of intent and verified expert opinion are served, during which the limitations period is tolled (§ 766.106).
Who pays for experts for indigent criminal defendants in Florida?
The public defender’s office for its own clients (§ 29.006). For court-appointed counsel or defendants declared indigent for costs, the state pays through the Justice Administrative Commission (§ 29.007).
Can Expert Witness Networks provide an expert for a Florida case?
Yes. Our experts travel and testify in Florida state and federal courts for plaintiff and defense counsel, prosecutors, pro se parties and private individuals. You receive the expert’s CV and fee schedule before anything proceeds.
Sources
This page summarizes Florida law for general information as of 2026 and is not legal advice. Statutes and case law change; confirm current requirements for your matter.
Tell us what your case requires.
Call or write with the specialty, the issues in dispute and your deadline. We will find the right fit.
Langley, KY 41645