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Florida debt collection: medical bills, wages and court papers

By · Creator and editor · Editorial review: September 7, 2026

Educational information for US consumers. Xavier is not a licensed attorney. This guide links sources and helps you prepare questions; it does not decide your legal rights or represent you.

Florida has important protections for some wages, homes and hospital bills, but the conditions matter. First identify the type of account and whether there is already a lawsuit or judgment. A limitation on filing a new case is different from an exemption you may need to claim after a judgment.

Filing periods: classify the claim first

Florida Statutes 95.11 distinguishes covered written-instrument claims, generally five years, from specified non-written claims, generally four. It also contains a narrower medical-debt rule. Do not decide that a credit-card claim uses four years merely because a collector has not supplied a signed agreement.

For medical services from a facility licensed under Chapter 395, section 95.11(4) sets three years from referral of the medical debt to a third party for collection. This is not a deadline for every medical provider. Obtain the provider's identity and referral record; a treatment date alone is insufficient.

Before paying an old account

Keep the original contract, statements and later payment arrangements. Section 95.04 addresses a signed written acknowledgment or promise concerning a barred debt; it does not support a table declaring every $1 payment or every oral admission an automatic restart. Ask which rule applies to your account before relying on a deadline.

Head-of-family earnings

Under section 222.11, a head of family is someone providing more than half the support for a child or other dependent. Qualifying disposable earnings of $750 a week or less are exempt. Above $750, the exemption remains unless a written waiver satisfying the statute applies. Signing a waiver gives up protection; it is not how you obtain the exemption.

If you receive a garnishment notice, read its exemption-claim instructions immediately. Section 77.041 contains the notice and claim-of-exemption procedure. Save wage records and evidence of dependent support. Protected benefits and deposited funds may need separate documentation.

A home is not the same as available cash

Florida Constitution Article X, section 4 provides a homestead protection with area limits: up to half an acre within a municipality or 160 contiguous acres outside one, subject to its conditions and exceptions. Mortgages, taxes and other specified claims can be different. Bankruptcy also has federal limits. A short online checklist cannot determine whether all your equity is protected.

Hospital assistance and collection conduct

Section 395.3011 restricts extraordinary collection actions by covered facilities, including requirements involving financial-assistance screening and an itemized bill. Ask the facility for its policy and an application; keep its written response and any grievance records.

For abusive conduct, section 559.77 describes civil remedies for violations of section 559.72. Whether a claim succeeds and what relief is available require their own review. There is no automatic $1,000 payment for each complaint.

Court preparation

Read the summons for the court, response requirement and any pretrial date. Small-claims procedures differ from ordinary civil pleadings. Prepare a timeline and copies of account records; ask which form and defenses apply instead of copying blanket denials. Use Florida Courts Help and ask about filing fees, fee waivers, service and available local assistance. Negotiation does not postpone a court deadline.

For a collection notice, use the validation guide. For hospital billing, use the medical-bill guide. If sued, look for local civil legal aid through the Legal Services Corporation directory. Eligibility and assistance vary.