30 questions, spent like ammunition
Interrogatories — Sworn Written Answers
Interrogatories force the other side to answer questions in writing, under oath, generally within 30 days — and the answers follow the case forever, boxing in every later deponent.
Florida generally caps interrogatories at 30 including all subparts, so attorneys commonly spend them on what documents can't say: identities of witnesses and custodians, how damages were computed, and the factual basis of each defense.
The Florida Supreme Court publishes approved standard interrogatory forms — a floor any self-represented party can serve exactly as counsel would, then tailor.
Answers must generally be complete and under oath; objections must state their grounds. 'See the documents' and 'investigation continues' are the evasions that motions to compel eat.
Do it, don't just read it
Common questions
Can I object instead of answering?
Only with specific grounds stated — and the unobjectionable part must generally still be answered. Boilerplate objections are commonly overruled and can invite fee exposure.
The 30-day clock hits during my vacation — options?
Extensions by agreement are routine early; confirm any agreement in writing. Silence is the one option that always loses.
What are contention interrogatories?
Questions demanding every fact supporting a claim or defense. Served too early they commonly draw objections; served after the paper exists they pin the other side to a record it cannot outgrow.
The governing text — verbatim, never paraphrased
This guide is editorial; the linked pages carry the verbatim, hash-pinned text with its verification state. When a guide and the rule text could ever differ, the rule text wins — that is the whole doctrine.
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