Florida Fact Information Sheet (Form 1.977)

A fact information sheet is a sworn financial disclosure that a judgment debtor must complete and deliver to the judgment creditor after a Florida court enters a money judgment. The standard form, Form 1.977, requires the debtor to list income, bank accounts, real property, vehicles, and recent asset transfers—all signed under penalty of perjury.

What the debtor discloses on Form 1.977 shapes the creditor’s entire collection strategy—from deciding whether to pursue wage garnishment to identifying bank accounts available for levy. The form is the creditor’s most direct tool for locating non-exempt assets without conducting an independent search.

When Is the Fact Information Sheet Required?

Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.560(c) requires the judge to include an enforcement paragraph in any final judgment if the prevailing party requests it. The court has no discretion to deny the request. The paragraph orders the judgment debtor to complete Form 1.977 under oath and deliver it to the creditor’s attorney within 45 days.

The 45-day deadline runs from the date the judgment is entered, not from the date the debtor receives notice. If the judgment is satisfied in full or post-judgment discovery is otherwise stayed within that period, the obligation to complete the form is suspended.

A creditor can also request a standalone court order requiring Form 1.977 at any point during the life of the judgment, even if the enforcement paragraph was not included in the original final judgment. The court can set its own deadline, typically 45 days or another reasonable period.

A separate version of the fact information sheet exists for small claims judgments. Florida Small Claims Rule 7.221 provides for Form 7.343, which serves the same function as Form 1.977 but applies in county court small claims cases. The disclosure requirements are similar.

What Does Form 1.977 Require?

Form 1.977 for individuals covers personal identification, employment and income, all checking, savings, and investment accounts with account numbers, all real property, and all vehicles. The form also asks whether the debtor transferred any property worth more than $100 to any person within the preceding year.

The form also requires supporting documents. These include the debtor’s last pay stub, the three most recent statements for every financial account, motor vehicle registrations and titles, deeds or titles to real property, and the debtor’s last two years of federal tax returns.

A separate version of Form 1.977 exists for corporations and other business entities. The business version requires disclosure of all officers, directors, members, or partners, along with the names of any shareholder or member holding 5% or more equity. Business debtors must provide three years of state and federal tax returns, all bank statements for the preceding three years, all canceled checks for the preceding 12 months, and board resolutions passed within the prior two years.

Does the Form Require Spousal Information?

The standard fact information sheet asks for limited spousal information, including the spouse’s name, address, employer, and income. Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.560(d) authorizes expanded spousal discovery when the creditor shows a proper predicate for obtaining separate income and asset information about the judgment debtor’s spouse.

Creditors pursue spousal financial information for two reasons. The first is to determine whether the debtor transferred assets to the non-debtor spouse in a manner that could constitute a fraudulent transfer. The second is to evaluate whether the debtor qualifies as head of household under the wage garnishment exemption, which turns partly on the household’s overall financial picture.

A debtor whose spouse has substantial separate assets or income can expect the creditor to request the expanded spousal portion.

How Must the Form Be Delivered?

The completed Form 1.977 and all attachments must be mailed or hand-delivered to the judgment creditor or the creditor’s attorney. The form is not filed with the clerk of court. The form itself emphasizes this rule in bold type.

The reason is privacy. Form 1.977 contains Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, tax returns, and other sensitive financial data. Filing it with the clerk would make that information part of the public court record. Delivering the form only to the creditor or creditor’s counsel keeps the debtor’s financial details out of public view.

After delivering the completed form, the debtor files a notice of compliance with the clerk and serves a copy on the creditor or the creditor’s attorney. The notice confirms that the debtor has satisfied the obligation without disclosing the substance of the financial information in the court file.

What Are the Penalties for Noncompliance?

Failure to complete and deliver the fact information sheet within the court-ordered deadline can result in a finding of contempt. The enforcement sequence follows a predictable escalation.

The creditor first files a motion to compel, asking the court to order the debtor to complete the form by a new deadline. If the debtor misses that deadline, the creditor files a motion for an order to show cause, requiring the debtor to appear in court and explain the failure. If the debtor cannot provide a satisfactory explanation, the court may hold the debtor in civil contempt.

Civil contempt for failure to complete a fact information sheet can result in a writ of bodily attachment—effectively an arrest warrant. Florida courts have jailed debtors who refused to comply, typically allowing them to purge the contempt by completing the form within a set window. A Hillsborough County order, for example, provides for five days of incarceration with a 20-day purge window.

Providing false information on the fact information sheet carries separate consequences. Because the form is signed under oath, intentional misstatements or omissions can expose the debtor to perjury charges.

A debtor who needs more time can request an extension from the court before the deadline expires. Unusually complex financial situations or the need to assemble documents stored elsewhere are common grounds for additional time.

Can a Creditor Require More Than One Fact Information Sheet?

The fact information sheet is not a one-time obligation. Florida law does not limit the number of times a creditor can require the debtor to complete Form 1.977 during the life of a judgment. A Florida judgment is enforceable for 20 years, and the debtor’s financial circumstances can change substantially over that period.

Courts apply a general reasonableness standard to repeated requests. A creditor that demands a new fact information sheet every few months without cause may face pushback, but annual requests or requests triggered by a material change in the debtor’s circumstances are routinely approved.

How Do Creditors Use the Information?

Form 1.977 disclosures directly drive the creditor’s collection efforts. Bank account information enables the creditor to seek a writ of garnishment to freeze and levy the debtor’s accounts. Employment and income details reveal whether wage garnishment is viable and whether the debtor may claim head-of-household protection. Real property disclosures allow the creditor to record the judgment as a lien in each county where the debtor owns non-homestead property. Vehicle and personal property information identifies assets that can be levied through a writ of execution.

The transfer disclosure is particularly important from an asset protection standpoint. Form 1.977 asks whether the debtor transferred any property worth more than $100 to another person within the preceding year. Transfers made after the creditor’s claim arose, for less than reasonably equivalent value, or while the debtor was insolvent are vulnerable to avoidance as fraudulent transfers.

The fact information sheet is one of several post-judgment discovery tools available under Rule 1.560(a). Creditors frequently supplement Form 1.977 with interrogatories, document requests, and depositions targeting specific assets or transactions the initial disclosures revealed.

What Should a Debtor Know Before Completing the Form?

A judgment debtor is not required to volunteer more information than Form 1.977 asks. The form requests specific categories of information, and the debtor’s obligation is to answer those questions truthfully and completely—not to provide a narrative explanation of every financial decision.

Many asset protection strategies remain effective after a judgment is entered. Exempt asset conversions, homestead protections, and retirement account exemptions are all available regardless of when the judgment was entered. Asset restructuring is best completed before the debtor signs the fact information sheet, because the form creates a sworn snapshot of the debtor’s financial position at that moment.