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Courts and procedure

Statute of limitations

The deadline for filing a lawsuit or starting a criminal prosecution. It varies by type of case.[1]

In more detail

Check deadlines before relying on mediation to resolve a claim. In Florida, filing an application for voluntary binding arbitration tolls the statute of limitations.[2] Florida also sets a deadline for suing over a breach of mediation confidentiality.[3]

Varies by state

Deadlines are set by each state's law and federal law, and differ by claim. Find your state’s rules.

Related terms

  • ComplaintThe written statement a plaintiff files to start a civil case, saying why the court has jurisdiction, what the defendant allegedly did wrong, and what the plaintiff wants.
  • Charge of discriminationA signed statement filed with the U.S.
  • Binding arbitrationArbitration in which the parties agree in advance to be bound by the arbitrator's decision.

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Sources

The official documents this definition is based on, with the date we last read each one. Definitions are in our own words.

  1. Glossary of Legal Termsuscourts.govchecked ↩
  2. Fla. Stat. § 44.104 (Voluntary binding arbitration and voluntary trial resolution)leg.state.fl.uschecked ↩
  3. Fla. Stat. § 44.406 (Confidentiality; civil remedies)leg.state.fl.uschecked ↩

General information, not legal advice. MediationList is not a law firm. Spotted an error? Tell us.

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Page updated

MediationList. (2026, October 28). Statute of limitations: Definition. https://mediationlist.com/glossary/statute-of-limitations/

APA 7th ed. A retrieval date is included only for pages whose content changes, such as maps, data and tools.