Cost of Delay Modeler Guide for Florida

What this calculator does

Run this scenario in DocketMath using the Cost Of Delay calculator.

DocketMath’s Cost of Delay Modeler (Florida) helps you quantify the economic impact of time by converting delays into a dollar value you can compare across scenarios.

In practical terms, you provide assumptions such as:

• Start and end dates (or a fixed delay length)
• Daily value (what the project, revenue, or harm-equivalent is worth per day)
• Discount rate (optional, if you want to reflect time value of money)
• Fraction of impact (optional, if only part of the value is affected during delay)

Then the calculator generates a cost-of-delay estimate that you can use in case planning, negotiation, internal business reviews, or internal reporting.

Florida timing baseline (use carefully)

This guide references Florida’s general criminal statute of limitations period as a timing framework, not as a guarantee of eligibility in any specific matter.

• General SOL Period (default): 4 years
• Florida Statute: Florida Statute § 775.15(2)(d) (general/default period)
• Source: https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2004/775.15?utm_source=openai

Important note (no legal eligibility determination):
The calculator is about cost of time, not a statutory eligibility checker. A delay may interact with many case-specific factors not addressed by the default 4-year baseline.
Also note: This content uses § 775.15(2)(d) only as a general timing reference. No claim-type-specific sub-rule was found, so the guidance is based on the general/default period.

When to use it

Use the DocketMath Cost of Delay Modeler when you want to translate timing into dollars—especially in planning contexts where you need a structured comparison.

Good fits

• Project or workflow disputes: estimating how 30/90/180 days of delay changes business value
• Settlement leverage discussions: comparing “fast resolution” vs. “wait-and-see” in a numerically consistent way
• Internal priority setting: ranking tasks by time-cost rather than intuition
• Statute-of-limitations planning (high-level): using the general 4-year framework as a modeling anchor to estimate economic consequences of long timelines

When it’s not the right tool

• If you need a claim-type-specific limitations period. This guide only uses the general/default 4-year period from § 775.15(2)(d) and does not identify a claim-type sub-rule.
• If you require legal conclusions about whether a limitations period has expired. The model can help you think in time terms, but it does not replace legal analysis.

Gentle disclaimer: This tool and guide support estimation and comparison. They are not legal advice.

Step-by-step example

Below is a concrete example tailored to Florida using the general 4-year timing reference from Fla. Stat. § 775.15(2)(d).

Scenario: Modeling cost of delay across a 4-year window

Goal: Compare the cost impact if a decision happens:

1. at 1 year
2. at 3 years
3. at 4 years (the general default SOL period reference)

We’ll assume a simplified daily economic value and show how the output changes as time increases.

Step 1: Set the time horizon

• Start date (example): Jan 1, 2026
• End dates:

  • Scenario A: Dec 31, 2026 (≈ 365 days)
  • Scenario B: Dec 31, 2028 (≈ 1095 days)
  • Scenario C: Dec 31, 2029 (≈ 1461 days)

Timing reference (Florida general default):

• 4 years is the baseline window referenced in Fla. Stat. § 775.15(2)(d).
• Depending on the specific calendar dates you use, the exact number of days may vary (e.g., leap years).

Step 2: Choose your daily economic value

Let’s assume:

• Daily value (V): $450/day

  • This could represent lost revenue, ongoing expenses, or a monetized harm proxy.
• Fraction impacted (F): 1.0

  • Meaning: every day of delay contributes fully to the cost estimate.

Step 3: (Optional) Choose a discount rate

If you don’t include discounting, your model is essentially:

• Cost ≈ daily value × days × fraction

If you choose a discount rate (to reflect time value of money), dollars “later” are worth less, and the overall cost estimate may increase more slowly than in the no-discount case.

For this example, we’ll keep it simple and use no discount rate (0%).

Step 4: Run the model inputs in DocketMath

Open the calculator and enter values consistent with your approach:

• Start date: Jan 1, 2026
• End date: (choose for each scenario)
• Daily value: $450
• Fraction impacted: 1.0
• Discount rate: 0%

Then compute for each scenario.

Step 5: Interpret the output

With a simplified “no discount” linear assumption, cost increases roughly proportionally with days:

What to expect:
If daily value and fraction impacted stay constant and discounting is 0%, the relationship trends linearly with time.

Common scenarios

Below are practical ways people typically structure inputs when modeling the cost of delay.

1) Linear economic impact (steady harm or steady opportunity loss)

Use when: the same cost accrues each day.

Typical inputs:

• Daily value: constant
• Fraction impacted: 1.0
• Discount rate: optional

Output behavior:

• Doubling the delay roughly doubles the estimate (absent discounting).

2) Partial impact (only some days matter)

Use when: delay doesn’t fully affect value every day.

Examples:

• Business impact occurs only during operational windows
• Harm increases only after a threshold date

Typical approach:

• Set fraction impacted to a smaller value (e.g., 0.2, 0.5, 0.75)
• Or model multiple runs if impact changes at known dates

3) Comparing “early vs. late” decision strategies

Use when: you want a side-by-side cost comparison to support negotiation ranges or internal decisions.

Workflow:

• Run multiple end dates (e.g., +90 days, +180 days, +365 days)
• Keep daily value constant across runs
• Compare totals and marginal differences

A useful comparison metric:

• Marginal cost of additional delay = (cost at later date) − (cost at earlier date)

4) Using the Florida 4-year general SOL reference as a planning window

If you’re doing “worst-case planning” style estimates, you can anchor one scenario at 4 years using Fla. Stat. § 775.15(2)(d) as the general/default period.

Pitfall to avoid:
This does not mean every matter will follow a 4-year timeline. It’s a modeling anchor for time-cost comparison, not a prediction.

Tips for accuracy

DocketMath’s output is only as good as your inputs. These tips help reduce avoidable error.

Use actual dates, not just “years”

• Prefer entering start and end dates exactly as they occur on your timeline.
• If your delay spans a leap year, “4 years” may not equal a fixed day count.

Choose daily value defensibly

Common ways to justify daily value:

• Net daily revenue loss (monthly loss ÷ ~30)
• Daily staffing cost (additional labor cost ÷ working days, then adjust with fraction)
• Monetized harm proxy consistent with your internal methodology

Keep daily value consistent across scenarios so differences reflect timing rather than swapped assumptions.

Set fraction impacted intentionally

If only part of the delay causes economic harm:

• Use fraction impacted instead of quietly lowering daily value without explanation.
• This keeps assumptions easier to audit and communicate.

Align discounting with your organization’s practice

Discounting is optional. If you use it:

• Apply the same discount rate across scenarios.
• Don’t mix discounting in one scenario and not in another unless you explicitly want to model sensitivity.

Quick sensitivity check (recommended)

Run at least 3 versions:

• Low daily value (e.g., −25%)
• Mid daily value
• High daily value (e.g., +25%)

If costs swing dramatically, your estimate may depend heavily on an uncertain input—use that insight to refine your assumptions.

Related reading

• Cost of Delay Modeler Guide for Alabama
• Cost of Delay Modeler Guide for Arizona
• Cost of Delay Modeler Guide for Colorado