RichFaces Modal Panel is a container that blocks an operation on the base page when the modal panel is shown.

You can show the modal panel using the following javascript function: Richfaces.hideModalPanel(id, params). For example, this line code invokes the modal panel: Richfaces.showModalPanel('mp',{width:450, top:200})

The modal panel has an absolute layout.There is no reason to put in on the page where it is called.If you want to perform submits from this modal panel, you should have a separate form inside it. In this case, the panel must be declared outside of the other form on the same page. I.e. nested forms are not allowed.
Those requirements are applied because of the bug in earlier Internet Explorer versions, as the dialog is moved to the top of the browser DOM tree just after it is rendered.