Judicial Section Details

ZOOM COURTROOM LINK: https://zoom.us/j/93093751321

ZOOM ADOPTION/DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COURTROOM LINK: https://zoom.us/j/94017080520

Court Procedures:

1)  All evidentiary hearings, including motions for contempt, are set in-person. All matters requiring more than one hour are set in-person. The Court will require other matters to be heard in-person on a case-by-case basis. If parties are seeking a Zoom hearing for matters that are typically held in-person, and both parties agree to a Zoom hearing, the parties shall request a Zoom hearing in writing to the Court’s judicial assistant. The Court will then determine whether or not to grant the request.

2) All parties, including attorneys, the parties themselves, and pro se litigants must register at the Florida Court E-Filing Portal at https://www.myflcourtaccess.com/authority/ .This is the only method for filing and receiving pleadings and court notices.  

3) All parties must also register with the CourtMAP system to view their case and submit required evidence or additional documents.  

4) Important: In order to create a CourtMAP account, you must first register with the State of Florida’s E-Filing Portal for the case in which you are a self-represented litigant.

5) Hearings shall be completed in the time allotted. Parties appearing at hearings shall be prepared to present their entire matter within the time afforded by the Court. During the setting process, if the parties are unable to determine how long a hearing will take, the Court will set the length of the hearing. The parties will then tailor their presentations to fit within the hearing time.

6) Upon the filing of a motion with the Court, the party requesting the motion shall file a request for hearing within 30 days of the filing of the motion. Failure to request a hearing within 30 days after a filed motion may result in the motion being denied without prejudice.

7) Parties shall meet and confer prior to the filing of motions. In the event that a motion is required, the party filing the motions shall indicate that the parties met and conferred, and no resolution was reached or that the other party was unable to be contacted after due diligence.
Prior to any evidentiary hearing, the parties shall exchange witness lists and exhibits within 7 calendar days of the hearing. In the event of an emergency hearing, the parties shall exchange witness lists and exhibits within 24 hours.

8) The parties shall not argue with one another through the Court’s or judicial assistant’s inbox. In the event the parties have a conflict regarding the setting of a hearing or scheduling a matter, they may place the issue on the Court’s five-minute motion calendar. The Court will not tolerate parties arguing to the judicial assistant over substantive matters or scheduling matters through email communication. The Court reserves the right to sanction any party who violates this provision.

9)Pursuant to Florida Family Law Rule 12.285(b)(2), mandatory disclosure must be exchanged within 45 days of serving the initial pleading, accompanied by the filing of a certificate of compliance as required by Rule 12.285(j). This includes a financial affidavit. Parties seeking temporary financial relief must exchange disclosure pursuant to rule 12.285(b)(1).In the event this Court determines that Rule 12.285 has not been complied with, and the parties have not agreed in writing to an extension for the exchange of disclosure, this Court may issue an order show cause why the matter should not be dismissed or default entered against the non-compliant party, or both.

10) The parties and attorneys shall treat and communicate respectfully with one another. This includes communication outside the Court’s purview and when present in front of the Court.

INTERPRETERS / INTERPRETE
If you require an interpreter for the hearing, you are required to bring an interpreter with you. The Court only provides interpreters for domestic violence hearings.

Si necesita un intérprete para la audiencia, debe traer un intérprete con usted. El tribunal solo proporciona intérpretes para audiencias de violencia doméstica.

The Court is providing certain documents that you may find useful in meeting the requirements for a dissolution or paternity case. The documents are below.

Court procedures may be downloaded below.