Florida›Circuit 15
Fifteenth Judicial Circuit
Verified judges, local rules, standing orders, and controlling division-assignment orders for Palm Beach County — every entry cites its official source with a last-verified date.
Official site: https://www.15thcircuit.com
Counties in this circuit
Bench (53 judicial officers)
Circuit judges
County judges
Titles shown as circuit judges, county judges, and quasi-judicial officers per the official directory.
Recently verified rules
Search all rules →Generative AI Use Must Be Disclosed on the Face of the Filing — Division FI
[PREEMPTED effective June 15, 2026 by Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin. 2.515(d)(2) and AOSC26-12 — the statewide certification standard now controls.] Judge Scher requires any attorney or self-represented litigant who used a generative AI tool to disclose that use on the face of the filing — one of the first standing AI-disclosure mandates on the Palm Beach bench.
Skip Pre-Trial Mediation and the Case Is Stricken From the Trial Docket — Division FC
Judge Miller mandates pre-trial mediation after every Order Setting Trial — regardless of any earlier mediation — on pain of striking from the trial docket and sanctions up to dismissal without further notice or hearing.
The Remote-Appearance Matrix — and Never From a Moving Vehicle — Division JO
Judge Kroll publishes an enumerated list of who may appear remotely (youth from school via the School Liaison, parents from jail or treatment, DJJ liaisons, JPOs, case managers, CPIs, volunteer GALs, out-of-state parties) — everyone else moves for leave 3 days out, and no one appears from a moving vehicle.
Continuances 5 Days Out — Signed by the PARTY, Not Just Counsel — Division JO
Judge Kroll requires continuance motions five days before the court date and, per Rule 2.545(e), signed by the party requesting the continuance absent good cause; emergencies follow AO 3.206 with a detailed three-part motion.
Know the Weekly Docket Map: Delinquency Tuesday, Dependency Wednesday, Adoptions Friday — Division JO
Judge Kroll runs a fixed weekly architecture — Monday special-set trials/motions (plus monthly truancy and early-childhood dockets), Tuesday delinquency, Wednesday dependency and monthly permanency reviews, Thursday trials, Friday adoptions and delinquency — with in-custody matters heard first.
QDRO Channel Split: Attorneys via OLS, Pro Se by Mail — NO EXCEPTIONS — Division FC
Judge Miller's QDRO rule is absolute: after the motion and plan-administrator pre-approval letter are filed, attorneys upload proposed orders via OLS while pro se litigants mail theirs in — "NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE." The Court also never acts on letters, notes, or e-mails.
Remote-Hearing Exhibits by U.S. Mail or Drop Box Only — E-Mailed Exhibits Refused — Division FC
Judge Miller: exhibits for remote hearings must be premarked and physically delivered (U.S. mail or courthouse drop box) at least three business days out or they are not considered — e-mailed exhibits are refused, and evidentiary hearings are never remote.
Over 10 Pages? Courtesy Copy Goes Hard-Copy by U.S. Mail Only — Division IA
Judge Schosberg Feuer: shorter courtesy copies arrive three business days before the hearing, but documents exceeding 10 pages total must come as a hard copy via U.S. mail only.
Guardians Get Level-2 Checks and Credit Reports; Property Means a Restricted Depository — Division IA
Judge Schosberg Feuer requires every proposed guardian to submit to a level-2 criminal background check and a credit report, and mandates a Restricted Depository in every guardianship involving property.
Orders in the ±48-Hour Window With Burton's Exact Notation — Division IZ
Judge Burton: orders arrive via OLS within 48 hours after (or up to 48 hours before) the hearing, the notes/comments section MUST carry his designated label (AGREED ORDER, ORDER AFTER HEARING, DISPUTED ORDER, FUTURE PROPOSED ORDER, PROBATE EX PARTE ORDER), and the date line reads "DONE and ORDERED in Palm Beach County, Florida."
Ex Parte Orders: Don't Ask for Status Before Day 7 — Division IA
Judge Schosberg Feuer reviews uploaded ex parte orders continuously — and asks that no one contact the JA about an order's status until seven days have passed.
Prevailing Party's Order Within 3 Days of the Ruling; Exhibits 5 Days Early — Division JS
Judge Surber: the prevailing party submits proposed orders within 3 days after the Court rules, and exhibits must be in at least five days before the hearing.