Hillsborough County, FL
All 265 county-scoped rules
Every published instrument scoped to Hillsborough County, newest effective date first. 0 circuit-wide and 636 statewide instruments also apply here — search all three layers together. Procedural information only; not legal advice.
Published rules, newest effective date first
Showing 1–50 of 265 · page 1 of 6
A Recusing Child Support Hearing Officer Sends Your Case to the Next Division in a Fixed Loop
If your CSEHO recuses, the case does not go back into random assignment — it moves automatically to the next numbered division, and Division 6 wraps around to Division 1.
Title IV-D Hearing Officers Cannot Touch Custody, Visitation, Property or Contested Paternity
Child support enforcement hearing officers handle Title IV-D support matters only. Custody, visitation and property disputes cannot be filed inside the Title IV-D case at all — they require a separate action.
"Agreed Order" Captions Required; Orphan Agreed Orders Rejected — Circuit Civil J
Judge Ellison rejects agreed orders not preceded by a motion or stipulation, requires "Agreed Order" as the caption opener with the basis identified in paragraph one, and runs competing orders through a Word-format e-mail protocol with legal argument prohibited.
[PREEMPTED] AI Disclosure & Certification Mandate — Circuit Civil C
[PREEMPTED effective June 15, 2026 by Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin. 2.515(d)(2) and AOSC26-12 — the statewide certification standard controls.] Judge Polo's page still displays her own AI-disclosure mandate with sanctions up to dismissal.
[PREEMPTED] AI Disclosure & Certification Mandate — Circuit Civil H
[PREEMPTED effective June 15, 2026 by Rule 2.515(d)(2) and AOSC26-12.] Judge Helene Daniel's page still displays her own AI disclosure-and-certification mandate with sanctions including dismissal.
[PREEMPTED] AI Disclosure & Certification Mandate — Circuit Civil K
[PREEMPTED effective June 15, 2026 by Rule 2.515(d)(2) and AOSC26-12.] Judge Marlewski's page still displays her own AI disclosure-and-certification mandate.
[PREEMPTED] AI Disclosure & Certification Mandate — Family A
[PREEMPTED effective June 15, 2026 by Rule 2.515(d)(2) and AOSC26-12.] Judge Felix's page still displays his own AI disclose-and-certify mandate for any document, materials, or exhibits.
[PREEMPTED] AI Face-of-Document Disclosure + Certification — Injunctions K / County Civil S
[PREEMPTED effective June 15, 2026 by Rule 2.515(d)(2) and AOSC26-12.] Judge Black's page still imposes her own AI rule — disclosure on the face of the document plus a personal-review certification, citing Fla. Bar Ethics Op. 24-1 — alongside 5-business-day case-law notebooks and new County Civil AO S-2026-024.
10-Page Cap on Everything; Litigating by E-Mail = Sanctions — Circuit Civil C
Judge Polo caps all motions/responses/replies/memos at 10 pages (photos, charts, case law exempt), requires supporting papers e-filed 3 business days out, and warns that seeking relief by e-mailing chambers brings sanctions without further notice.
10-Page Memos, Decide-on-Papers Option — Circuit Civil I & Tobacco Y
Judge Huey caps memos at 10 pages (photos/charts exempt), refuses mailed or hand-delivered submissions, and offers a decide-on-the-papers track when both sides agree.
30 Minutes or More Means In Person — Circuit Civil F
Judge Gabbard's practices PDF: hearings scheduled for 30 minutes or more are conducted IN PERSON; everything else runs electronically via Zoom unless the Court orders otherwise.
30-Minute Zoom Line; Unpermitted Zoom Evidentiary Hearings Get Cancelled — Family C
Judge DePaul's matrix: non-evidentiary ≤30 minutes on Zoom (pro se CMCs in person); evidentiary or >30 minutes in person, with evidentiary set at 60 minutes; Zoom-noticed evidentiary hearings without permission may be cancelled; phone appearances risk rescheduling.
A Notice of Appearance Without a Speedy Waiver Means In-Person Arraignment — County Criminal D
Judge Brown (14-item FSC template, the county-criminal exemplar): in-person default under his Standing Order on Remote Appearances; filing an NOA without waiving speedy trial obligates defendant AND counsel to appear at arraignment; his AI paragraph points to statewide Rule 2.515(d) (compliant).
All Cases In Person; Discovery Motions Within 10 Days of the Due Date — County Criminal A
Judge Smith's practices PDF (mod. Jan. 14, 2026): ALL CASES ARE IN PERSON, discovery-related motions are filed within 10 days after discovery was due, and out-of-custody pleas include a scanned fingerprint card in the filing.
Arraignments by Zoom on Dispo Mondays; Dispositions IN PERSON — Juvenile A/E & Marchman Z
Judge Pomponio's multi-docket practices PDF: arraignments run every Monday of Dispo week at 9:00 a.m. via Zoom, but all dispositions are in person, and the division otherwise conducts hearings in person.
Asbestos Division Z: Third-Thursday Agenda Docket via Outside Coordinator
Judge Farfante's asbestos calendar runs monthly (generally the third Thursday, 10:30 a.m.) on an agenda built by an outside coordinator — motions must reach the coordinator by 5:00 p.m. the Thursday one week prior or risk not being heard.
Bantner Removed His Prior AI Requirements — the Statewide Rule Controls — County Civil M
The strongest in-the-wild confirmation of the 2026 statewide AI rule: Judge Bantner's page expressly states his prior AI requirements are REMOVED because of the May 28, 2026 amendment of Rule 2.515 — signing a filing now itself certifies the authorities exist and are accurately cited.
Bond Motions Decided on the Papers — 24-Hour State Response — Criminal F
Judge Alvarez decides bond reductions without evidence or hearing: file, e-mail the division, the State responds within 24 hours, the Court rules by e-mail, and defense uploads a State-approved order.
Bringing In a Recused Judge's Attorney Mid-Case Waives the Disqualification — 13th Circuit
A standing recusal order moves your case only if the subject attorney files the party's FIRST pleading or paper. Bring that attorney in later and the case stays put — you are deemed to have waived the judge's disqualification.
Business Court: CMR per Local Rule 3.13, Wait for the JAWS E-Mail — Business Court L
Judge Farfante's Business Court runs initial CMCs on UMC with a mandatory Case Management Report per Local Rule 3.13, SMITH/JONES-style e-mail subject lines, and a hard rule: do not e-file the notice until the JAWS confirmation e-mail arrives.
Case Law and Tabbed Exhibit Binders 5 Business Days Out — Probate A
Judge Catlin: all case-law authority AND all hearing/trial exhibits due at least five business days ahead — exhibits in an indexed, tabbed binder — with mediation mandatory before any 2-hour-plus hearing on pain of cancellation.
Contested Financials Highlighted; One Color-Coded ED Worksheet in Excel — Family B
Judge Tompkins requires each side's final financial affidavit 5 days before trial with ONLY contested entries highlighted, and a single jointly-prepared equitable-distribution worksheet in Excel color-coding agreed vs. disputed items.
Continuance Procedure Splits by Case Filing Year — Circuit Civil G
Judge Nash routes trial continuances differently by vintage: 2023-and-earlier cases must set the motion on UMC/CMC; 2024-and-later cases e-mail the motion to the division for chambers review — and no new trial order issues until the continuance is granted.
Costello Points Filers to the New Statewide AI Rule 2.515(d)(2) — Injunctions H / County Civil K
Judge Costello's AI section simply restates amended Rule 2.515(d)(2) — the post-AOSC26-12 statewide standard — a compliance model, not a local mandate: signers certify cited authorities exist and are accurately cited, with the rule's own sanctions.
County Civil I Uniform Motion Calendar: 5 Minutes Total, 3 Minutes a Side
Judge Edwards' UMC is capped at five minutes total and three minutes per side. Contested motions between represented parties, evidentiary motions, and anything needing a case-law binder do not belong there.
County Civil L: Unilateral Notices Need 45 Days and a Detailed Account of Your Efforts
Judge Saba allows a unilateral hearing notice only after 45 days' notice and only for lack of cooperation — and the notice must detail the efforts made to agree. One letter, email or ultimatum is not enough, and cross-noticing is prohibited.
County Civil P: 25-Page Motion Cap and Rule 1.202 Conferral Before You File
Judge Makholm caps a single motion at twenty-five pages excluding attachments, requires Rule 1.202 conferral before filing, and needs evidentiary materials five business days ahead.
County Civil R: Unilateral Notices Need 45 Days and a Detailed Account of Your Efforts
Judge O'Brien applies the same 45-day unilateral-notice standard as County Civil L — available only for lack of cooperation, with the notice detailing the efforts made to agree. Cross-noticing is prohibited.
DCF Arranges Remote Appearances; Witness Zoom Needs Court Permission — Juvenile Dependency B
Judge Martin's practices PDF (mod. 1/23/2026, recovered from the portal vein): DCF is responsible for arranging remote appearances, witnesses appear by Zoom only with Court permission, and status conferences require a filed notice of hearing.
Deadline-Firm Materials; Motion-Based Zoom — County Civil V
Judge Gutman's practices PDF (mod. June 2026): the county-civil template applies — late materials not considered, Zoom by motion for in-person-noticed hearings, good cause for remote requests.
Digital Courtesy Copies Only; Small Claims & Eviction Procedures Published — County Civil J
Judge Baggé-Hernández runs the fullest county-civil template (13 sections) including dedicated Small Claims and Landlord/Tenant-Eviction procedures — courtesy copies go digitally to the division, JAWS is the scheduling default, and unsolicited non-party communications are disregarded.
Disqualifying a Dependency Magistrate: the Judge Rules on Sufficiency, Then a Random Number Generator Picks the Successor
A recusing dependency magistrate hands the case down a fixed loop (GM-1 to GM-2 to GM-4 to GM-1). A motion to disqualify goes to the presiding judge for a legal-sufficiency ruling — and if granted, the successor is drawn with a true random number generator.
Division O: File the Motion AND Notice by 11:59 A.M. the Day Before — or It Is Stricken
Judge Murphy's first-appearance and emergency division runs on a hard 11:59 a.m. day-before deadline. Anything filed after noon the day before is stricken absent emergent circumstances, and multi-case motions must be filed in every case.
East Circuit R: Notices Carry Filing Date, Doc Index Number, and Reserved Time
Judge Chandler's Division R sheet demands metadata on every notice — filing date, document index number of the motion, and time reserved — with 30-minute-plus contested evidentiary matters in person at Plant City and exhibits/case law mailed 5 days ahead.
East Probate U Is Paperless and Rides Division R's Docket
Judge Chandler's Division U sheet: East Probate is paperless (orders only via ePortal to EAST CIRCUIT PROBATE DIVISION U), and probate hearings share Division R's JAWS docket for 30-minutes-or-less settings.
Emergency Guardianship and Vulnerable-Adult Petitions Are In Person — Probate B / RPO N
Judge Tesche Arkin defaults to Zoom but pulls emergencies back into the courtroom: Emergency Temporary Guardianship and Vulnerable Adult petitions are heard in person with counsel and parties present; 1-hour-plus hearings are JA-set and in-person only.
Every Post-Judgment Family Matter Gets Referred to a General Magistrate — File Your Motion or Objection With It
Post-judgment family law matters (except Title IV-D) are referred to a general magistrate. When you file the matter you must simultaneously file either a Motion for Referral or an Objection to Referral. Pre-judgment matters are never referred.
Everyone Appears In Person at the First Case Management Conference — Family F
Judge Kiser requires all parties and counsel in person at the first CMC; post-judgment matters come off the first case-management docket and reschedule appropriately; the JA answers no legal questions.
Hearing Binders Only as Bookmarked PDFs — Circuit Civil D
Judge Peacock refuses sharefile links and paper binders: courtesy materials go by e-mail with case number and hearing date, binders arrive as bookmarked PDFs, and Word orders are rejected by the ePortal.
Hybrid Dependency Hearings — Video On, Name + Role + Case Number Displayed — Juvenile Dependency D
Judge Campbell runs dependency hearings hybrid (Zoom or in person) with video required on, a strict Zoom renaming convention (name, role, case number), Zoom Rooms reservable at the courthouse 3 days ahead — and trials in person with witness lists 5 days and premarked exhibits 3 business days out.
Improperly Filed Emergencies Are Not Emergencies — Circuit Civil A
Judge Thomas: an emergency motion not properly filed with the clerk will not be treated as an emergency — the clerk channel is the only emergency channel.
In-Custody Continuances 48 Hours Ahead — or the Jail Transport Rolls — County Criminal B
Judge Taylor (under the shared County Criminal Standing Pretrial Order): continuance motions for in-custody defendants must be filed at least 48 hours before the court date to cancel jail transport, and all pleas are in person absent a pre-approved plea in absentia.
In-Custody Defendants Are Not Transported to Arraignment — Criminal D
Judge Green's practices PDF: in-custody defendants will not be transported to arraignment — plan appearances and waivers accordingly; orders in PDF; the JA answers no legal questions.
Interim Dispositional Dates PERMANENTLY Eliminated — Criminal F
Judge Alvarez permanently eliminated interim dispositional dates — the affirmative duty to progress discovery and set motions before the PTC survives; PTCs are in person with the defendant required.
Jury Instructions by 8:00 A.M. Monday of Trial Week — Criminal I
Judge Rice: the State e-mails proposed jury instructions by 8:00 a.m. the Monday of trial week; exhibits pre-marked sequentially with every page bates-numbered; two-week trial subpoena windows for first-degree-and-up felonies.
Jury Instructions on a CD-R Disc, Voir Dire Capped at 2 Hours — Circuit Civil I
Judge Huey's standing jury-trial order still requires the original, two copies AND a CD-R disc in Word format of proposed jury instructions and verdict forms by close of business the day before trial — with voir dire limited to two hours per side and limine motions heard by the Friday before.
Juvenile A / Marchman Z: the Proposed-Order Deadline Is Internally Contradictory — Treat It as 3 Business Days
Judge Pomponio's published procedures say proposed orders are due "within five (3) business days after any hearing." The spelled-out word and the numeral disagree. Until the court corrects it, the safe reading is the shorter one: 3 business days.
Late Materials Not Considered; 3-Day Binder Recycling — County Civil R
Judge O'Brien's practices PDF (mod. Nov. 2025): materials after the deadline are not considered, unclaimed binders are recycled within 3 days, and Zoom at an in-person-noticed hearing takes a motion.
Late Materials Not Considered; Unclaimed Binders Recycled in 3 Days — County Civil L
Judge Saba's practices PDF (mod. Jan. 2026): hearing materials received after the deadline will not be considered, binders not retrieved within 3 days of the proceeding are recycled, and Zoom requests for in-person-noticed hearings go by motion.
Mandatory In-Person Appearance; Idle Motions Deemed Abandoned — County Civil P
Judge Makholm's practices PDF (mod. July 1, 2026 — days old): appearance in person is mandatory for the listed settings, and unprosecuted motions "may be deemed abandon[ed]."