Palm Beach County, FL
All 624 county-scoped rules
Every published instrument scoped to Palm Beach 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 101–150 of 624 · page 3 of 13
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.
Hearings Over 30 Minutes Are Set by E-Mail, Not OLS — Division RJ
Judge Mullinax: OLS handles only 15- and 30-minute UMC/special sets; anything longer must be requested by e-mail to the division, with all parties copied on every communication.
Hearings Over 30 Minutes Go Through Case Management — Division FX
Judge Rowe routes hearings longer than 30 minutes through Case Management (not OLS); materials including case law due 3 business days out; remote appearance means camera on, microphone muted.
In Person by Default; Zoom Only With E-Mailed Approval — Division JL
Judge Volker holds all hearings in person absent special circumstances; Zoom requires e-mailed Court approval, and any remote-appearance NOH must list the judge's remote platform credentials.
In Person Required Beyond 15 Minutes; Materials 7 Days Ahead — Division AJ
Hearings exceeding fifteen minutes must be in person in Division AJ (Zoom only ≤30-min UMC-type settings); hearing materials reach chambers by mail or drop seven days prior. Motions should rarely exceed 10 pages.
Interpreters Need 5 Working Days; E-Mail Service Is Mandatory for Everyone — Division JS
Judge Surber: Spanish and Creole interpreters require at least 5 working days' notice, and every attorney AND self-represented litigant must make and receive service by e-mail.
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.
Mark Orders AGREED Only With Written Agreement in Hand — Division M
Judge Zuckerman: upload an order as "AGREED" only if the parties already agreed in writing; motions and notices get courtesy-copied to the division on e-filing; Mon/Thu 8:30 slots are self-set.
Materials 5 Business Days Out; Over 10 Pages Gets a Hard Copy — Division Z
Judge Willis needs everything — responses, case law, memoranda — five business days before the hearing, and any document over 10 pages also as a hard copy to the Judge.
Mediation Before Every Special-Set Hearing — Division AE
Judge Shull requires ALL motions set for special-set hearing to go to mediation before the hearing is held.
Memoranda: 10 Double-Spaced Pages Max, With HIGHLIGHTED Authority — Division RL
Judge Garrison caps memoranda at ten double-spaced pages and wants the controlling legal authority highlighted, delivered at least 5 business days before the hearing or trial.
Minor-Child No-Contact Modifications: Thursdays 11 AM Only, DCF Recommendation Required — Division DV/TD
Judge Burke hears motions to modify no-contact with minor children ONLY on Thursdays at 11:00 AM — and a DCF recommendation is required before the modification is heard.
Motions & Orders in the Queue 4 Days Early; 1-Inch Margins, 12-Point Font — Division RH (FS, NC/H)
Judge Stephens: motions and their orders uploaded four days before the hearing; post-hearing orders within 48 hours; every order on 1-inch margins and 12-point font; pretrials every other Tuesday 8:45 a.m.
Motions ABANDONED After 5 Days Unset — Division RH (FS, NC/H)
Judge Stephens deems motions abandoned when they sit unset for five days — the fastest abandonment clock in the courthouse; hearings are set by CALLING the JA and come within 30 days.
Motions Abandoned at 30 Days; No Case Law 3 Days Out Cancels the Hearing — Division RS
Judge Silver deems motions pending 30 days without a hearing abandoned (and possibly denied), and cancels hearings when relevant case law has not reached chambers three days ahead.
Motions Filed AND Served 7 Business Days Before Hearing — Division RF
Judge DiGangi requires every motion filed and served at least seven business days before its hearing — with courtesy copies three business days out.
Motions Set Within 15 Days, Heard Within 30 — Division RB
Judge Barnett puts motions on a clock: set for hearing within 15 days of filing, heard within 30 — UMC runs Mondays and Wednesdays 9:00–10:00 a.m.
Motions to Compel Discovery: In Person Only — No More Zoom — Division FJ
Judge Weiss pulled discovery-compel motions off Zoom entirely: all Motions to Compel Discovery are set for in-person hearings; special sets are requested by e-mail (not OLS) with the motion attached.
Negotiated Pleas Accepted Up To — and At — Calendar Call — Division P
Judge Castor is the courthouse's lenient plea pole: negotiated plea agreements are accepted up to or at the calendar call hearing, where all parties must appear in person.
Never Send the Order Setting Hearing Before the Court Confirms the Date — Division IZ
Judge Burton: 30-minute-plus special sets are requested by e-mail with case number, time needed, motion copy, and all parties included — and you do not prepare or send the order setting the hearing until the court has confirmed the date.
Never Submit Proposed Orders in Advance — Division AD
Judge Goodman rejects proposed orders submitted before the hearing — they "will be rejected unsigned." Orders go in 48–72 hours AFTER the hearing, Word format, complete mailing and email addresses.
No E-Courtesy, No Case Law by Email — Division AG
Judge Siperstein: Division AG does not use e-courtesy; email to chambers is limited to scheduling; case law gets filed, never emailed.
No E-Courtesy; 10+ Page Materials by Mail or Courier Only — Division AD
Judge Goodman does not participate in E-Courtesy. Hearing materials over 10 pages must arrive by U.S. mail or courier five days in advance; under 10 pages email is acceptable.
No E-Mailed Orders — OLS Only; Set Hearings Through the JA, Not the Clerk — Division JK
Judge Harper refuses e-mailed orders (OLS submission only) and requires all hearings set through the Judicial Assistant rather than the Clerk, with defendant name and case number in every e-mail subject line.
No Hard Copies for UMC — E-Courtesy 3 and 5 Days Out — Division AF
Judge Bell does not accept hard copies or courtesy e-mails for UMC (in camera excepted); e-courtesy due 3 days before UMC, all special-set materials 5 days before.
No Hard Copies or Binders Accepted — Division RL
Judge Garrison refuses hard copies and binders outright; orders come in Word, remote hearings run on Zoom, and small-claims pretrials are in person, Tuesday afternoons, Courtroom 6-K.
No Judicial Review Until the NOH Is Filed AND E-Mailed — Division JL
Judge Volker will not look at a case or motion until the Notice of Hearing is filed and a courtesy copy has been e-mailed to the JA — file it, serve it, send it, or nothing happens.
No Local Rule 4 Conferral, No Hearing — Division AH
Judge Scott cancels hearings outright when counsel skip the Local Rule 4 duty to speak to one another and attempt reasonable compromise.
No Negotiated Plea After Calendar Call — Division U/BUI
Judge Collins cuts plea negotiations off at Calendar Call — after it, no negotiated plea absent good cause, and attorneys and defendants appear at Calendar Call in person.
No Negotiated Pleas on the Day of Trial — Division R
Judge Parnofiello will not accept negotiated pleas on trial day absent good cause — resolve the case before the trial date or try it.
No Speedy Waiver = First Priority on the Trial Calendar — Division L/T2
Judge Bristow gives cases WITHOUT a speedy-trial waiver first priority on the trial calendar; calendar calls run every other Friday for two-week trial periods, and speedy demands get a courtesy copy to the division.
No Telephonic Appearance at Eviction Mediations or Final Hearings — Division RD
Judge Corlew permits remote appearance only without objection and with approval — and never at eviction mediations or final hearings without prior approval.
No Temporary-Relief Hearing Until Mediation on That Relief — Division FY
Judge Burkhart will not schedule a temporary-relief hearing until mediation has been held ON the temporary relief sought — mediation first, hearing second.
No Unilateral Special Sets — Agree With ALL Parties First — Division RD
Judge Corlew forbids unilateral special-set scheduling: date and time must be agreed with all parties, good-faith conferral completed, and Zoom appearance selected when scheduling.
Opposition Responses Filed 3 Days Before the Hearing — Division RJ
Judge Mullinax requires responses in opposition on file at least three days before any set hearing, with a courtesy copy — and late-filed materials must be e-mailed to chambers.
Orders and Final Judgments Uploaded TWO Days Before the Hearing — Division FJ
Judge Weiss requires all proposed orders and final judgments on OLS in Word at least two days BEFORE the hearing — and the Judge must receive an e-mailed courtesy copy of any Notice for Trial.
Orders by Mail or Online — Never E-Mailed to the JA — Division RB
Judge Barnett accepts proposed orders by mail or through Online Services, uploaded in sufficient time BEFORE the hearing — but never e-mailed to the Judicial Assistant.
Orders Immediately After Hearing — 10-Day Outer Limit — Division T/KK2
Judge Hafele: Word-format proposed orders go in immediately after the hearing, with a hard outer limit of 10 days; e-mails to chambers need case number, case name, and matter in the subject line.
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."
Orders in Word — Macros, Columns & Paragraph Tabs Break OLS — Division RE/WD
Judge Shullman: Word-format orders only, and using macros, columns, or paragraph tabs is incompatible with the OLS system; e-mail subject lines must carry case number, name, and matter.
Orders in Word After Hearing — No Tables or Macros — Division AE
Judge Shull: proposed orders in Word after the hearing (the page reads "within five (3) days"), never more than one day in advance; no tables or macros in the case style.
Orders in Word per RJA 2.520 with 3×3 Space — Division RA (Y, FW/FW2, BG/WI)
Judge Alijewicz: orders in Word through Online Services, compliant with Fla. R. Jud. Admin. 2.520, with a 3"×3" blank recording space; motions filed and docketed before any hearing request; 5-business-day UMC notice with courtesy copies via OLS.
Orders in Word via OLS, Within 3 Days After Hearing — Division R
Judge Parnofiello: proposed orders in Word through OLS no later than 3 days after any hearing; motions must be filed with the Clerk before contacting the JA.
Orders in Word, No Tables/Macros, State Agree-or-Object — Division AN
Judge Kerner: orders in Microsoft Word without tables or macros; the drafter must state whether the other side agrees or objects; post-hearing orders state the hearing date; full service addresses on every order.
Orders Land in a ±48-Hour Window Around the Hearing — Division FI
Judge Scher: proposed orders no earlier than 48 hours before and no later than 48 hours after the hearing, with the required designation typed in the notes/comments using her exact language.
Orders Need a Cover Letter Confirming All Parties Reviewed — Division AI
Judge Curley: proposed orders carry a cover letter certifying every party reviewed them; agreed orders must be titled "Agreed Order on (Title of Motion)" and post-hearing orders must state the hearing date.
Orders Need Cover Letter, 48-Hour Clock, and Times New Roman 12 — Division FZ
Judge Delgado requires every proposed order to carry a cover letter, arrive within 48 hours of hearing, include case status, proposed findings, legal authority, mediation confirmation — in Times New Roman size 12.
Orders via the E-Filing Portal with an Agree-or-Disagree Cover Letter — Division RS
Judge Silver takes proposed orders through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal's proposed-order function (not OLS), in Word, within 3 days after hearing — each with a cover letter certifying agreement or identifying the disagreement.
Orders Within 48 Hours After the Hearing — Never Before — Division AH
Judge Scott: proposed orders are never submitted before a hearing; all orders are due within 48 hours after it.
Orders Within 5 Days; Ex Parte E-Mail Returned Unread — Division E
Judge Tew: Word orders through OLS within 5 days after hearing, courtesy copies 3 business days before — and any ex parte communication is returned because it "cannot be read, considered, or acted on."