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26 verbatim requirements from the 15th Circuit's Division U instructions page as published today.
Fifteenth Judicial Circuit (Palm Beach) — Division U only. Division instructions change with judicial rotations; the division's own page controls. Procedural information only; not legal advice.
• All communications with the judicial office must comply with Canon 3 of the Code of Judicial Conduct, which prohibits a judge from initiating, permitting, or considering ex parte communications and from considering other communications outside the presence of the parties concerning a pending or impending proceeding, unless authorized by law. • All parties must be copied on any e-mail directed to the judicial office, unless an ex parte communication is authorized by law. • All attorneys and self-represented litigants must make and receive service by e-mail, which is generally through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, unless excused. • All attorneys and self-represented litigants must provide an e-mail address to receive signed orders electronically, unless excused. • All parties must comply with Local Rule 4 prior to requesting a hearing. • A notice of hearing must be filed and served immediately after reserving hearing time. • A notice of hearing involving any remote appearance must list the Division Zoom link. • All notices of hearing must contain the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) notification required by Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.540 and the language that counsel has complied with Local Rule 4. • The Court must receive all materials for the hearing, including case law, no later than three (3) business days before the hearing. • Except for good cause shown, the motion must be signed by the party requesting the continuance, as required by Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.545(e). • Absent an emergency, all motion to continue a trial must be heard prior to the first day of trial. • All parties including the Defendant must be present in person on the first morning of the designated trial period for a Docket Sounding (usually a Monday unless holidays or other conflicts exist) at 8:30 a.m. in Courtroom 11B. • Requests to use communication technology for an appearance any evidentiary hearing or witness for trial must be made by motion. • Plea Conferences, Calendar Calls, and Evidentiary Hearings must be in person absent prior approval from the Court. • If a witness appears remotely, the party calling the witness must ensure the witness has a functioning camera and microphone and has tested the internet connection before the hearing. • All participants in a remote hearing must have a camera, microphone, and speaker to allow them to be seen and heard during a video conference. • If using a smart phone or tablet, you must download the Zoom app. • All proposed orders must be accompanied by a document either (1) confirming the agreement of all parties or (2) containing a statement identifying any disagreement of the parties as to the proposed order. • Proposed orders must be submitted no later than one week after any hearing unless otherwise stated by the Court. • Courtesy Copies of Case Law and Other Documents Courtesy copies of Motions must be submitted to the Court by email to CAD-DivisionU@pbcgov.org for any hearing or trial. • The parties shall communicate and submit one set of agreed verdict forms, pre-trial stipulations, and jury instructions (Times New Roman, 12 pt. font) mailed in WORD format to CAD-DivisionU@pbcgov.org no later than noon on Friday prior to trial week. • If a party believes there is a factual basis for setting an emergency hearing, a detailed motion setting forth the following must be filed: • All parties shall make themselves available for the emergency hearing, barring exigent circumstances. • All attorneys and self-represented litigants must bring sufficient copies of each exhibit for the clerk, the court, and each party to review during the hearing or trial, if necessary. • Pretrial Procedures and Conferences Any pre-trial substantive motions of more than 10 minutes per side or that may require audio or video redactions of evidence should be brought to the attention of the Court to be heard at least 10 days prior to Calendar Call. • Setting Case for Trial Judge Collins will set the cases for a Calendar Call where attorneys and defendants must appear in person.
All communications with the judicial office must comply with Canon 3 of the Code of Judicial Conduct, which prohibits a judge from initiating, permitting, or considering ex parte communications and from considering other communications outside the presence of the parties concerning a pending or impending proceeding, unless authorized by law.
Reviewer note: Composed fresh after the July 2026 rotation replaced division instructions; the prior requirement-level rules for this division sit at medium with notes pointing here. Verbatim from the division's own instructions page, fetched live 2026-08-03 (sha256 b313765ec72c8e3f…); whitespace normalised only. [moved from the text 2026-09-14]
1 verbatim requirement on judge preferences.
20 verbatim requirements on judge preferences.