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27 verbatim requirements extracted from media-14496__Family-Procedures-Final.pdf, across 5 topics.
Nineteenth Judicial Circuit (Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, St. Lucie). Check the order's own effective and rescission dates before relying on it. Procedural information only; not legal advice.
HEARING TIME & ARGUMENT LIMITS • - Case Short Style Name (Jones v. Jones) - Case Number (short case number is okay – example: 21CA234) - Purpose of Email (Order, Notice of Cancellation of Hearing, Request for Hearing more than one hour, etc.) - If you are requesting an Emergency Hearing, you MUST indicate in the subject line “Request for EMERGENCY Hearing”—the labeling of non- emergency matters as “emergency” will be sanctioned. The body of the email must contain a brief description of the purpose of the email. If a hearing date and time over one (1) hour is requested, then you must include a good faith estimate of time needed for the time for the entire hearing (after consultation with opposing counsel/party). • All motions must be filed with the Clerk before you set the motion on the online calendaring system or contact this office for hearing time. • PRIOR TO FILING MOTIONS: Before filing a motion, the party filing the motion must confer with the opposing party in a good-faith effort to resolve the issues raised in the motion. At the end of the motion and above the signature block, the moving party must include a certificate of conferral in substantially the following form: “I certify that prior to filing this motion, I discussed the relief requested in this motion by [method of communication and date] with the opposing party and [the opposing party (agrees or disagrees) on the resolution of all or part of the motion] OR [the opposing party did not respond (describing with particularity all of the efforts undertaken to accomplish dialogue with the opposing party prior to filing the motion)].” Failure to include this certification will result in the motion and/or hearing being stricken from the docket. • SCHEDULING HEARINGS OF LESS THAN 1 -HOUR: Attorneys and pro se parties may schedule hearings using the online scheduling program at: https://slccjis.stlucieco.gov/attorney_calendar. You must first register to obtain your user ID and password on the site. Please note that additional motions may not be “piggy -backed” by cross -notice without permission from the Judicial Assistant. If both parties are pro se, you must schedule the hearing through the case manager. • SCHEDULING HEARINGS OF MORE THAN 1-HOUR: Please note any hearings that require more than one hour must be requested in writing with an explanation as to why more than one hour is needed and that attempts to resolve the issue have failed. Please contact the Judicial Assistant by email at SLCJudge8@Circuit19.org with your request for hearing and indicate whether opposing counsel agrees with the estimated time requested for hearing. A copy of the filed motion/petition MUST be attached. • INJUNCTION FOR PROTECTION HEARINGS: (all types) may not be scheduled using the Online Calendar. These hearings are set/scheduled by the court, not by the parties and cannot be cancelled or continued without a court order. You must file a motion and submit with a proposed order to the court. Injunction for Protection Hearings (all types) must be conducted in-person. • COURT ATTENDANCE; ZOOM VIDEO: Zoom attendance at Family Court Hearings • may or may not be permitted by first requesting via Motion to Appear Via Zoom at least 48 hours before the hearing, from the Court, by request to chambers at SLCJudge8@circuit19.org. The motion must must be in accordance with Rule 2.530. Do not assume that you may appear by Zoom. While many have gotten used to appearing remotely in the last few years, there is a benefit, in the interest of justice, to in-person contact in the resolution of Family Court matters. These matters are frequently based on personal relationships which can often only be resolved with actual face-to-face contact and an actual commitment to the resolution of the matter. Exceptions will be made, if justified. In person will be the norm, as the Court finds good cause for the reasons stated herein. • IN-PERSON: Attendance at all Trials and Evidentiary Hearings, and all Injunction for Protection Hearings are in-person, in Courtroom 3D, of the St. Lucie County Courthouse, 218 South 2nd Street, Fort Pierce, Florida 34950, unless otherwise directed by the Court. • DEFAULT HEARINGS: Attendance at Default Hearings are in person unless a properly filed motion to appear virtually has been filed and approved. • COORDINATING HEARINGS AND UNILATERALLY SETTING HEARINGS: The moving party is responsible for contacting the opposing party to coordinate the hearing date. If after five (5) business days you are unable to coordinate the hearing date, you may unilaterally schedule the hearing setting forth in your good faith certificate the attempts that were made to coordinate the hearing. • MOTION, NOTICE, AND PROPOSED ORDERS: The notice of hearing must be e-filed with the Clerk within five (5) business days of scheduling the hearing. A copy of the motion, notice of hearing, (and a proposed order if applicable) MUST also be emailed to the Judicial Assistant at SLCJudge8@Circuit19.org within five (5) business days of scheduling the hearing. All proposed orders must be submitted in WORD format. Failure to timely provide a copy of the notice, motion, (and proposed order if applicable), to the JA will result in the matter being stricken from the docket. If your case is stricken from a docket, it will not be rescheduled on that same date. • CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE OF ALL COURT FILINGS AND PROPOSED ORDERS: All court filings and proposed orders MUST contain proper address certification—i.e. the FULL address of ALL parties or email address where the motion was served (or order will be served.) “I certify that a copy of the foregoing was emailed to all parties through the e-service portal” is NOT sufficient. Likewise, • CANCELLING HEARINGS: If you cancel your hearing, you must file a Notice of Cancellation and advise the Judicial Assistant by email no later than 2 PM, the day before the hearing, with a copy to all parties.. Simply filing a Notice of Cancellation does not remove the hearing from the Court’s docket. Attorneys who repeatedly abuse the online calendaring by not removing hearings from the online calendar may be denied the privilege of self-scheduling. If you cancel a hearing, you MUST file a notice of cancellation. It is the responsibility of the moving party to remove any hearing from the Court’s calendaring system. • REQUIREMENTS FOR COURT REPORTERS: All evidentiary matters (both trials and hearings) must be reported by a court reporter. Counsel for the Moving Party is responsible for having a court reporter present. If counsel for the Petitioner does not plan on asking to have the proceedings reported, then he/she MUST timely notify the opposing party so that they may obtain a reporter, should they wish to do so. Failure to do so may be grounds for cancellation of the trial and may be grounds for sanctions. • EMERGENCY HEARINGS: If an emergency situation arises, counsel may request that a hearing be scheduled on short notice. The body of the motion must contain a detailed explanation of the circumstances constituting the emergency as well as the substance of the motion. The E -filed motion must be emailed to the Court before a hearing will be set. The Court will review the motion and, if it is determined that an emergency exists, the Judicial Assistant will contact counsel to set the hearing. • law and Memorandums provided to the Court during the hearing may not be considered. The Court, on occasion, may rule on motions without a hearing. Therefore, both counsel filing the motion and opposing parties are encouraged to timely file written argument with the Court. MOTIONS: • DISCOVERY MOTIONS AND MOTIONS TO COMPEL: Motions to Compel, as well as all discovery motions must comply with the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, including, but not limited to, a certification that the movant, in good faith, has conferred or attempted to confer with the person or party failing to make discovery in an effort to secure the information without court action. See, Fla.R.Civ.P. 12.380(a)(2). • MOTIONS FOR REHEARING, RECONSIDERATION, OR NEW TRIAL: Upon filing said motion the moving party shall send a copy to the Judge for review (please email it to the Judicial Assistant at SLCJudge8@circuit19.org. The copy of the motion sent to the Judge shall be accompanied by a generic order in WORD granting/denying the motion, with at least five lines for additional provisions, a transmittal letter showing copies to all counsel and Pro Se parties. If the moving party fails to comply, any party may furnish a copy of the motion and the required documents to the Court. If the Court determines that a hearing is necessary, the movant will be advised to schedule and hearing and file appropriate notices. Please do not set a Motion for Rehearing or Motion for Reconsideration for hearing without first receiving permission from the Court. All proposed orders and motions MUST contain proper address certification—i.e. the FULL address or email address where the motion was served (or order will be served.) “I certify that a copy of the foregoing was emailed to all parties through the e- service portal” is NOT sufficient. Likewise, listing a party on the order “cc:” without listing the address is insufficient. • WITHDRAWAL OR SUBSTITUTION OF COUNSEL : You must follow the provisions of Fla.R.Jud.Ad. 2.505. You must obtain the client’s consent in writing which shall be filed with the Court, or a hearing must be held after proper notice to the client. • PROCEDURES FOR MOTIONS FOR EXTENSION OF TIME: When a motion for extension of time is filed, and there is no opposition for the extension, an order may be entered without a hearing, so long as the motion details the grounds for “good cause.” The moving party shall submit the proposed order in WORD format, and in a cover letter or email shall certify that that opposing counsel or unrepresented party has been contacted and agreed to the order or waived a hearing thereon. ORDERS AND RULINGS OF THE COURT: • The Court will strive to issue orders and rulings in a timely manner. If counsel is • asked to prepare an order, the order shall be drafted and circulated to opposing counsel or pro se party within 2 business days of the hearing and must be submitted to the Court in Word format and to all counsel and pro se parties within seven (7) business days of the hearing, unless otherwise ordered at the hearing. Counsel or opposing party must advise the Court of any objection to the form of the proposed order upon submission. All proposed orders must describe, in the caption, the subject and ruling of the Court, i.e. “Order Granting Plaintiff Motion for Partial Summary Judgment on Liability” See Rule 1.100(c)(1), Florida Rules of Civil Procedure. • All proposed orders MUST contain proper address certification—i.e. the FULL address or email address where the motion was served (or order will be served.) “I certify that a copy of the foregoing was emailed to all parties through the e- service portal” is NOT sufficient. Likewise, listing a party on the order “cc:” without listing the address is insufficient. • The Court will not execute proposed orders, agreed orders, or stipulations without a written verification or cover letter stating the action requested, that a copy was provided to all counsel of record and pro se parties, and if there is a stipulation or an agreed order, that there are no objections to the entry of the order. Do not state in a cover letter words to the effect: “By copy of this cover letter to opposing counsel, opposing counsel is requested to advise the Court if there is an objection to the proposed order.” Instead, advise the Court if there is an objection to the proposed order. • Proposed orders shall be submitted to the Court via email to SLJudge8@Cirucit19.org . • The proposed order shall reflect the date that the hearing was or will be held. As an example, if the hearing will be held on March 1, 2023, the proposed order should state something to the effect of: “THIS CAUSE came on to be heard on March 1, 2023 on Moving Party’s Motion to … .” • All Post Judgment cases must be referred to the Magistrate. Please provide a proposed Order of Referral to Magistrate via email along with a copy of the Motion and/or Petition. A copy of any filed Objection to the Magistrate should be emailed to SLCJudge8@circuit19.org. Should there be an Objection filed, the case then would be heard before the Judge. Should no Objection be filed, the case would then remain with the Magistrate and any hearing dates and/or questions would be handled by the Magistrate’s Assistant. PRO-SE PARTIES: • If you are self-represented and wish to inquire about your case status or are looking to schedule a hearing, you may complete a Form A or B (as applicable) at www.circuit19.org under Family Court Information and Resources. If you have a working/viable email address that you wish to use for eservice, please fill out a form and file it with the Clerk of Court. You will then be served with copies via your eservice address. TRIALS: • CASE DISPOSITIONS: If at any time after the entry of an order, a case is dismissed, or results in a completed settlement, Counsel must immediately notify this Court’s Judicial Assistant to remove the case from the trial docket by email at SLCJudge8@circuit19.org. Counsel must expeditiously file all paperwork necessary to close the case. • INTERPRETER: If needed, interpreter services must be provided by the party needing such services. • PROPOSED ORDERS: Proposed Parenting Plans, if applicable, must be filed with the Clerk of Court and a copy to the Court in WORD format at least five (5) business days prior to the hearing. Final Judgments must be submitted to the Court in WORD format within five (5) business days of the hearing, unless this requirement is waived by the Court. All Proposed Parenting Plans, Final Judgments and Orders must be emailed to SLCJudge8@circuit19.org, pursuant to the Court’s procedures. • If any matters concerning the conduct of the pre-trial or trial procedures are not covered herein, counsel is free to contact the Court, in writing via e-mail at SLCJudge8@Circuit19.org. A status hearing can be set at which time the Court will attempt to answer any inquiries. The Court appreciates counsels’ efforts to understand and comply with this Court’s procedures. PROPOSED ORDERS • SUBMISSIONS: Documents submitted to this office by email should be attached as a document with a name that is easily identifiable and searchable. As an example: Jones v. Jones, 21DR34 O-Set Hrg. Motions must be submitted in .pdf format. All proposed orders must be submitted in WORD format. Please submit all documents attached to one (1) email to the Judicial Assistant at • listing a party on the order “cc:” without listing the address is insufficient. If the party does not have an e-service address, then the moving party will be required to mail a copy of the court filing or proposed order to that party. • The proposed order shall be submitted in WORD format. Any attachments shall be submitted in PDF format. • The proposed order shall utilize the Supreme Court Case Numbering System (County Code, Year, Division, and Six Digit Number, i.e.: 562021DR000006). REMOTE & VIRTUAL APPEARANCES • Judicial Assistant: Amanda Smith E-mail / E-Service Address: SLCJudge8@Circuit19.org Saint Lucie County Courthouse 218 South 2 nd Street Fort Pierce, Florida 34950 Courtroom: 3D Telephone: 772-462-1470 Zoom Meeting ID: 745 054 7319 • NOTICES FOR TRIAL: You must submit a copy of your e-filed Notice for Trial via email to SLCJudge8@circuit19.org.Your notice for trial must contain a Good Faith estimate of time required for trial (coordinate with the opposing party). After receipt of the notice for trial you will receive an order setting Pretrial/Case Management Conference. ALL PARTIES AND COUNSEL ARE REQUIRED TO BE PRESENT AT THE CASE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE. Parties and counsel MAY appear via Zoom. Counsel and their clients are to be in the courtroom and ready for trial in a timely manner. Depending on other emergency matters, the Court will start as soon after the scheduled start time as possible. EXHIBITS & EVIDENCE • If you have exhibits to include in the agreed order, you must also submit the agreed order in .pdf format and include all necessary attachments. Agreed Orders shall be submitted to the Court via email to SLCJudge8@Circuit19.org along with a copy of the corresponding motion. Motions must be in in compliance with rule 1.202. • EXHIBITS: If counsel has questions regarding submitting exhibits to the Court, please contact the Clerk of Court/Family Division. All exhibits are to be marked for identification by the clerk 1 week prior to the start of trial. A completed exhibit list and all exhibits must be delivered or scanned and emailed to the Clerk and all parties; you will receive an auto -reply that someone will contact you for pre- payment for printing. Parties should bring a minimum of four (4) copies of all exhibits with them to trial (original to clerk, copy for each party, copy for the witness, and copy for Court). Exhibits shall be organized in a binder. Exhibits which will be stipulated into evidence may be marked in evidence. Once exhibits are marked, either for identification or in evidence, they become the property of the Clerk of Court and may not be altered or removed from the courtroom without order of the Court. No exhibits are to be published or exhibited to the jury until admitted into evidence and authorized by the Court. Objections to exhibits not preserved in the pre-trial stipulation shall be deemed waived. INFORMATION NOT COVERED: PAGE & WORD LIMITS • TEMPORARY RELIEF HEARINGS: Pursuant to Administrative Order, parties must attend mediation before a Temporary Relief Hearing may be set. If you schedule a Temporary Relief Hearing without first having been to mediation your motion will not be heard and your hearing will be stricken. All Temporary Relief Hearings will be scheduled for a maximum of 30 minutes. You may ask permission via email to extend a hearing to a maximum of one hour, with good cause shown. If a temporary relief hearing is set for more than 30 minutes without court permission, it will be stricken. • LEGAL MEMORANDUM AND CITATIONS: Any legal memoranda or briefs for special set hearings, along with copies of cited authorities (highlighting the pertinent sections is appreciated by the Court), should be provided to the Court and opposing counsel at least five (5) business days prior the hearing. A list of any witnesses to be called and any responsive memoranda should be provided to the Court and to opposing counsel at least five (5) business days prior to the hearing. The Court will attempt to review the motion and memorandum, and read the cases cited therein, prior to the hearing so that an immediate ruling may be rendered. BREVITY IS APPRECIATED AND ENCOURAGED and memorandums should be kept to no more than five (5) pages in length. Case
- Case Short Style Name (Jones v. Jones) - Case Number (short case number is okay – example: 21CA234) - Purpose of Email (Order, Notice of Cancellation of Hearing, Request for Hearing more than one hour, etc.) - If you are requesting an Emergency Hearing, you MUST indicate in the subject line “Request for EMERGENCY Hearing”—the labeling of non- emergency matters as “emergency” will be sanctioned. The body of the email must contain a brief description of the purpose of the email. If a hearing date and time over one (1) hour is requested, then you must include a good faith estimate of time needed for the time for the entire hearing (after consultation with opposing counsel/party).
Reviewer note: Document sha256: 636cf24d2dd5ec5a0297f63e5f39114c52ad7243376e9fd47f2afc60ced8e2c7. One rule per order rather than per topic, so an order's requirements stay together. Published during the completeness pass. | Title normalised 2026-07-26 for readability; the court's own asset name was "19th Cir. — media-14496__Family-Procedures-Final.pdf: published requirements". Only the display title changed — the requirement text, source URL and hash are untouched. Text layer cleaned 2026-09-08 (Phase 3e): running page headers/footers removed; wording untouched. Text layer cleaned 2026-09-08 (Phase 3g): 1 kerning-split word rejoined; wording untouched. Verbatim from the order, captured 2026-07-24; whitespace normalised only. No OCR was used anywhere in this chain. [moved from the text 2026-09-14]
4 verbatim requirements on hearings.
2 verbatim requirements on hearing time in LAUREN N. PEFFER's division.