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35 verbatim requirements extracted from media-14566__Probate-and-Guardianship-Procedures-and-Courtroom-Guidelines-FINAL-1.pdf, across 6 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 • Emails regarding notices of hearing and proposed orders directly relating to hearings: OCJudge1@Circuit19.org • - 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 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. • • SCHEDULING HEARINGS OF LESS THAN 1 -HOUR: Attorneys and pro se parties may schedule hearings using the online scheduling program. For 2025 hearing dates, you will use: https://slccjis.stlucieco.gov/attorney_calendar . For 2026 dates, you will use: https://aicalendar.circuit19.org/. 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. • • 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 OCJudge1@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. • • HEARING LOCATION: ALL EVIDENTIARY hearings will be conducted in person, unless otherwise permitted by the Court prior to the hearing. Non-Evidentiary hearings may be noticed for Zoom or in person. Meeting ID: 516-390-0212. • • 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) 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 OCJudge1@Circuit19.org within five (5) 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. • • CANCELLING HEARINGS: If you cancel your hearing, you must file a Notice of Cancellation and advise the Judicial Assistant by email no later than noon, the day before the hearing, with a copy to all parties, so that it may be removed from the Court’s docket. It is the responsibility of the moving party to remove any hearing from the Court’s calendaring system. 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. • • REQUIREMENTS FOR COURT REPORTERS: All evidentiary matters (both trials and hearings) must be reported by a court reporter. Counsel for the Petitioner 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 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. In light of the short setting, opposing counsel may attend the hearing via ZOOM if their schedule will not allow them to appear in person. • 1. Notice of Petition to Determine Incapacity with the Hearing date filled in, if possible (refer to and schedule using the online scheduling system); 2. Application to Determine Indigency Status; 3. Order Appointing Attorney/Elisor; and 4. Order Appointing Examining Committee. If there is information on the proposed orders that can be filled in by your office, please do so before submitting to the Court, including case number and e- mail service addresses. Do not include Certificate of Service by the Clerk. • • If a hearing date for the Petition to Determine Incapacity has not been set at the time of submitting the documents referenced above, the Court will select a date of his own choosing approximately 28 days out from the date the orders are entered. • • If you have a pending Guardianship or Mental Health case that needs to be set for hearing and there is no time available on the online scheduling calendar, please email the Judicial Assistant at OCJudge1@Circuit19.org with the details of your request, including a copy of the petition/motion and the total time needed for hearing. • • Pursuant to Administrative Order 2017-06 in RE: Order for Compensation of Examining Committee, this office will only accept the Order for Compensation of Examining Committee posted under “Forms” on Judge Buchanan’s web page on www.circuit19.org. This Order must be sent within five (5) days after the hearing for incapacity is held. Payment of Examining Committee Fees where the Ward has been found indigent: These fees are preset and must be as follows: o Physicians: $350.00 o Psychologists: $250.00 o Lay People: $125.00 o • • REQUIREMENTS FOR COURT REPORTERS: All evidentiary matters (both trials and hearings) must be recorded by a court reporter. Counsel for the Petitioner 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. • • 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 7 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. • • Proposed orders from a hearing shall be submitted to the Court via email to OCJudge1@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 Plaintiff’s Motion to … .” • If any information not covered herein, counsel is free to contact the Court, in writing via e-mail at OCJudge1@Circuit19.org. A status hearing can be set at PROPOSED ORDERS • The email address for submitting probate checklists, petitions/motions, proposed orders, and letters of administration for processing is: Probate@Circuit19.org • • 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, 21CA234 O-Set Hrg. Motions must be submitted in .pdf format. All proposed orders must be submitted in WORD format at the email addresses noted above. • • 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, 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 order to that party. • Checklists are required for both Opening and Closing Estates. The checklists are posted on Judge Buchanan’s web page. 1. Opening a Formal Estate; 2. Closing a Formal Estate (Discharge); 3. Summary Administration; and 4. Disposition of Personal Property with Administration Attorneys must verify completion and correctness of the Checklists by personal signature. No signature stamps are allowed. Once the checklist is complete, the attorney’s office shall submit via email only to Probate@circuit19.org: 1. Completed checklist 2. Proposed Order(s) in Word format; and 3. A description of the documents being provided, as well as the action you wish to be taken. Original documents and monies are not to be sent to the Judge’s office, and the Judge’s office takes no responsibility for such items. • • 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 order will reflect that counsel will be required to mail copies of any orders that require US mail. • • 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. • • 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.: 472021CA000006). • The Court will not execute 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. REMOTE & VIRTUAL APPEARANCES • Judicial Assistant: Tiffany Wile E-mail / E-Service Address: OCJudge1@Circuit19.org Probate E-Mail: Probate@Circuit19.org Okeechobee County Judicial Center 312 N.W. 3rd Street Okechobee, Florida 34972 Courtroom: B Telephone: 863-763-1122 Zoom Meeting ID: 516-390-0212 PAGE & WORD LIMITS • • LEGAL MEMORANDUM AND CITATIONS : Any legal memoranda or briefs for special set hearings, along with copies of significant cited authorities (highlighting the pertinent sections is appreciated by the Court) , should be provided to the Court and opposing counsel at least ten (10) 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 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. CASE MANAGEMENT • • TRIALS: If a probate matter needs to be set for trial, a notice for trial shall be filed in the court file and a copy shall be submitted to the Judges’ Judicial Assistant via email at OCJudge1@Circuit19.org. The matter will be scheduled for a case management conference once the Notice of Trial is received by the Court. The matter will not be set for case management conference if the Notice of Trial is not submitted to the Judge’s office. EXHIBITS & EVIDENCE • If you have reached an agreement/stipulation, a separate agreed order in WORD must be provided to the Court with language approving the agreement/stipulation. 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 OCJudge1@Circuit19.org along with a copy of the corresponding motion.
Judicial Assistant: Tiffany Wile E-mail / E-Service Address: OCJudge1@Circuit19.org Probate E-Mail: Probate@Circuit19.org Okeechobee County Judicial Center 312 N.W. 3rd Street Okechobee, Florida 34972 Courtroom: B Telephone: 863-763-1122 Zoom Meeting ID: 516-390-0212
Reviewer note: Document sha256: 229c5edd0e2c406181753272c04aa53c837e08f36812aca219a9150d3d18dca7. 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-14566__Probate-and-Guardianship-Procedures-and-Courtroom-Guidelines-FINAL-1.pdf: published requirements". Only the display title changed — the requirement text, source URL and hash are 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.