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13 verbatim requirements from 2024 Guidelines for Professional Conduct.
Fourth Judicial Circuit (Duval, Clay, Nassau). Procedural information only; not legal advice.
Verbatim from https://www.jud4.org/getContentAsset/51eb48c9-8800-4a0d-8911-dbe568d4250a/135b97c9-84fa-4e82-b956-0fbccec4aa1f/2024-Guidelines-for-Professional-Conduct.pdf?language=en, harvested 2026-07-25; whitespace normalised only. • In so doing, the Conference asserted that the Guidelines do not have the force of law and that trial judges still have the right and obligation to consider on a case-by-case basis issues raised by the Guidelines. • In striving to fulfill that duty, a lawyer always must be conscious of the broader duty to the judicial system that serves both attorney and client. • It is recognized that these Guidelines must be applied in keeping with the advocacy of the interests of one's client and the long tradition of professionalism among and between members of The Florida Bar. • A lawyer must not use any aspect of the litigation process, including discovery and motion practice, as a means of harassment, or to unnecessarily prolong litigation, or increase litigation expenses. • Attorneys must, except in extraordinary circumstances, communicate with opposing counsel before scheduling depositions, hearings, and other proceedings -- to schedule them at times that are mutually convenient for all interested persons and, unless there is an extraordinary circumstance, refrain from unilaterally scheduling a deposition, hearing or other proceeding. • Attorneys must, except in extraordinary circumstances, provide opposing counsel, parties, witnesses, and other affected persons sufficient notice of depositions, hearings, and other proceedings, so as to provide the respect and courtesy which is incumbent upon members of the bar. • A lawyer should accede to all reasonable requests for scheduling, rescheduling, cancellations, extensions, and postponements that do not prejudice the client's opportunity for full, fair, and prompt consideration and adjudication of the client's claim or defense. • Neither written submissions nor oral presentations should disparage the intelligence, ethics, morals, integrity, or personal behavior of one's adversary or judge, unless those characteristics or actions are directly and necessarily in issue that must be included in the written submission or oral presentation to the court. • Any objection made must be as concise as is possible under the circumstances. • For example, before setting for hearing a non-dispositive motion, counsel shall make a reasonable effort to resolve the issue. • After a hearing, the attorney charged with preparing the proposed order should prepare it promptly, generally no later than the following business day, unless it should be submitted immediately to the court. • The order fairly and accurately must represent the ruling of the court, and if the court ruled orally in open court, counsel should not disagree with the language of a proposed order for the sole purpose of re-arguing the matter before the court. • When a verdict is read, the lawyers must control their reactions, and the reactions of their clients to the extent possible. -- 12 of 12 --
In so doing, the Conference asserted that the Guidelines do not have the force of law and that trial judges still have the right and obligation to consider on a case-by-case basis issues raised by the Guidelines.
Reviewer note: Document sha256: a2ce43aef74e838932bc44afa85000742f719ab42eaa84080c4eed16baf95508. Extracted from the document's own text layer.
Judge Bell caps motions and responses at 5 pages for UMC hearings and 12 pages for special-set hearings.
Judge Alijewicz requires every motion for attorney's fees and/or costs to attach a document detailing time records — no records, no fee award.
Judge Corlew bars informal contact: every communication with the Court must be in writing, filed with the Clerk, with copies furnished to all parties — and no calls to the JA to schedule or cancel UMC.