AJ Divisional News

UPDATED NEWS

Special Set Hearing will be added to the OLS On
Wednesday, June 14, 2023, at 10:30 A.M.

Materials for Judge Cheesman's hearings should include only materials that pertain to the motion that is being heard that day.

Exhibits should be uploaded via the Electronic Evidence portal.

Importance Notice Regarding Hearings in Division AJ

ALL Hearings will be cancelled if the Notice of Hearing and Motion has not been dropped off or mail to the Judge for review, seven days prior to the hearing.

For hearings longer than an hour, please submit your request in writing in accordance with the divisional instructions with your notice of unavailability. If dates are no longer available, you will need to check the OLS periodically.

All policies and procedures set forth on Division AJ web pages of the 15th Circuit's website remain in effect unless otherwise noted.

Please email all questions to the divisional mailbox at CAD-DIVISIONAJ@PBCGOV.ORG. Preferred Method of communication.

Based upon Supreme Court Order No. AOSC20-23, local Administrative Order, and as part of reasonable temporary public health measures taken to assist with the minimizing spread of Covid, all non-essential hearings will not be held in person and will be held remotely by Zoom video conference.  

Zoom Meeting Information for UMC hearings and all Special Set Hearings.

Division AJ's ZOOM link will be the same every day.

Uniform Motion Calendar - Beginning October 5, 2021, UMC Hearings will start at 8:45 a.m.

The maximum of motions that should be scheduled on UMC calendar is TWO.

All paperwork for the Judge's review (courtesy copies of notice of hearings, memos of law, briefs, responses, case law, etc..) must either be sent to the Judge's office via U.S. regular mail, FedEx, UPS, or via hand-delivery (to the 1st floor drop box) in the main courthouse. Our office does not accept the foregoing via e-mail or e-courtesy. There is a two-motion maximum, unless approved by JA.

PLEASE only send the NOH, motion and anything you need the Judge to review for the UMC hearing. A binder is not needed for a five (5) minute hearing.

UMC hearings in Division AJ will be held via Zoom. When scheduling a UMC hearing on the Online Scheduling System, a Zoom link will be provided. Please include the Zoom information in place of Courtroom 9A on your Notices of Hearing for UMC.

When appearing remotely, please ensure that the Court has all the documents (please send so they are received no later than 7 days prior to the hearing) the party wants the Court to consider. Please include the conference line on the cover letter with the date/time of hearing.

All paperwork for the Judge's review (courtesy copies of notice of hearings, memorandums of law (NOT TO EXCEED 10 DOUBLE SPACED PAGES), briefs, responses, case law, etc..) must either be sent to the Judge's office via U.S. regular mail, FedEx, UPS, or via hand-delivery (to the 1st floor drop box) in the main courthouse 7 days prior to the hearing.

Strict compliance with Amended Local Rule 4

Prior to setting a matter on the motion calendar, the party or attorney noticing the motion shall attempt to resolve the matter and shall certify the good faith attempt to resolve. See amended Local Rule 4.

E-Service

Circuit Civil Division AJ participates in the Court's online/eservice program in "Judicial E-Service" (optional electronic mailing of orders from Court to Counsel/Registered Parties). If any counsel and/or party are not registered with the Court's online system, counsel shall provide self-addressed stamped envelopes for these parties to be served. See Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.516. See Also Administrative Order 2.310.

Division AJ is currently e-serving Orders to attorneys/parties who have registered their primary and secondary email addresses with the 15th Judicial Circuit. Register for Judicial E-service through Online Services.

E-Filing

Please note that E-filing is the electronic filing of documents with the office of the Clerk & Comptroller of Palm Beach County. See Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.515. For more information on E-filing, please call (561) 355-2986 or visit MyPalmBeachClerk.com.

Proposed Orders

Proposed Orders, including Agreed Orders, Ex Parte Orders, and Orders Specially Setting Hearing are to be submitted through OnLine Services (OLS). They will be rejected if they do not include a cover letter or form cover sheet as an attachment/supporting document along with the motion.

Online Services

Copies of the motion must also be attached as a supporting document if applicable.

Please list all email addresses of all counsel and all parties on all proposed orders and include a cover letter referencing the date of the hearing and whether opposing counsel has reviewed and approved of the form of the proposed order. All orders submitted without a cover letter and a copy of the Motion will be rejected.

Special Set Hearings

All paperwork for the Judge's review (courtesy copies of notice of hearings, memorandum of law (NOT TO EXCEED 10 DOUBLE SPACED PAGES), briefs, responses, case law, etc..) must either be sent to the Judge's office via U.S. regular mail, FedEx, UPS, or via hand-delivery (to the 1st floor drop box) in the main courthouse. Our office does not accept the foregoing via e-mail or e-courtesy.

Special Set Motions are scheduled via the Online Scheduling System in Online Services and are set by Order Setting Hearing which is available under our Divisional Forms and Orders.

Only one block of time (15 & 30 minutes) per day for each case may be reserved.  NO EXCEPTIONS.
(You may stack two fifteen minute hearing times to create 30 minutes)

Any request for hearing times that EXCEED sixty (60) minutes must be done so in writing and submitted by mail. Your correspondence MUST include a cover letter stating how much time is requested, why the excess time is needed and include a copy of the motion to be heard for the Court to consider.

All special set hearings MUST BE set by court order. See our Divisional Forms and Orders for our sample order on special set hearings.

Movant brings to the hearing: proposed order and sufficient copies and self-addressed stamped envelopes for all parties.

Parties must send by U.S. MAIL pertinent court documents, the memorandum of law (NOT TO EXCEED 10 DOUBLE SPACED PAGES) and a courtesy copy to the Court at least seven (7) days prior to hearing along with a cover letter with the case number, style of the case and date of hearing. In the event all pertinent Court documents are not received timely the Court reserves the right to have parties reschedule the hearing.

Specially set hearings are set by Court order and cannot be canceled/continued/added on to except by further order of the Court unless the matter is settled (with agreed order presented to Court at time of scheduled special set hearing or the motion/petition is withdrawn).

Strict Compliance with Amended RJA 2.520:

Effective January 1, 2015, The Florida Supreme Court mandated space for recording, date and time stamps on documents. All documents filed with the Court must have one-inch margins on all sides. All documents to be recorded in the Official Records must also have a blank 3-inch x 3-inch space on the top right of the first page and a blank 1-inch x 3-inch space on the top right of all subsequent pages (e.g. Judgments, Orders of Dismissal, Stipulations of Dismissal/Settlement, Notices of Appeal). Documents that do not comply with these rules will be returned to the sender for correction prior to being filed with the Court. See Florida Supreme Court Order SC14-721; Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.520. See Also MyPalmBeachClerk.com

The Palm Beach County Clerk and Comptroller's Office automatically records certain documents in the Official Records, including the following documents. Documents that do not comply with the above rules may be returned, and shall be resubmitted upon request:

• Final Judgment of Foreclosure
• Final Judgment
• Default Final Judgment
• Judgment
• Notice of Appeal
• Notice of Cross Appeal
• Notice of Non-Final Appeal
• Amended Notice of Appeal
• Order of Dismissal
• Verdict

Important Notice: Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Cases

Motions (with the exception of Motion for Summary Judgment) that are filed in residential mortgage foreclosure cases shall be set for hearing on the Court's Uniform Motion Calendar ("UMC") and shall be heard on a first come-first served basis and in accordance with Circuit Civil Division AJ instructions.

UMC Hearings beginning October 5, 2021 will start at 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday,and are SET ONLINE and in accordance with local rules and procedures. When a UMC hearing is set, the Moving Party shall send a courtesy copy of the Motion, Notice of Hearing and all other materials via regular mail no later than five (5) days prior to the hearing. If the matter is resolved or the UMC hearing is cancelled prior to its schedule, please send a copy of the Notice of Cancellation to CAD-DivisionAJ@pbcgov.org to advise the Court immediately.