FC and IC Divisional News

Zoom Information

UMC

Special Set

Judge Renatha Francis is currently overseeing divisions FC and IC. For these divisions please review Judge Francis' Instructions.

The Courthouses are Open.

The courthouses remain open for essential functions as published in the Administrative Order 12.510 issued by Chief Judge Marx.

Divisional Instructions For Divisions FC And IC
In RE: Mitigating Measures In Response To COVID-19 To Easily Enable Telephonic Or Video Hearings, Or Rulings Solely On The Papers

The following shall be implemented in Division FC and IC pursuant to Administrative Order No.: 12.510-03/2020.4*, or its progeny.  Please refer to the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Website for the courts latest updates regarding COVID-19.

Based on the Administrative Order, only essential court proceedings are being held in person. All non-essential proceedings will be handled by telephone/video when possible, or will be rescheduled if necessary.

Unless the parties stipulate otherwise or by separate court order, all scheduled hearings in Division FC and IC will remain as set.  Absent a stipulation, parties may move to reschedule any hearing, and the Court will promptly consider the request. (A copy of all such requests should be sent to CAD-DivisionFC@pbcgov.org for family cases, or CAD-DivisionIC@pbcgov.org for probate/guardianship cases).

Special Set Hearings that are scheduled via the OLS

All special set hearings scheduled in OLS, will populate an Order Setting Hearing with zoom information automatically. The Order will be transferred to the Judge for review and signature. Please do not submit a separate Proposed Order or Notice of Hearing.

Uniform Motion Calendar and Uncontested Hearings:

Notice of Hearings need to be filed with all UMC scheduling.

All Uniform Motion Calendar hearings will be conducted by Court Call or a Court approved teleconference service, including uncontested dissolution of marriage hearings, or any other hearing that can be handled remotely.  For an uncontested divorce, please provide the Court with a copy of the testifying party's driver license in advance, which may be uploaded in the Online Services System (OLS) as an attachment to the Final Judgment.  No parties should be present in the courtroom. This rule applies to self-represented litigants and court reporters as well as attorneys.  In addition, only hearings that have been scheduled on the Online Scheduling System will go forward.

UMC Zoom information

Dial by your Location/Toll free
877 853 5257 US Toll-free
888 475 4499 US Toll-free

If using Court Call, the dial-in information is automatically provided to the Court once the attorney/party makes the arrangements through Court Call.  If using another provider, or if you choose to use your own teleconferencing system, you must provide the Court with the dial-in information, including passcode, in advance of the hearing, and this information must be included in your Notice of Hearing.

Motion calendar will still commence at 8:45 a.m. and is extended to at least 9:30 a.m. to accommodate the extra time that may be needed for telephone conferencing. Please call in and have all parties on the line promptly at 8:45 a.m. Judge Francis will then call into each case as it appears on the online calendar. Please be patient and continue to hold on the line until your case is called.

Probate Ex-Parte Hearings

Physical hearings for probate ex-parte have been suspended until further notice.  Counsel and parties seeking ex-parte relief should continue to submit documents to the Court via Online Services System along with proposed orders.  The case will be reviewed in the order in which it is received.  For expedited review, submit a completed and correct Probate Checklist, as explained in detail in the Divisional Instructions for Division IC. DO NOT SCHEDULE EX-PARTE MATTERS FOR UMC, THE HEARING WILL BE CANCELLED.

Non-Evidentiary Hearings:

The parties are MUST mail their filed motions, responses, affidavits, etc., to the Court that they mutually agree the Court may address based solely upon the papers, and thereby waive oral argument. All such requests must be made via a letter to the Judge signed by both parties and  sent to CAD-DivisionFC@pbcgov.org for family cases, or CAD-DivisionIC@pbcgov.org for probate/guardianship cases.  Each side should prepare a proposed order to be submitted through the Online Services System (OLS) with notation that it is related to a disputed issue which the parties have agreed for the Court to review without a hearing.

When hearings are necessary for non-evidentiary issues, they will be handled by telephone/video hearing.

Evidentiary Hearings

The parties should stipulate to the admissibility of evidence for which the admissibility is not reasonably contested. The parties shall provide copies of all intended exhibits, evidence or demonstratives to the Court in advance. If the evidence/exhibits are more than 20 pages it needs to be mailed or dropped off at the Courthouse (5) five days before the hearing.

If witnesses will be called to give testimony, the Court requires that such appearances be pre-arranged with a teleconference provider as set forth above or via video with an appropriate provider. Per Justice Canady's Administrative Order (3-13-2020) and Administrative Order (3-24-20), all rules of procedure, court orders and opinions applicable to court procedure that limit or prohibit the use of communication equipment for conducting proceedings by electronic means are suspended from the March 13, 2020 - April 17, 2020, or as provided by subsequent order.

To the extent possible, court reporters will also utilize a teleconference or video conference provider to cover hearings/non-jury trials. The Court will administer the oath, or oaths are to be administered in accord with Justice Canady's A.O.

Any motions to assist fair, timely, effective and efficient efforts suggesting procedures the Court can use to address issues relevant to your respective cases during the current outbreak are strongly encouraged by the Court. It is the intention of the Court to enable and facilitate telephone or video hearings in a practical manner or to allow rulings on the papers when acceptable to the parties. Above all, though, the Court wishes to provide for the administration of justice without risking anyone's safety.

The Court upon request, will provide the attorneys (or self-represented parties) with a Zoom invitation by e-mail in advance of each hearing, at no cost to the parties, for the cases requesting Zoom access.  If using Court Call, the dial-in information is automatically provided to the Court once the attorney/party makes the arrangements through Court Call.  If using another provider, or if you choose to use your own teleconferencing system, you must provide the Court with the dial-in information, including passcode, in advance of the hearing, and this information must be included in your Notice of Hearing.

Submission of Witness List

If you wish to call witnesses to testify at the hearing, you must submit a witness list containing the name and address of every witness. If you intend to call expert witnesses, you should include the name of the expert witness, the address of the expert witness and nature of the expert testimony. Your witness list must be submitted to the Court through the OLS system and opposing counsel at least two (2) business days before the hearing and the transmittal document must designate the date and time of the hearing for which they are submitted.

Submission of Memoranda and Case Law

All memoranda and/or case authority must be submitted to the Court and opposing counsel via U.S. mail or hand delivered by courier at least three (3) business days before the hearing and the transmittal document must designate the date and time of the hearing for which they are submitted.

All cases and legal authorities submitted to the court must be tabbed or digitally bookmarked, with pertinent sections highlighted.

Submission of Exhibit List and Exhibits

If you wish to introduce evidence to the Court, chronologically numbered exhibit list and all exhibits must be clearly marked and must be submitted to the Court and opposing counsel via U.S. mail or hand delivered by courier  at least three (3) business days before the hearing and the transmittal document must designate the date and time of the hearing for which they are submitted.

The documents must be submitted to the Court and the other attorney (or self-represented) party at the same time, otherwise it will NOT be considered by the Court. Further, confidential information (such as Bank Accounts, Social Security Numbers, etc.) should be removed from documents provided to the Court as required by Fla. R. Jud. Admin., Rule 2.420(d).

All exhibits must be clearly marked before the hearing is set to begin. Exhibits shall be marked by a numbered sticker on the top right-hand corner of the front of each exhibit clearly identifying the case number and party who is offering the exhibit, e.g., Petitioner or Respondent.

Most general questions can be answered by reading the Divisional Instructions herein. For case-specific questions the best way to contact the Judicial Assistant is via email at CAD-DivisionFC@pbcgov.org for family cases or CAD-DivisionIC@pbcgov.org.

FOR DIVISIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FC AND DIVISIONAL INSTRUCTIONS IC, CLICK ON THE APPROPRIATE LINK LOCATED IN THE LOWER RIGHT-HAND BELOW THE JUDGE'S PICTURE.

Do Not Send Letters, Emails or Notes To The Court

The Court does not act on letters, notes or emails sent by either party. The Court acts on petitions or motions properly filed with the Clerk of the Court. File the appropriate petition or motion with the Clerk of the Court, send a copy to the opposing side and a courtesy copy to the Court in order for requests to be addressed by the Court. All documents emailed to the Court must state that they were emailed to the opposing side in the same email or they will be returned as ex parte communication.