JL Divisional Instructions

Judicial Practices and Procedures

Last updated 06/23/2026

Kirk C. Volker, Circuit Judge
Lorainne Ramcharran, Judicial Assistant

Table of Contents

A. Communications with the Judicial Office

Method of Communication:

All communication to the judicial office must be submitted via e-mail to CAD-DivisionJL@pbcgov.org, the dedicated division e-mail account. The subject line of any e-mail to the judicial office must contain the case number, case name, and relevant matter (e.g., 2026 DP 001234 JL – Doe v. Doe – 2 Hour Hearing Requested).

Ex parte Communications:

All communications with the judicial office must comply with Canon 3 of the Code of Judicial Conduct, which prohibits a judge from initiating, permitting, or considering ex parte communications and from considering other communications outside the presence of the parties concerning a pending or impending proceeding, unless authorized by law. All parties must be copied on any e-mail directed to the judicial office, unless an ex parte communication is authorized by law.

Unsolicited Communications:

Parties may only contact the judicial office in accordance with these practices and procedures. Unsolicited communications from non-parties will not be considered by the court.

E-Filing Portal Contact Information:

All attorneys and self-represented litigants must make and receive service by e-mail, which is generally through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, unless excused. Florida Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.516.

All attorneys and self-represented litigants must provide an e-mail address to receive signed orders electronically, unless excused. Florida Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.516. It is the responsibility of attorneys and self-represented litigants to update their contact information using Form 2.603 any time there is a change in the e-mail account registered for electronic service.

Response to Inquiries:

The Judicial Assistant is not authorized to provide legal advice.

The Judicial Assistant strives to substantively respond to all inquiries within one business day. If the Judicial Assistant is unable to substantively respond within one business day, your message will be acknowledged as received with an indication of when to expect a substantive response.

Other Communication Procedures:

Any e-mail sent to or from the judicial office may be a public record subject to disclosure.

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B. Scheduling Procedures

Court Schedule/Scheduling Hearings:

Monday:

Special Set Trials/Motions/Adoptions

Tuesday:

Delinquency Docket

Wednesday:

Dependency Docket
Independent Living Review/Judicial Review/Permanency Hearings
Family Treatment Court (twice per month)

Thursday:

Delinquency Docket

Friday:

Special Set Trials/Motions/Adoptions

Notice of Hearing:

• A notice of hearing must be filed and served immediately after reserving hearing time.
• A notice of hearing involving any remote appearance must list the judge's insert remote platform credentials.
• Zoom links will be provided upon approval by the court.
• All notices of hearing must contain the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) notification required by Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.540.
• A copy of the Notice of Hearing should be provided to the judicial assistant by email at CAD-DivisionJL@pbcgov.org.
• Please be advised that the Court will NOT review the case/motion until a Notice of Hearing has been filed and a courtesy copy has been e-mailed to the Court.

Order of Proceedings:

Matters involving in-custody defendants will generally be heard before other matters.

Continuance Procedure:

Motions for continuance must state with specificity:

1. the basis of the need for the continuance, including when the basis became known to the movant;
2. whether the motion is opposed;
3. the action and specific dates for the action that will enable the movant to be ready, including, but not limited to, confirming the specific date any required participants are available; and
4. the proposed date by which the case will be ready to proceed and whether that date is agreed by all parties. Except for good cause shown, the motion must be signed by the party requesting the continuance, as required by Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.545(e).

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C. Remote Appearance

Remote Appearance Procedure:

Please be advised that all hearings will be held IN PERSON, with the exception of special circumstances. All parties and counsel must personally appear in Courtroom 2B- Juvenile wing. Special circumstances will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and counsel of record/pro se litigants may contact the Court for zoom approval by sending an e-mail to CAD-DivisionJL@pbcgov.org. Please include all parties of record in the e-mail. The court will provide a zoom link upon approval.

Requirements:

Any person appearing remotely must be in a private location that is quiet and free from distractions. Under no circumstances will be a participant be permitted to appear remotely from a moving vehicle.

Any person appearing remotely must be dress and behave professionally in the same manner as if physically present in the courtroom.

Any person appearing remotely must enable the person's camera when joining the proceeding and keep the camera turned on until instructed otherwise by the court.

Any person appearing remotely must mute the person's microphone when joining the proceeding and keep the microphone turned off until instructed otherwise by the court.

Technology Needs:

All participants in a remote hearing must have both audio and video ability for the full duration of the hearing.

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D. Submission of Orders and Judgments

Format:

Proposed orders must be submitted through the Court's Online Services for review and processing.

All competing orders must be emailed to the Judicial Assistant at CAD-DivisionJL@pbcgov.org, in Word format, with a copy being provided to all parties and any self-represented litigant.

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E. Emergency and Other Urgent Matters

Requirements:

Please refer to Administrative Order 3.206.

If a party believes there is a factual basis for setting an emergency hearing, a detailed motion setting forth the following must be filed: (1) the issues to be resolved, (2) reasons why an emergency hearing is necessary, and (3) the amount of time needed for each party's presentation.

A copy of the Emergency motion must be e-mailed to the judicial assistant at CAD-DivisionJL@pbcgov.org.

Scheduling:

If the court determines that an emergency exists, a hearing will be scheduled unilaterally by the court. All parties shall make themselves available for the hearing, barring exigent circumstances.

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F. Other Division Procedures

ADA Accommodations:

If you need an ADA accommodation, please call 561-355-4380. If you are hearing or voice impaired, call 1-800-955-8771. You can also fax 561-656-7662, or e-mail ADA@pbcgov.org.

Information on ADA accommodations can be found on the Circuit ADA web page.

Interpreter Requests:

Information on interpreters' services can be found on the circuit's website on the Court Interpreters page.

Other Division Procedures:

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