FW/FW2, RA, BG/WI/Y Divisional Instructions

Judicial Practices and Procedures

Last updated 7/13/2026

Sara Alijewicz, Judge
Isabel Pereira, Judicial Assistant

Table of Contents

A. Communications with the Judicial Office

Method of Communication:

Division E-mail

All communications to the judicial office must be submitted by e-mail to CAD-DivisionRA@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., 2024 DR 001234 SC – Doe v. Doe – 2-Hour Hearing Requested).

All parties must be included on any and all emails if email is available.

Telephone

All communications to the judicial office must be submitted by telephone call to (561) 996-4841. The judicial office does not accept text messages.

Self-represented litigants and attorneys excused from e-mail service may communicate with the judicial office by telephone call to (561) 996-4841. The judicial office does not accept text messages.

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 and alternate contact for immediate assistance.

When the judicial assistant is out of the office, your message will be acknowledged as received with an indication of when to expect a substantive response and an alternate contact for immediate assistance.

Other Communication Procedures:

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

B. Scheduling Procedures

Court Schedule:

Trials and Special Sets

Please contact the Judicial Assistant to Judge Alijewicz, at (561) 996-4841 and/or CAD-DivisionRA@pbcgov.org to schedule hearings for ANY division that are special set and longer than 15 minutes. This request is emailed to CAD-DivisionRA@pbcgov.org asking for hearing dates and times, specifying what Motion is being heard, how much time is needed and cc'ing the opposing party.

For evidentiary hearings and non-jury trials, 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 Clerk as per the trial order.

All papers upon which the parties intend to rely for their scheduled hearings must be filed with the Court in advance of the hearing. If the papers do not appear on the docket, the parties must submit all documents which they intend to reference during the hearing via email to CAD-DivisionRA@pbcgov.org. If the submitted materials exceed a total of 20 pages, the parties should submit hard copies of documents, exhibits, or binders to the Court.

Persons in civil and family cases who are not represented by attorneys are encouraged to fill out and file with the Clerk an email designation form or contact the Court to provide a telephone number.

Uniform Motion Calendar

Parties may schedule case management hearings or UMC hearings through online scheduling in the UMC docket. All dates and times are posted for the whole year in the the Court's Online Services.

ALL UMC HEARINGS WILL BE CONDUCTED TELEPHONICALLY OR VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE TECHNOLOGY USING THE COURT'S ZOOM ACCOUNT. All Notices of Hearing shall contain the Zoom information. All zoom information is found in the divisional instructions under Judge Alijewicz.

In keeping with professional courtesy, any party scheduling a hearing shall make reasonable efforts to contact the opposing party/counsel for availability or scheduling conflicts. Please file your Motion with the Clerk of Courts and then submit a copy of the Motion as a "PDF" and Proposed Order in a "WORD" format thru the On-Line Scheduling. All parties shall abide by Local Rule 4 to try to resolve the matter and certify the good faith attempt to resolve on the Notice of Hearing. *Please note any Emergency Motions must be filed with the Clerk of Courts before submitting to the Judge for review. Telephonic appearances are allowed with prior Court order. See phone call instructions. UMC hearings can be cancelled in OLS without court approval.

Other Court Schedule

Criminal Divisions Y, BG, and DUSBG hearings may be set up by calling or emailing the judicial assistant.

Motions for Attorney's fees and Costs

Since the Court utilizes a preliminary order with instructions to be followed in advance of the hearing, all Motions for attorney's fees and/or costs shall attach a document detailing the time records and requested rate(s). The moving party shall request the time for the hearing with the Judicial Assistant via telephone or email.

Scheduling Hearings:

• Hearings must be requested using the court's online scheduling platform CAD-DivisionRA@pbcgov.org (for civil cases) or CAD-DivisionFW@pbcgov.org (for family cases).
• Hearings must be requested by e-mail to CAD-DivisionRA@pbcgov.org.
• Hearings of 15 minutes or less must be scheduled through the Online Scheduling System in a UMC docket. Hearings of more than 15 minutes must be scheduled by e-mailing the judicial assistant and copying opposing counsel and any self-represented litigant.
• If parties are unable to identify a hearing date and time on CAD-DivisionRA@pbcgov.org (for civil cases) or CAD-DivisionFW@pbcgov.org (for family cases) scheduling platform, the scheduling party should e-mail the judicial assistant, copying opposing counsel and any self-represented litigant, to coordinate scheduling the hearing.

Insert Other Scheduling Procedures

The motion(s) must be filed and docketed with the Clerk of Court prior to requesting a hearing date and time. In keeping with professional courtesy, any party scheduling a hearing shall make a good faith attempt to resolve the matter, undertake reasonable efforts to contact the opposing party/counsel for availability or scheduling conflicts. Send a courtesy copy of the notice and motion to the Court through On-Line Scheduling at least 5 business days before the hearing. Special set hearings may not be cancelled without court order.

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.
• 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.

Submission Deadlines:

The court must receive all materials for the hearing no later 20 business days before the hearing.

All papers upon which the parties intend to rely for their scheduled hearings must be filed with the Court in advance of the hearing. If the papers do not appear on the docket, the parties must submit all documents which they intend to reference during the hearing via email to CAD-DivisionRA@pbcgov.org. If the submitted materials exceed a total of 20 pages, the parties should submit hard copies of documents, exhibits, or binders to the Court.

Order of Proceedings:

• Matters will be heard in the order in which they appear on the docket.
• Matters involving parties represented by counsel will generally be heard before other matters.
• Matters involving self-represented litigants will generally be heard before other matters.
• Matters involving in-custody defendants will generally be heard before other matters

Continuance Procedure:

Motions for continuance are disfavored and will be granted only upon good cause shown. Successive continuances are highly disfavored. Lack of due diligence is not grounds for granting a continuance. 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).

Motions for continuance must be submitted at least 10 days prior to the scheduled court date for which the continuance is sought, barring exigent circumstances. 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).

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).

Cancelling Hearings:

You must cancel hearings by notifying the judicial assistant immediately. You must also immediately file and serve a notice of cancellation on opposing counsel and any self-represented litigant.

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C. Remote Appearance

Remote Appearance Procedure:

The court maintains a hybrid virtual courtroom, allowing parties to appear either in person or remotely, as provided by Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.530. Requests to use communication technology for an appearance must be made by motion.

Any objection to the use of communication technology must be made by motion.

Platform Used:

The court uses zoom for remote appearances

Platform Meeting ID#:

Zoom Meeting Information

Requirements:

• All hearings are eligible for remote appearance except Domestic Violence hearings. All Domestic Violence hearings will be in person.
• Any person appearing remotely must be in a private location that is quiet and free from distractions. Under no circumstances will a participant be permitted to appear remotely from a moving vehicle.
• Any person appearing remotely must 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.
• If a witness appears remotely, the party calling the witness must ensure the witness has a functioning camera and microphone and has tested the internet connection before the hearing. The oath will be administered in accordance with Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.530.

Technology Needs:

All participants in a remote hearing must have a camera, microphone, and speaker to allow them to be seen and heard during a video conference. A smart phone or laptop usually is manufactured with all three installed. A PC with an external camera and headset will also work. If using a smart phone or tablet, you must download the Zoom app.

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D. Submission of Orders and Judgments

Format:

The Court prefers all orders to be submitted in WORD format through the Court's Online Services with service to opposing counsel and any self-represented litigant.

All proposed orders must be accompanied by a document either (1) confirming the agreement of all parties or (2) containing a statement identifying any disagreement of the parties as to the proposed order.

Self-represented litigants excused from e-mail service may submit proposed orders to the court in WORD format by email to CAD-DivisionRA@pbcgov.org, U.S. mail or hand-delivered to the judicial office.

Submission Method:

Deadline for Submissions:

Proposed orders must be submitted no later than one week after any hearing unless otherwise stated by the Court.

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E. Courtesy Copies of Case Law and Other Documents

When Required:

Original exhibits should be brought to Court for any hearing.

In addition, Parties may submit exhibits necessary for the Court to review in anticipation of the hearing along with a courtesy copy of motion to the division email CAD-DivisionRA@pbcgov.org.

Format:

Exhibits must be labeled in the following format: Insert label preference (e.g., "Petitioner/Plaintiff/State 1" or "Respondent/Defendant 1").

All attorneys and self-represented litigants must bring sufficient copies of each exhibit for the clerk, the court, and each party to review during the hearing or trial, if necessary.

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Requirements:

F. Emergency and Other Urgent Matters

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.

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 emergency hearing, barring exigent circumstances.

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G. Exhibits for Evidentiary Proceedings

Submission Method:

All papers upon which the parties intend to rely for their scheduled hearings must be filed with the Court in advance of the hearing. If the papers do not appear on the docket, the parties must submit all documents which they intend to reference during the hearing via email to CAD-DivisionRA@pbcgov.org. If the submitted materials exceed a total of 20 pages, the parties should submit hard copies of documents, exhibits, or binders to the Court.

For evidentiary hearings and non-jury trials, 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 Clerk as per the trial order.

Format:

Exhibits must be labeled in the following format: Insert label preference (e.g., "Petitioner/Plaintiff 1" or "Respondent/Defendant A").

All attorneys and self-represented litigants must bring sufficient copies of each exhibit for the clerk, the court, and each party to review during the hearing or trial.

Deadline for Submissions:

All exhibits and evidence must be sent to the Court and parties no later than 20 days prior to the scheduled hearing.

Electronic exhibits must be submitted 20 days before the evidentiary proceeding.

All other exhibits must be received in 20 days before the evidentiary proceeding.

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H. Pretrial Procedures and Conferences

Case Management Conference (CMC):

• Any party may request a CMC when a case requires.
• The court strongly encourages the early use of CMCs in more complex cases, multiple-party litigation, or any case that might benefit from court intervention.
• Unless excused by the court in advance, all CMCs are mandatory for attorneys and self-represented litigants.

Status Conference:

Any party may request a status conference when a case requires.

Requirements:

Any request for a CMC or status conference must articulate the reasons for the necessity of the conference

Scheduling:

If the court grants the request for a CMC or status conference, the moving party must schedule the CMC or status conference through the online scheduling platform.

If the court grants the request for a CMC or status conference, the moving party must schedule the CMC or status conference pursuant to the procedures noted under the above Scheduling Procedures.

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I. Setting Case for Trial

Procedure:

File a notice for trial to set the case for trial.

All non-jury trials are set by the court with a pre-trial procedure order. Jury trials will be transferred to be heard in the Daniel T.K. Hurley Courthouse in West Palm Beach.

Notice Period:

The court does not set date-certain trials. After the pre-trial conference, the court will assign cases to specific days during the trial period and may assign back-up cases. Attorneys, self-represented litigants, parties, and witnesses are expected to be available during the entire trial period.

Other Procedures for Setting Case for Trial:

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J. Forms

Access:

• Division forms are available for download at Divisional Forms and Orders page.
• Florida Supreme Court approved forms are available at insert link to forms.
• DIY Florida forms are available at insert link to forms.

Usage:

Division forms must be used for all relevant filings.

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K. 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:

If an interpreter is needed for a hearing or trial, use the Request a Court Interpreter app or email .CAD-AllCourtInterpreters@pbcgov.org

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

The Court does not provide interpreters for County Civil or Family Division cases. It is the responsibility of the party needing an interpreter to bring to court an interpreter who is certified, language skilled, provisionally approved or who is registered with the Office of State Court Administrator as required by Rule 2.560 and Rule 2.565 of the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration. For further information or for assistance locating an interpreter, please visit Court Interpreters. Persons unable to obtain an interpreter must provide someone to assist. The Court will determine if they are qualified to interpret the proceedings.

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