Eighteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida, Brevard and Seminole Counties Filing Rules

Uncontested modifications of final judgments must comply, as appropriate, with the stated requirements for uncontested dissolutions.

For cases filed on or before January 31, 2025, Civil Case Management Plans and Orders are required, and initial disclosures are not required.

For a JAC Motion, the attorney must submit the JAC response and a proposed order that complies with it.

For a child older than 12, the adoption petition must include documentation of an interview unless the court dispenses with the child’s consent in the child’s best interest.

Exhibit A provides an alternative certificate stating that conferral on the motion is not required under Rule 1.202.

Ex parte communications received by the General Magistrate’s Office will not be reviewed and will be filed and distributed to all parties.

A scheduling party must wait 10 business days for a response before contacting the Judicial Assistant to set a hearing unilaterally.

A copy of a filed motion to dismiss must be emailed to the Judicial Assistant within 20 days after filing.

Emails to the judicial office must copy all parties unless the communication is authorized ex parte by law.

Scheduling party shall wait 10 business days for a response before reaching out to JA to unilaterally set a hearing. If the dates do not work for opposing counsel’s office, an alternative date must be provided in your response, or the hearing may still be unilaterally set.

Do not include quotation marks around the codes in proposed orders.

No characters, verbiage, tabs, or spaces may appear before or after the date and signature codes.

Exhibits must be submitted on paper, except videos may be provided on a thumb drive.

A proposed-order cover page must be in PDF format, and its filename must contain only one period.

The redline version of the proposed order must be in Microsoft Word format and use Track Changes.

Copy all parties associated with the case on the exhibit email, but do not copy the magistrate.

A party scheduling a hearing must notify all interested parties, including parties who have been defaulted.

Copies are furnished by e-service, and the moving party is responsible for serving non-registered pro-se parties.

Attorneys and self-represented litigants must provide an email address to receive signed orders electronically unless excused.

A notice of hearing must be served immediately after hearing time is reserved.

The party must notify the Clerk of Court in writing within five days of any address change.

The party asserting privilege may file a reply or rebuttal within 5 days after service of the discovery-seeking party’s submission.

Motions to Suppress, Motions to Dismiss, and other substantive motions must be filed seven days before Calendar Call unless the Court orders otherwise.

A signed Case Management Plan must be filed and accepted by the Clerk before the Case Management Order is submitted for review.

Within 60 days after filing any motion, including one not requiring meet and confer, the movant must coordinate with opposing counsel and either submit a proposed agreed order or file a notice of hearing; otherwise, the motion or objection is deemed abandoned and denied.

Proposed Orders must be uploaded to the Clerk’s E-portal.

Proposed orders must be uploaded to the Clerk’s E-portal.

Proposed orders for the matters addressed in this section may be submitted through the e-portal.

Submit the proposed order with a cover letter through the e-filing portal for entry.

Amended Notices and Cross Notices of Hearings must be e-filed.

The State attorney must be allowed 48 hours to establish probable cause, and the hearing must be continued to the next first appearance hearing if probable cause is not established initially.

Every continuance motion, including an agreed motion, must specifically state the reason and when it became known, opposition status, actions and dates needed to be ready for trial, and the proposed readiness date and whether it is agreed.

Continuances in VOP hearings are discouraged, all requests—including agreed requests—are reviewed by the Court, and requests should be filed at least two days before the hearing.

After an Actual Trial Period is set, parties may seek amendment of the Case Management Order under Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.200(e)(3) for an extension affecting a subsequent deadline but not the Actual Trial Period.

Continuances are considered for good cause, successive requests without compelling reasons are disfavored, and lack of due diligence is not a basis for granting one.

Submit all materials at least 10 days before the scheduled hearing.

Materials or case law of 10 pages or less may be emailed to the Judicial Assistant.

Please email a courtesy copy of your Notice to the JA.

Delivery of pre-trial or hearing exhibit/case law binders or other hard-copy materials should be made to the Second Floor Receptionist.

Email a courtesy copy of the Notice of Hearing to the JA.

Before the court rules on a motion in limine, the parties must meet and confer and inform the court which items remain disputed.

In a residential foreclosure case where the owner filed a responsive pleading, mediation must occur before the summary-judgment hearing.

If the defendant appears on the day a bench warrant is issued, the Court may recall the warrant and reinstate the case bonds.

If the Court determines an emergency exists, it will schedule the hearing unilaterally.

Except for specified child-related emergencies, parties seeking temporary relief must first complete mediation or mutually consent to referral to the General Magistrate, and must satisfy the stated mediation and notice prerequisites before setting a hearing.

For a matter scheduled for a hearing, do not submit a proposed order until after the hearing and the Court has ruled.

Bulk composite exhibits are prohibited; each exhibit must be uploaded separately.

Submit Count II damages separately and do not include them with the final possession paperwork.

Parties are encouraged to submit in-camera review requests in manageable batches rather than in one grouping.

Submit Count I possession paperwork separately from Count II damages; do not include damages with Final Possession paperwork.

A separate fee may be assessed at the end of the case, may be made a condition of probation or community control, and becomes a lien against property the defendant owns or later acquires.

The clerk charges on a per-page basis.

Eviction monies must be sent to the Clerk; monies mailed to the Judge will be returned.

Documents submitted for in-camera review must be enclosed in a sealed envelope marked “FOR IN CAMERA REVIEW/NOT TO BE FILED” and sent with a cover letter to chambers.