Judge Jennifer Bass
Individual Rules, Standing Orders & Policies
- Rules last changed:
Communication
Chambers
Document Format Requirements5 rules
Proposed orders must be submitted to the Judicial Assistant via e-mail at msoltis@circuit5.org in Microsoft Word format.
- File type
- Word
- Proposed order
Exchange of exhibits shall be in the form of a physical copy to the court and opposing counsel/party, not by electronic means and shall be bound in a trial notebook.
- Exhibits
Formatting
- •Bind the exhibit copy in a trial notebook
All proposed orders shall be submitted in Microsoft Word format.
- File type
- Word
- Proposed order
All exhibits must be marked in numerical sequence.
- Exhibits
Formatting
- •Mark all exhibits in numerical sequence
Court's wording
Attorneys and self-represented parties shall mark all exhibits in numerical sequence and no later than two (2) business days before the hearing shall furnish a physical copy to the court with an index of the exhibits.
If a matter has already gone to mediation, at least one party has an attorney, and parties have reached an agreement, pursuant to A.O. M-2010-03 a proposed Final Judgment may be e-mailed in Word format by counsel for consideration by the Court.
- File type
- Word
- Proposed final judgment
Document Filing Requirements13 rules
The physical exhibit copy furnished to the court must include an index of the exhibits.
- Document
- Exhibits
Must include
- •Exhibit list
Court's wording
Attorneys and self-represented parties shall mark all exhibits in numerical sequence and no later than two (2) business days before the hearing shall furnish a physical copy to the court with an index of the exhibits.
Orders on routine motions including, but not limited to, motions to compel discovery and motions for leave to amend shall be accompanied by a proposed order which shall be submitted by e-mail to msoltis@circuit5.org for consideration by the Court.
- Document
- Routine motion
Must include
- •Proposed order
If there is property but no children, please be sure an equitable distribution schedule is attached to the agreement or sent via e-mail in Microsoft Excel format.
Prior to scheduling a motion for hearing, the motion sought to be heard MUST be filed.
If the matter includes children, please be sure the child support guidelines worksheet(s) are either attached to the agreement or filed in the court file.
Applicable child-support worksheets or equitable-distribution schedules must accompany a proposed final judgment, and omission will prevent entry of the judgment.
Court's wording
Please be sure to include child support guidelines worksheet(s) and/or an equitable distribution schedule where applicable. Failure to include the child support guidelines worksheet(s) and/or equitable distribution schedule will result in the Final Judgment NOT being entered.
All other conditions and requirements set forth in Administrative Order M-99-9 (e.g., parenting course completion certificates and financial affidavits) must be filed by both parties prior to submission of the Final Judgment for entering by the Court.
Failure to file the pretrial statement may result in cancellation of the pretrial conference.
Requests to appear at a hearing via audio/video communication platform(s), such as telephone or Zoom, must generally be made by the filing of a motion and will only be allowed by court order.
All matters resolved and agreed upon by the parties shall be noted on the pretrial statement or in a subsequent pretrial stipulation if agreed after the pretrial conference.
In that event, the documents that are required to close the case may be forwarded to the Court with a cover letter by the attorney.
In a qualifying fully mediated family case, the parties may waive the final hearing and request entry of an attorney-prepared order incorporating the mediated settlement agreement, parenting plan, or both.
Court's wording
ORDERED AND ADJUDGED (in addition to those cases covered by Administrative Order M-99-9) that in any family case in which at least one party is represented by an attorney and attended mediation conducted by a Florida Supreme Court family certified mediator and reached a full agreement on all pending issues, the parties may waive their right to a final hearing and request the Court enter an order prepared by an attorney, on the case, that incorporates the mediated settlement agreement and/or parenting plan.
The request to waive hearing may be made by the parties in the mediated agreement.
Filing & Service rules
Filing Timing and Cure Windows
A pretrial statement must be filed no later than ten days, excluding weekends and holidays, before the pretrial conference.
Pretrial statements shall be filed no later than 10 days (excluding weekends and holidays) before the Pretrial Conference.
Page 1 | Motions, Order to Show Cause, Pre-Trial Conferences, and Trials
Service and Proof of Service Rules
Exhibits must be exchanged physically with the court and opposing counsel or party and may not be exchanged electronically.
Exchange of exhibits shall be in the form of a physical copy to the court and opposing counsel/party, not by electronic means and shall be bound in a trial notebook.
Page 1 | Evidence/Exhibits
Attorneys and self-represented parties must numerically sequence exhibits and furnish the court a physical exhibit copy with an index no later than two business days before the hearing.
Attorneys and self-represented parties shall mark all exhibits in numerical sequence and no later than two (2) business days before the hearing shall furnish a physical copy to the court with an index of the exhibits.
Page 1 | Evidence/Exhibits
Chambers Communication Rules
Proposed orders must be emailed to the Judicial Assistant in Microsoft Word format.
Proposed orders must be submitted to the Judicial Assistant via e-mail at msoltis@circuit5.org in Microsoft Word format.
Page 1 | Proposed Order Submissions and Submission of Proposed Final Judgments
The proposed order accompanying a routine motion must be emailed to msoltis@circuit5.org for the Court's consideration.
Orders on routine motions including, but not limited to, motions to compel discovery and motions for leave to amend shall be accompanied by a proposed order which shall be submitted by e-mail to msoltis@circuit5.org for consideration by the Court.
Page 1 | Proposed Order Submissions and Submission of Proposed Final Judgments
Hearing scheduling must be requested by email to the Judicial Assistant, with represented opposing counsel included.
Scheduling of a hearing shall be done by contacting the Judicial Assistant via e-mail at msoltis@circuit5.org and including opposing counsel if represented.
Page 1 | Scheduling Hearings
Requests for telephone conversations or private conferences with a judge, magistrate, or child-support hearing officer will be refused.
All requests to speak to the Judge, General Magistrate, and Child Support Hearing Officer on the telephone or have a private conference will be refused.
Page 1 | Additional Information
Counsel may email a qualifying proposed final judgment in Word format for the Court's consideration.
If a matter has already gone to mediation, at least one party has an attorney, and parties have reached an agreement, pursuant to A.O. M-2010-03 a proposed Final Judgment may be e-mailed in Word format by counsel for consideration by the Court.
Page 1 | Proposed Order Submissions and Submission of Proposed Final Judgments
Parties should not call the court expecting to discuss a pending case with a judge.
Please do not call the Court expecting to speak with a Judge about any case.
Page 1 | Additional Information
An assistant must terminate the telephone call if a party persists in discussing unauthorized subjects after a warning.
If any party telephones the Assistant to the Judge, General Magistrate, and Child Support Hearing Officer and persists in talking about unauthorized subjects after being warned, the Assistants are instructed to hang up the phone.
Page 1 | Additional Information
When both parties are represented, their proposed final judgment may be emailed to Megan Soltis for the Court's consideration.
If both parties are represented a proposed final judgment may be submitted via e-mail to Megan Soltis (msoltis@circuit5.org) for consideration by the Court.
Page 1 | Proposed Order Submissions and Submission of Proposed Final Judgments
If the parties do not respond to proposed hearing dates within seven days, the court will schedule the hearing without further coordination or at the responding office's availability.
The Judicial Assistant will offer several dates to the parties, if a response is not received within seven (7) days, the court will schedule the hearing without coordinating or at the availability of the responding office.
Page 1 | Scheduling Hearings
A hearing need not be coordinated with a pro se party when it can be scheduled with sufficient notice to that party.
If one party is pro se and the hearing can be scheduled with sufficient notice to the pro se party, the hearing will not need to be coordinated with the pro se party.
Page 1 | Scheduling Hearings