Judicial requirements in Florida’s Twelfth Judicial Circuit are now presented in a more accessible and consistent format, aiming to assist both attorneys and self-represented litigants. The updated requirements list all relevant policies, procedures, and administrative orders that are generally applicable.
An attorney practicing across multiple circuits in Florida recently contacted the court to express his appreciation for the circuit’s approach. He noted that as someone with dyslexia, he often finds it challenging to interpret judicial requirements online due to inconsistencies between circuits. “In this thank you call he said he appreciated how the judicial requirements in our circuit are simple, consistent and easy to use.”
The circuit reports that its judicial requirements were specifically designed to streamline processes for legal professionals. Pages have been organized with uniform categories and straightforward navigation. Legal support staff are encouraged to familiarize themselves with these resources for tasks such as scheduling hearings, submitting orders, and communicating with judicial offices.
The changes align with Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.215, which mandates that trial court judges publish their practices and procedures. According to the court: “The uniformity provides attorneys and self-represented litigants the ability to understand and operate within the ‘rules of engagement,’ so to speak.”
Court officials recognized a need for clearer communication about division-specific judicial requirements. The information is now consistently organized, uses color sparingly for easier navigation, and has been made accessible for individuals with disabilities.
Judicial requirements in the Twelfth Judicial Circuit are divided into 11 categories covering topics such as remote appearances, hearing procedures, submission of orders, courtesy copies, urgent matters, exhibits for evidentiary proceedings, pretrial procedures, trial settings, preferred forms, and other division-specific procedures. Many common questions directed at judges’ or magistrates’ offices can be answered by consulting these posted requirements.
All judges and magistrates have their individual requirements available electronically on the circuit’s website. Most postings follow the standardized 11-category structure.
These guidelines may change as judges update their divisional procedures. Users are advised to regularly review each division’s posted requirements for updates.
Attorneys can register for a document subscription service offered by the Court to receive alerts when new documents or updates are published.
Information about judicial requirements can be found through several methods: a text list of all requirements; a gallery allowing sorting by county; division webpages containing links to forms and calendars; or using search keywords such as “Judge [last name] requirements.” Users are also encouraged to bookmark relevant pages or add desktop shortcuts for quick access.
