Judge Jennifer Bass
Individual Rules, Standing Orders & Policies
- Rules last changed:
Adjournments
Court-wideRequest must include
Communication
Chambers
Document Format Requirements5 rules
All proposed orders must use Microsoft Word format.
Proposed orders must be submitted to the Judicial Assistant via e-mail at msoltis@circuit5.org in Microsoft Word format.
DOCX
Exhibits must be exchanged as bound physical copies with the court and opposing party, not 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.
Every proposed order must be submitted in Microsoft Word format.
All proposed orders shall be submitted in Microsoft Word format.
DOCX
All exhibits must be marked in numerical sequence.
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.
After mediation, an attorney may email a proposed final judgment in Word format when the parties have reached an agreement.
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.
DOCX
Document Filing Requirements13 rules
The physical exhibit copy furnished to the court must include an index of the exhibits.
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.
Document Type
Exhibits
Routine-motion orders, including discovery-compulsion and leave-to-amend orders, must be accompanied by a proposed order emailed to the Judicial Assistant.
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 Type
Routine Motion
A property matter without children must include an equitable-distribution schedule attached to the agreement or emailed in Microsoft Excel format.
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.
Document Type
Proposed Final Judgment
A motion must be filed before the court schedules it for hearing.
Prior to scheduling a motion for hearing, the motion sought to be heard MUST be filed.
Document Type
Motion
A matter involving children must include child-support-guideline worksheets attached to the agreement or filed in the court file.
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.
Document Type
Proposed Final Judgment
Applicable child-support worksheets or equitable-distribution schedules must accompany a proposed final judgment, and omission will prevent entry of the judgment.
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.
Document Type
Proposed Final Judgment
Both parties must file the outstanding conditions and documents required by Administrative Order M-99-9, including parenting-course completion certificates and financial affidavits, before submitting the final judgment for entry.
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.
Document Type
Final Judgment
Failure to file the pretrial statement may result in cancellation of the pretrial conference.
Document Type
Pretrial Statement
Requests to appear remotely must generally be made by motion and are permitted only if the court orders remote appearance.
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.
Document Type
Motion
Any matter resolved by the parties must be noted on the pretrial statement or, if resolved afterward, in a subsequent pretrial stipulation.
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.
Document Type
Pretrial Statement
When requesting waiver of the hearing, the attorney may forward the case-closing documents to the court with a cover letter.
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.
Document Type
Case Closing Documents
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.
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.
Document Type
Final Judgment
The parties may include their request to waive the hearing in the mediated agreement.
The request to waive hearing may be made by the parties in the mediated agreement.
Document Type
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