First Judicial Circuit of Florida, Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton Counties Filing Rules

The checklist requires verification that the original will or, for an ancillary proceeding, an authenticated copy has been filed.

Proof of publication of the Notice to Creditors must be filed.

An attorney withdrawing from a case and leaving a party unrepresented must help the former client register an email address, provide the applicable instructions, and warn about the risk of missed filings if the address is not kept current.

A pro se party may designate an email for service using the Clerk’s form or a signed, legible written filing stating the email address and designation.

The Notice of Hearing must note the efforts made to coordinate the hearing.

When the judicial assistant is out of the office, the office will acknowledge receipt and provide an expected response time and alternate contact for immediate assistance.

Communications to the judicial office must be emailed to the specified address, copy opposing counsel and self-represented litigants, and include the case number and case name in the subject line.

The court will not consider unsolicited communications from non-parties.

Communications to the judicial office must be emailed to the specified address with the case number, case name, and relevant matter in the subject line.

Schedule civil hearings of one hour or less through the court’s OnceHub platform.

The surviving spouse must be served with the Notice of Administration as required by section 5.240(a)(1).

The surviving spouse must be served, with proof filed, or a signed waiver filed if not served.

Immediately file and serve a notice of cancellation on opposing counsel and any pro se litigant when canceling a hearing.

By the date agreed by counsel, each party must serve the opposing side, unrepresented parties, and the Court with an itemized list of trial exhibits and a copy of each exhibit.

Copy opposing counsel, or the opposing party if self-represented, on correspondence to the judge unless ex parte communication is authorized by law.

The Notice of Hearing must be filed and served immediately after the hearing is reserved.

File and serve the Notice of Hearing immediately after reserving hearing time.

Motions must be filed and docketed before hearing time is scheduled.

Immediately after reserving hearing time, file and serve the notice of hearing and send a courtesy copy to the Judicial Assistant.

A notice of hearing must be filed immediately after hearing time is reserved and served at that time.

Remote participants must appear from a quiet, private, distraction-free location and may not appear while driving.

All parties and counsel must attend every trial in person; remote trial appearances are not permitted for them.

All notices must use Central Time; counsel’s different time zone may also be included in the notice of hearing.

Proposed orders must be submitted in Word format.

Submit all proposed orders in Word format.

Send the Judicial Assistant a courtesy copy of the notice of hearing after reserving hearing time.

A courtesy copy of the notice of hearing must be provided to the judicial assistant when the notice is filed and served after hearing time is reserved.

A cancellation notice’s courtesy copy must be provided to the Court, all participants including any pro se party, and any secured court reporter.

Submit courtesy copies of case law, exhibits, or other documents to the court for any evidentiary proceeding.

Send the judicial assistant a courtesy copy of the Notice of Hearing.

The parties may e-file a stipulated order stating the agreed number of days.

Objections may be filed with either listed Clerk of Court location by USPS, hand delivery, or e-filing.

Submit all proposed orders through the Florida Courts ePortal using the Proposed Order function, selecting Santa Rosa and the correct judge.

Notice of Hearing: Notices of Hearing should be filed immediately with an e-filed copy emailed to the judicial assistant.

The movant must e-file the Notice of Hearing and include all parties.

Counsel must meet and confer under Rule 1.202 before setting hearings on motions.

Before filing a motion, the moving party generally must confer in good faith with opposing counsel, using a substantive in-person or telephone conversation, and provide a complete certificate documenting the conference and its results.

A mere attempt to confer does not satisfy the conferral requirement.

Before filing any motion, except as noted in paragraph c, the moving party shall confer with counsel for the opposing party in a good faith effort to resolve the issues raised by the motion, and the motion shall contain a statement certifying that the moving party has conferred with opposing counsel and that counsel have been unable to agree on the resolution of the motion (the “Certificate”).

The moving party must schedule a hearing; the motion must first be filed with the Clerk, and filing alone does not calendar it before the judge.

Discovery must be completed by the date agreed by counsel unless the court orders otherwise for good cause.

Continuance motions are disfavored and will be granted only upon a showing of good cause.

A continuance motion must specify the need and when its basis became known, and state whether it is opposed.

Motions to continue and proposed orders on those motions for Docket Days and Mini Docket Days must state the opposing attorney’s position.

After a hearing is set, a party requesting a continuance or withdrawing or conceding the motion should notify opposing counsel and the Court as soon as practical.

Each party should only submit 1 PDF.