Nineteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida, Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee and St. Lucie Counties Filing Rules

The examining provider must issue a detailed written report to all counsel within 14 business days after the examination.

To cancel a hearing, cancel it on the scheduler and file a notice of cancellation.

An order dismissing or entering default for fraud on the court must contain express written findings addressing the court’s balancing of the equities and the required clear-and-convincing showing.

The clerk must mark all exhibits for identification before trial.

The proposed Final Judgment must include the specified service language under its service list.

Email is the office’s preferred and best way to communicate, although the office makes efforts to answer or return phone calls.

Parties and attorneys may not otherwise communicate directly with the judge.

Do not ask court staff to relay messages or ex-parte information to the Judge.

Email the proposed Final Judgment in Word format to the specified address at least 10 business days before the hearing.

Motions and orders must be emailed to the Court at the specified address with all parties included.

All hearing materials must be emailed to the stated address at least five business days before the hearing.

Plaintiff or Plaintiff’s counsel must submit the complete case management plan and order to Judge Roby for final approval within 30 days after the last defendant is served with the complaint.

Within five calendar days after scheduling a hearing, email the Judicial Assistant the motion and notice of hearing, plus a proposed order for a UMC hearing.

The proposed final judgment and notice of hearing should be submitted within five days after scheduling the hearing.

For cases subject to a prosecution-preventing statutory stay or moratorium, Plaintiff or Plaintiff’s counsel must submit the completed plan and order within 45 days after the stay or moratorium ends, subject to the stated later-date alternative.

The Court prefers proposed orders in Microsoft Word format with redline or blackline annotations identifying disagreements and alternative provisions.

For non-native format data, the listed additional metadata fields must be produced to the extent available, with email- and E-doc-specific fields applying as stated.

If an original document contains color, the producing party must produce color images when reasonably feasible, unless the file is produced in native format.

All courtesy materials other than proposed orders may be submitted in PDF format.

The proposed Final Judgment must be in Word format.

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

Privilege must be asserted by serving written notice on the recipient within ten days after actual discovery of the inadvertent disclosure.

The party initiating a civil action must serve the case management plan and order with the summons and complaint.

Privilege must be asserted by serving written notice on the recipient within ten days after actual discovery of the inadvertent disclosure.

The party initiating a civil action must serve the case management plan and order with the summons and complaint.

A motion must be e-filed and docketed before its hearing may be scheduled.

A motion must be e-filed and docketed with the clerk before a hearing may be scheduled.

Shelter petitions must be emailed to Judge Buchanan with a copy to her Judicial Assistant by 10:00 a.m. Monday through Thursday or by 8:00 a.m. Friday, or as soon as possible thereafter.

Only the exhibit list should be e-filed in advance.

Unanticipated rebuttal evidence may be shared during a Zoom hearing or emailed during the hearing with the court’s permission.

A hearing longer than 30 minutes may be canceled only under one of the stated conditions, including advance notice at least five business days before the hearing if the motion will be reset.

A motion must be filed under the Court’s procedures when an amendment, extension, modification, or further judicial action is needed.

Parties may submit an agreed order for an extension that does not change later case-management dates, but must move to amend the case management order if later dates would change.

A motion to extend a deadline must be filed before that deadline expires.

A motion to continue must comply with Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.460 and be signed by the party requesting the continuance.

The Court will not make a case-dispositive ruling without a hearing.

Sending a letter by mail does not satisfy the good faith certification requirement.

All parties must be available for an emergency hearing unless exigent circumstances prevent it.

Before filing a non-dispositive motion, the movant must confer in good faith with the opposing party to try to resolve the issues.

Before filing a non-dispositive motion, the movant must confer in good faith with the opposing party to try to resolve the issues.

Before a civil motion hearing, send the Judicial Assistant copies of the motion, proposed orders, and filed notice of hearing, with sufficient proposed-order copies and pre-stamped envelopes for all parties.

Do not send courtesy copies of documents already filed and docketed.

If counsel or a party intends to rely on case law or other documents at a hearing, an electronic courtesy copy must be provided to the court and opposing party in advance.

For special set hearings, provide legal memoranda or briefs, significant cited authorities, a witness list, and any responsive memoranda to the Court and opposing counsel at least three business days before the hearing.

Courtesy copies of case law or other specified documents must be submitted for any evidentiary proceeding.

The examining committee fee for a physician is $350 when the ward has been found indigent.

The investigation fee is $57.50, payable to the Broward County Clerk of Court, unless waived by the Court.

A request for a copy of the initial application’s court monitor results requires a self-addressed, stamped envelope and a $1 check payable to the Broward County Clerk of Court.

Plaintiff’s counsel must ensure all sale and Clerk fees are paid.

Failure to publish, pay sale fees, or pursue loss mitigation after final judgment is not good cause; resetting the sale requires a hearing, Plaintiff consent or acknowledgment, and appropriate Clerk's fees.

Additional motions may not be piggy-backed by cross-notice unless counsel first confirms that enough additional hearing time can be reserved.

The Court prefers that the parties submit one proposed order when possible.

The Court prefers, if possible, one proposed order in Microsoft Word format with redline or blackline annotations identifying disagreements and alternatives.

Additional motions may not be piggy-backed by cross-notice for hearings under one hour without the Judicial Assistant’s permission.

The e-docket call form must be submitted together with the required joint pre-trial statement.

Counsel should seek to seal private or sensitive information before it becomes part of the public record.

The parties were directed to file all written discovery responses to each other under seal.

Counsel asserting privilege must send chambers a cover letter enclosing the documents for in camera inspection in a sealed envelope marked “FOR IN CAMERA REVIEW/NOT TO BE FILED.”

Memoranda should be no longer than five pages; brevity is encouraged.