Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida, Pasco and Pinellas Counties Document Format Requirements
52 rules from official source documents
Font, margin, spacing, and file format requirements for court filings. This page is scoped to Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida, Pasco and Pinellas Counties; use the court rules overview to switch categories without leaving this court.
Hearing materials must include the notice, motion, responses, case law with the relevant portions highlighted, and pre-marked evidence in a tabbed and indexed binder.
All documents which include the notice of hearing, the motion to be heard and any responses shall be provided with the case law (CASE LAW IS TO BE HIGHLIGHTED as to the specific portions the attorney will refer to WITHIN THAT CASE and want the Judge to consider. DO NOT HIGHLIGHT IN THE MOTION WHERE THE CASES ARE CITED) and pre-marked evidence IN A BINDER TABBED AND INDEXED TO THE COURT as soon as possible via mail or courier.
- Format
Documents uploaded for agreed orders must be submitted in PDF format.
All documents are to be uploaded as PDF Documents.
- Format
- PAPER
An order or judgment requiring the clerk to insert a sale date must be submitted as a hard-copy package containing sufficient copies and stamped addressed envelopes for the service list.
Any order or judgment which requires a sale date be filled in by the clerk, must be submitted as a hard copy package with sufficient copies and stamped addressed envelopes to the service list.
The physical courthouse address must not appear on a telephonic Notice of Hearing.
The physical courthouse address must not be listed on the Notice of Hearing.
- Format
Orders must be submitted through JAWS in PDF format.
Submit orders via JAWS in PDF format.
- Format
- PDF_A
Unopposed proposed orders must generally be submitted in PDF/A format and provided to opposing counsel and any self-represented litigant.
Unopposed proposed orders, unless directed otherwise by the Court, must be submitted in PDF/a format and provided to opposing counsel and any self-represented litigant.
- Format
- DOCX
All contested proposed orders must be submitted in Word format and provided to opposing counsel and any self-represented litigant.
All contested proposed orders, must be submitted in Word format and provided to opposing counsel and any self-represented litigant.
- Format
- PDF_A
Courtesy copies of legal authority must be submitted in PDF/A format.
Courtesy copies must be submitted in PDF/a format.
- Format
- PAPER
An order or judgment requiring the clerk to insert a sale date must be submitted as a hard-copy package containing sufficient copies and stamped, addressed envelopes for the service list.
Any order or judgment which requires a sale date be filled in by the clerk, must be submitted as a hard copy package with sufficient copies and stamped addressed envelopes to the service list.
- Format
All documents uploaded to JAWS must be in PDF format.
All documents are to be uploaded as PDF Documents.
- Format
Documents submitted for JAWS upload must be in PDF format.
All documents are to be uploaded as PDF documents.
- Format
The cover letter and any motion, stipulation, and exhibits must be combined into one PDF in the Include Cover Letter section.
The cover letter, (with any motion, stipulation and exhibits) should be uploaded in the Include Cover Letter section as one pdf file.
The proposed order or judgment must be titled and uploaded by itself in the Document Title section’s browse area.
The order or judgment to be reviewed and signed goes in the Document Title section by itself. Title the document and then upload the order in the “browse” section.
A stipulation may accompany the explanatory cover letter, but the proposed order must be uploaded separately from the cover letter.
Any stipulations may be uploaded with the explanatory cover letter uploaded separately. The order must be uploaded separately from the cover letter.
Orders containing blanks are prohibited from JAWS submission, will be rejected there, and must instead be mailed to the judge.
FILL IN ORDERS PROHIBITED: Any orders that have blanks to fill in will be rejected in JAWS. These must be mailed to the Judge.
- Format
The proposed trial orders submitted to JAWS after party agreement must be in PDF format.
After all parties agree, upload the proposed trial orders to JAWS in PDF format for Judge Hamilton’s review and signature.
- Format
Agreed-upon orders submitted through JAWS must be in PDF format.
Submit AGREED UPON orders only via JAWS in PDF format.
Three days before the hearing, the parties must deliver the evidence and witness list to the St. Petersburg Judicial Building in filing-ready, redacted binders; digital delivery requires court permission and emailed items are not accepted.
2. 3 DAYS PRIOR TO HEARING: Deliver all evidence including the witness list to the St. Petersburg Judicial Building. The parties will deliver documentary evidence in binders. They will not be in digital format without court permission. The files delivered to the Court must be ready for immediate filing with the Clerk of Court and therefore must be redacted. *EMAILED ITEMS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
- Format
Documents submitted through JAWS must be uploaded in PDF format.
All documents are to be uploaded as PDF documents.
A proposed order submitted through JAWS must be accompanied by an explanatory cover letter.
You must also upload an explanatory cover letter.
Counsel must pre-mark all evidence before its intended use.
ALL evidence is to be pre-marked in advance of its intended use by counsel.
- Applies to
- Proposed order
- Format
Proposed orders must be submitted through JAWS in PDF format unless at least one party is pro se.
Proposed orders must be submitted via JAWS in PDF format, unless one or more parties are Pro Se.
- Applies to
- Proposed order
- Format
- DOCX
Competing proposed orders must be emailed to the Judicial Assistant in Word format with a cover letter identifying the parties' disagreement.
Competing proposed orders must be submitted to the Judicial Assistant via email in word format, along with a cover letter containing a statement identifying the disagreement of the parties as to the proposed order.
Competing provisions in the draft Pre-Trial Conference Order must appear in bold letters within the same order.
In the event the parties are unable to agree on any matter in the Pre-Trial Conference Order, they must place each of the competing provisions within the same draft order in bold letters and the Court will resolve the dispute at the Pre- Trial Conference.
Jury instructions must be suitable for submission to the jury, and standard instructions must include the Florida Supreme Court-assigned number and title.
All instructions must be in a form suitable for submission to the jury and, in the case of standard instructions, must bear the number and title assigned in the standard instructions approved by the Florida Supreme Court.
Instructions submitted to the Court must be sent as hard copies by U.S. Mail with a courtesy copy emailed to the Court’s section in Microsoft Word format, unless the Court instructed otherwise at a prior hearing.
All instructions submitted to the Court must be sent in by hard copy via U.S Mail and a courtesy copy sent to the Court’s section email in Microsoft Word format, or as otherwise instructed by the Court at a prior hearing.
Competing provisions that the parties cannot agree upon must appear in bold in the same draft Pre-Trial Conference Order for resolution at the conference.
In the event the parties are unable to agree on any matter in the Pre-Trial Conference Order, they must place each of the competing provisions within the same draft order in bold letters and the Court will resolve the dispute at the Pre-Trial Conference.
A proposed case management conference order must be redlined or annotated with comments identifying the parties' disagreements.
This shall be red-lined and/or comments added in so that it is easy for the Court to see where the disagreements are.
Exhibits should be clearly marked, divided, and filed electronically.
Exhibit Preparation: Exhibits should be clearly marked, divided, and e-filed.
- Format
A separate cover letter must accompany the proposed trial order submitted for review and signature.
Be sure to include a separate cover letter.
Exhibits must be labeled using the specified party-and-number format.
Exhibits must be labeled in the following format: Petitioner/Plaintiff 1 or Respondent/Defendant A.
The subject line of an email submitting courtesy copies must identify the case number and the motion or matter to be heard.
Courtesy copies may be submitted to the court by e-mail to section15@jud6.org, with the case number and motion or matter to be heard noted in the subject line.
A cover letter accompanying mailed or hand-delivered courtesy copies must identify the case number and relevant motion or matter in its subject line.
Courtesy copies may be submitted to the court by U.S. mail or hand- delivered to the judicial office, with the case number and motion or matter to be heard noted in the subject line of an accompanying cover letter.
An exhibit index should accompany submissions and identify the submitting party, exhibit number, description, and identification or admission status.
An index of exhibits should accompany any submission, which index should include for each exhibit, the party submitting the exhibit, the number of the exhibit, a brief description of the exhibit, and a space for the Court to indicate whether or not the exhibit was identified and admitted.
- Format
Upload the completed trial order to JAWS as a PDF with all parties associated.
The trial order should be completed and uploaded into JAWS as a pdf with all parties associated.
Agreed orders submitted through JAWS should use two uploads: the order or judgment alone in one location and all supporting materials in a single document in the other location.
JAWS submissions of AGREED orders to the court should consist of two uploads:
A duplicate upload is unnecessary and should not be made for JAWS submissions.
It should never be necessary to make a duplicate upload. These create many problems.
Paper copies of case law and other legal authority are accepted but not preferred, and pertinent portions should be highlighted.
Paper copies of case law and other legal authority are accepted but not preferred. Pertinent portions should be highlighted.
Lengthy submissions should be divided into separately stapled or otherwise separated subparts, including cases and exhibits.
PLEASE break up lengthy submissions into subparts (cases, exhibits, etc.) that are stapled or otherwise divided.
Competing unagreed orders must be redlined to make differences easy to identify.
Please redline to easily identify differences.
Evidence binders should not exceed three inches in thickness.
The parties should not use binders thicker than 3 inches.
A JAWS proposed-order submission should contain two separate uploads.
JAWS submissions of proposed orders to the court should consist of two uploads:
The cover letter, motion or stipulation, and any necessary exhibits should be combined into one PDF for the JAWS upload location labeled “Cover Letter.”
Everything but the proposed order goes in the upload location labeled “Cover Letter” - namely, the information that shows the judge why the order should be signed (i.e., cover letter and motion or stipulation, plus exhibits if necessary). These are all uploaded as one single document.
Only the proposed order or judgment for signature should be placed in the second JAWS location, and its document title must be completed.
The order or judgment to be reviewed and signed, and nothing else, goes in second location where the title of the document must be filled in.
A duplicate JAWS upload should be avoided because it may cause problems.
It should not be necessary to make a duplicate upload. This may create many problems.
- Format
- DOCX
When proposed-order disagreements cannot be resolved, each side should submit the order in Word format using track changes and may use comments to explain particular language.
If there are disagreements/objections over a proposed Order, the parties must attempt to work them out before requiring further Court intervention. If the disagreements as to the form of the Order cannot be worked out, each side should submit an Order in Word format with track changes. The parties may place reasoning for particular language using the comments feature.
- Format
- PAPER
The identified pre-trial materials must be supplied in hardcopy when applicable.
Additionally, at least 5 business days prior to trial, please provide Judge Berlin with copies of the following via hardcopy (if applicable): Equitable Distribution Worksheet Child Support Guidelines Proposed Parenting/Timesharing Plans Any case law to be used at trial
- Format
An order may not include a separate page containing only the judge's signature or a separate page containing only the Certificate of Service.
** Do not submit Orders with a page only for the Judges signature or the page with only the Certificate of Service.
Envelopes and orders must not be stapled together.
** Do not staple envelopes and Orders together.
The physical courthouse address may not appear in a telephonic Notice of Hearing.
The physical courthouse address must not be listed on the Notice of Hearing.
The required ADA notification in every Notice of Hearing must use 14-point font.
All notices of hearing must contain the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) notification required by Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.540, as stated below in a 14 font.
Parties may submit unredacted evidence to the Court by hard copy if they want the Court to consider the unredacted versions.
Parties may also submit unredacted copies of evidence to the Court if the parties want the Court to see unredacted versions VIA HARDCOPY.
What formatting rules apply to filings in Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida, Pasco and Pinellas Counties?
Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida, Pasco and Pinellas Counties' formatting rule includes file format paper, hard copy package, sufficient copies, and stamped addressed envelopes to the service list. An order or judgment requiring the clerk to insert a sale date must be submitted as a hard-copy package containing sufficient copies and stamped, addressed envelopes for the service list.
What formatting rules apply to filings in Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida, Pasco and Pinellas Counties?
Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida, Pasco and Pinellas Counties' formatting rule includes file format PDF. Documents submitted through JAWS must be uploaded in PDF format.
What formatting rules apply to filings in Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida, Pasco and Pinellas Counties?
Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida, Pasco and Pinellas Counties' formatting rule includes file format PDF, must be submitted via jaws., and exception applies if one or more parties are pro se.. Proposed orders must be submitted through JAWS in PDF format unless at least one party is pro se.
Related categories
Back to all rules for this courtPage & Word Limits
Maximum page counts and word limits for motions, briefs, and other filings by judge.
Courtesy Copy Requirements
When and how to deliver courtesy copies to chambers, including triggers, timing, and formatting.
Electronic Filing Rules
Electronic filing requirements, permitted filing channels, EFSP portals, and exceptions.
Filing Timing and Cure Windows
Filing cutoffs, deemed-filed rules, rejection handling, cure periods, and outage procedures.