Requirements & Information
Standards of Professionalism
Attorneys appearing in Civil Division A must adhere to the Twelfth Judicial Circuit’s Standards of Professionalism, also available at Manatee County Bar Association and the Sarasota County Bar Association websites.
A. Remote Appearance
Division A permits in-person and Zoom appearances for Docket Sounding, Pretrial Conferences, and Case Management. The Court reserves the right to require in-person appearances for good cause.
Civil hearings 60 minutes or less may be scheduled via Zoom without court permission. The Notice of Hearing for Zoom proceedings must list Division A’s perpetual Zoom credentials.
- Meeting ID: 465 693 0098;
- Password: 568290;
- Telephone/audio only: 1-786-635-1003.
Download the Zoom app on your chosen device or launch the Zoom app and click “Join”. Visit the Public Court Hearings on Zoom page for additional Zoom procedures and etiquette.
All users must activate camera and microphone when participating via Zoom. Court via Zoom is an official, public proceeding requiring appropriate attire and professional conduct at all times.
Witnesses Testifying by Zoom must present valid government issued photo ID.
The following hearings shall be conducted in person, unless permission granted otherwise:
- Jury and Non-jury Trials
- Evidentiary matters greater than 60 minutes
B. Hearing Procedures
Hearing Time
Motions must be filed prior to requesting hearing time. The Clerk of Court does not forward pleadings to the Court. Therefore, the filing party must bring the motion to the Court’s attention and request the appropriate amount of hearing time. Emailed requests for hearing time must include all parties. Once hearing time is scheduled, subsequent motions shall not be “cross noticed” without approval of opposing counsel and the Court.
Parties should utilize the Magistrate for all appropriate matters. Please review the Civil Magistrate section before requesting hearing time.
Notice of Hearings
Notice of Hearings must include the date, time, purpose of the hearing referencing the Document Identification Number [DIN], the duration, whether the hearing is in person [list the courtroom] and/or via Zoom [list the Zoom credentials] with a complete certificate of service that includes the following Americans with Disabilities Act compliance notice:
ADA Notice
If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact the Sarasota County Clerk of Court’s Jury Office, P.O. Box 3079, Sarasota, FL 34230-3079; (941) 861–8000 at least seven (7) days before your scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if the time before the scheduled appearance is less than seven (7) days; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711.
Additional ADA information can be found on the Americans with Disabilities Act page.
Unilaterally Scheduled Hearings
Parties must cooperate with each other and follow the Standards of Professionalism when scheduling hearing time. If parties cannot agree on hearing time, the movant may schedule a properly noticed status conference to seek permission from the judge to unilaterally set the hearing.
Cancelled Hearings
Parties should immediately notify the Judicial Assistant of all cancellations.
Conferral Prior to Filing Motion
Rule 1.202, Fla. R. Civ.P., requires parties to meet and confer in good faith to resolve issues prior to filing a motion, except for Injunctive Relief, Judgment on the pleadings, and Summary Judgment.
Court Reporters and Digital Recording
The Court does not provide a court reporter. Parties must arrange for a court reporter’s attendance prior to the hearing. Parties are prohibited from making their own audio and/or visual recordings of court proceedings and will be held in contempt of court if they violate this rule.
Recording/Broadcasting/Photography
Recording, Broadcasting, and Photography are prohibited in the courtrooms except as provided for in Rule 2.450, Florida Rules of Judicial Administration, and Administrative Orders 2020-23.2; 2023-10a.2; and 2025-03.2. Members of the media should contact the Court’s Public Information Officer for further information, (941) 749‐3600, ext. 7105.
Civil Magistrate
The following matters shall be scheduled before the Civil Magistrate, unless either side files a written objection: all motions directed to the pleadings, discovery, service of process, jurisdiction, and arbitration. Hearings may be scheduled through JACS under Magistrate Turner. Please submit an Order of Referral found in the Division Documents & Preferred Forms section. The parties may also utilize the Magistrate for matters to which the parties consent, including Injunctions and Summary Judgment. Injunctions must be specially set by stipulation by contacting the Magistrate's assistant. For questions about scheduling with the Magistrate, email Magistrate Turner’s assistant or call (941) 861‐4866.
Hearings will be cancelled if incorrectly set with the Court without approval or a filed objection to the Magistrate.
Specific Motions/Hearings
Summary Judgment Motions
- Parties shall follow the procedures for summary judgment motions as set forth in A.O. 2021-19.1
Rehearing, Reconsideration, or New Trial
Motions for Rehearing, Reconsideration, or New Trial should be submitted directly to the Judge’s office. The judge will first review the motion to determine if hearing is necessary.
Withdrawing/Substituting as Attorney
The certificate of service for a Notice of Hearing on a Motion to Withdraw as Attorney of record must show service to the client. Please use the appropriate downloadable Order Granting Substitution/Withdrawal of Attorney or track in the title and body of a proposed order the language directing the Clerk to deactivate/update the attorney in the Case Management System. Without this language, the Clerk’s system may continue to reflect the withdrawn attorney as attorney of record.
Motions for Temporary Injunction
All motions for temporary injunctions must be emailed to the Judicial Assistant upon filing. The Court may set a status conference to determine the date and length of hearing time needed.
Motions for Temporary Injunction
Do not set a hearing. All motions for temporary injunctions must be emailed to the Judicial Assistant upon filing. The Court may set a status conference to determine the date and length of hearing time needed.
C. Communications with the Court
Ex parte communication with the Court is strictly prohibited. Emails to the Court must include all parties. This rule applies regardless of if a party is represented by an attorney.
Please do not copy the Judicial Assistant on extraneous correspondence between counsels/parties. The Judicial Assistant cannot give legal advice.
The Court will not consider emails as motions. Parties shall file their pleadings with the clerk and not impose upon the Judicial Assistant to file for them.
Settlements
Parties shall immediately notify the Court in writing if a case settles. Please submit a proposed Order of Dismissal, or take whatever action necessary to close the case. Filing a Notice of Settlement does not automatically cancel any future trial.
D. Submission of Orders
Effective May 2, 2022, unless good cause is shown, proposed orders must be submitted electronically through the statewide Portal when feasible. See AO: 2022-1.2. Refer to the Sarasota Clerk's website for information on how to use the Florida Courts e-Filing Portal.
Parties should only submit a proposed order when all parties agree to the form. Do not submit the same order via the portal and email.
E. Courtesy Copies
Please submit all necessary case law and supporting documents to the Judicial Assistant at least 3 business days prior to the hearing. For larger submissions please allow sufficient time.
F. Emergency & Other Urgent Matters
True emergencies are rare. Requests for emergency hearing time must explain the emergency, the anticipated time needed, and the good faith efforts to resolve the matter without Court intervention. It is the responsibility of the requesting party to bring emergency matters to the Court’s attention.
G. Exhibits for Evidentiary Proceedings
It is the parties’ responsibility to have their exhibits in the courtroom for presentation to the clerk at the time of the hearing/trial and properly marked before the proceeding begins. Plaintiffs typically mark their exhibits with numbers and Defendants use letters.
For remote proceedings, parties must submit their marked exhibits three business days in advance and confirm receipt with the Court. Parties should have an electronic copy ready to screen share when referring to the exhibit during remote proceedings.
Due to security restrictions, the Court is prohibited from accessing Dropbox or links to retrieve exhibits.
H. Pretrial Procedures & Conferences
Compelling Discovery
The Circuit’s Standards of Professionalism discuss motions to compel discovery. Administrative Order 2010-22.2 § E(1)(d), provides: “Motions to compel discovery shall quote in full each interrogatory, question on deposition, request for admission, or request for production to which the motion is addressed and the objection and grounds given by the opposing parties.”
Failure to Respond to Discovery
If after good faith efforts, a party has not responded to an overdue discovery request, the requesting party may submit a proposed Order through the Portal that states within 10 days the specific discovery shall occur with a response filed, all objections are waived as untimely except those based on privacy, legal privilege, or work-product protections, and warns of sanctions for failure to abide.
Pretrial Conferences
Parties may be excused from the mandatory Pretrial Conference date by submitting a completed, joint Pretrial Conference Order to the Court at least two (2) business days in advance. You may attend Pretrial Conference in person or via Zoom.
Docket Sounding
All trial counsel and unrepresented parties must appear at Docket Sounding. The parties may appear in person or via Zoom for Docket Sounding.
I. Setting Case for Trial
Case Management Orders
Please review AO 2025-1.1, which explains the required use of the uniform Case Management Order setting all civil cases for a future trial date within the specified case management track within 120 days of the action commencing. Trial Calendar and UMC dates can be found on the Civil Divisions page.
Technology Services
Requests for Technology Services must be timely filed prior to the trial or hearing. Please review the technology services page for more information. It is the Attorney’s responsibility to obtain all equipment needed for trial.
Continuances
Requests to continue trial must be in writing and signed by the client/party. See Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.460 and Fla. R. Jud. Admin. 2.545(e).
J. Preferred Division Forms
The Court utilizes standard forms and orders available at Civil Division page. This site frequently posts new and updated forms.
K. Other Division Procedures
Interpreters
The Twelfth Judicial Circuit provides language interpreters in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, section 90.606, Florida Statutes, and Rule 2.560, Florida Rules of Judicial Administration. Request for services should be made no less than 5 business days prior to the event by using the Interpreter Request Form or calling 941–749–3659. The Court may not be able to accommodate requests made less than 5 business days before the event.