Requirements & Information

Contact Information

Judicial Service

• Circuit Court Bench, January 2007

Education

• JD, University of Oklahoma
• BBA, University of Oklahoma

Judicial Assistant

Joanne Hulsart

Division Email

The Division Email is CirFamDiv1@jud12.flcourts.org. You must comply with the rules regarding ex parte communications. Please place the case number in the subject line. Pro se litigants may only use the Division Email with the Court’s permission. Pro se litigants must follow the Twelfth Judicial Circuit’s rules for pro se parties.

Phone

(941) 861‑7970

Fax

Please contact Judicial Assistant for permission to fax documents.

Chamber

Judge Lynn N. Silvertooth Judicial Center

Physical Address

2002 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34237

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 48927, Sarasota, FL 34230

Office Hours

8:30 am-5 pm; closed for lunch Noon-1 pm

Courtroom

Proceedings are held in Courtroom 5A

Quick Links

•  Calendars
•  Division Documents & Preferred Forms
•  Judicial Requirements
•  Zoom Requirements

Division Assignment(s)

• Circuit Family Division 1 - Sarasota County

Requirements & Information

Standards of Professionalism

Judge Curley expects all attorneys who appear to know and adhere to the Twelfth Judicial Circuit’s Standards of Professionalism, also available on the websites of the Manatee County Bar Association and the Sarasota County Bar Association.

• Case Management Conferences and Pretrial Conferences are by Zoom.
• Non-evidentiary hearings that are less than 60 minutes are by Zoom. Depending on the subject matter, the Court may require parties to appear in-person regardless of the length of the non-evidentiary.

• The parties may request hearing time 60 minutes or greater through the judicial assistant by email or phone.
• Hearings should not be scheduled unilaterally by either party. Cooperation is required. If assistance from the Court is sought, please notify the judicial assistant to schedule a brief status conference.
• Once a hearing is scheduled, another motion may not be “cross-noticed” for hearing without permission from the judge.
• Please cancel your hearing in JACS. The hearing time will be made available to other litigants.

• Attorneys may email CirFamDiv1@jud12.flcourts.org. All parties must be included in the email. Ex-parte communication may be rejected.
• All parties must not ask the judicial assistant:
  1. for legal advice;
  2. to give the judge a message;
  3. to explain the contents of a court order; or
  4. to send documents to opposing party or counsel on your behalf.
• Communication from a non-party may be rejected.

The Court will give directions to the parties after the hearing or trial on a case-by-case basis.

• Courtesy copies of trial exhibits are not required. The Court has access to the evidence admitted at the hearing/trial.
• Courtesy copies of case law may be provided at the time of the hearing or trial. Case law may also be provided through email: CirFamDiv1@jud12.flcourts.org

• Emergency motions and other urgent matters filed by attorneys and pro se litigants must be filed in the court file before requesting hearing time. Please include valid email addresses.
• The judge will review emergency motions and issue and order with directives.
• Pro se litigants must file their emergency motions with the clerk with a Form A.
• Attorneys may file their emergency motions: CirFamDiv1@jud12.flcourts.org

• Attorneys and pro se litigants must appear 5 minutes prior to the start time to have exhibits marked with the clerk.
• The Court does not require the submission of trial/hearing exhibits prior to the hearing or final hearing.
• The Court does require a courtesy copy of the Equitable Distribution Worksheet that can be provided the morning of trial.
• Copies of case law can be provided at the time of hearing or trial or submitted through CirFamDiv1@jud12.flcourts.org

• Pretrial conferences are by Zoom. Attorneys may waive the presence of their clients. Pro se litigants must appear on Zoom.
  Meeting ID: 99952118162 | Password: 063066
• At the pretrial conference, the Court will schedule a date-certain for the following trial week. Unless specifically set by the judge, substantive motions are not heard at pretrial conference and case management.
• Case Management Conferences: CMC procedures are being revised but at this time the procedures are as follows:
  1. After a Petition is filed, the petitioner has 120 days to serve the petition on the Respondent.
  2. After service as been perfected, the parties shall comply with mandatory disclosure, the filing of financial affidavits, and the production of documents.
  3. Within 5 months after the filing of the Petition, the parties are expected to engage in a meaningful mediation to pare down the issues for litigation.
  4. After mediation is complete, the attorney in the case, not a pro se litigant, shall provide a copy of the mediator’s report: CirFamDiv1@jud12.flcourts.org
  5. Upon receiving notice that the parties have attended mediation and issues remain unresolved, the judicial assistant will schedule a case management conference.
  6. Case Management Conference can also be scheduled when a copy of the Notice that Case is at Issue and Ready for Trial is emailed to: CirFamDiv1@jud12.flcourts.org. The court has the discretion to schedule a case management conference on any other case.
  7. At case management, the parties and the judge will discuss the status of the case and select a trial period. Discovery cut-off and deadlines to file and hear motions will be established.
  8. For cases that have settled at mediation, the parties may submit a final judgment with special interrogatories or schedule a 5-minute Zoom hearing via JACS.
• Case Management Conferences with both parties pro se: Pro se litigants will be assisted with case management by the Family Division Case Manager.

• Trial dates are typically selected at the case management conference or by stipulation.
• At any time, the parties may agree to a trial date by filing a stipulation in the court file and forwarding a copy of the stipulation to the Court. The Court will issue a trial order with directives such as scheduling the pretrial conference date, setting a deadline for motions, the exchange of exhibit and witness lists, and discovery cut-off.

The Family Division page contains many standard orders that may be submitted at: CirFamDiv1@jud12.flcourts.org.

The following orders should be submitted directly to the judicial assistant:

1. Income Deduction Order;
2. Qualified Domestic Relations Order; and
3. Special interrogatories.

• Petition for Relocation: The Petition must be served on a party. A courtesy copy must be provided to the Court at the time the petition is filed.
• Motion for Temporary Relocation: A courtesy copy must be provided to the Court at the time the motion is filed.
• The parties must coordinate a date and time for hearing to comply with F.S. 61.13001.
• Motions for Child Hearsay must be timely filed and properly noticed for hearing.
• Interpreters: The responsibility for scheduling an interpreter rests solely with the person in need of interpreting services. The Court does not automatically schedule interpreters. Interpretation services may be requested via phone, or through the online request form no later than 5 days from the date of hearing.
• General Magistrate shall hear (if no objection filed):
  • All temporary issues after mediation.
  • All civil contempt/enforcement issues
  • All discovery-related issues
  • All motions directed to the pleadings
  • All final hearings that are 3 hours or less
  • Child support, regardless if an objection was filed
• Child Support: These matters shall be heard by the general magistrate or hearing officer.