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In the Circuit Court of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit
in and for Manatee County, Florida

Administrative Order No. 2026–01.12

In Re:

Redistribution of Cases
from Family Division 3 to
Family Division 4

The Manatee County Clerk of Court is responsible for accepting new filings of family law cases and equally assigning them between Family Division 3 and Family Division 4.

The court has recently learned that due to a programming error, an unbalanced number of new family cases were assigned to Division 3, resulting in an imbalance in caseload distribution and a disproportionate allocation of cases accruing in Division 3.

To improve the administration of justice within the Twelfth Judicial Circuit, and pursuant to Rule 2.215, Florida Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration, it is appropriate for this Court to direct the Manatee County Clerk of Court to redistribute the family cases filed between Family Division 3 and Family Division 4.

In accordance with Article V, §2, Florida Constitution and §43.26, Florida Statutes, it is therefore Ordered as follows:

  1. The Manatee County Clerk of Court is directed to determine the number of new family cases filed which were disproportionately assigned to Division 3. The Clerk should not consider "reopened" cases in this calculation.
  2. The Clerk shall then re-assign new family pending open cases filed equally between Family Division 3 and Family Division 4. If a case is currently set for a hearing or trial in Family Division 3 it shall remain in Family Division 3.
  3. Additionally, before reassigning cases, the Clerk shall verify that a case has not been specifically assigned to Family Division 3 due to disqualification of other judges.
  4. Once the reassignment is complete, the Clerk shall notice all parties in the affected cases indicating that their case has been reassigned, designating the new division assignment, and shall reference this Administrative Order as the reason for the reassignment.
  5. For the next three months, the Clerk shall monitor the distribution of newly filed family division cases on a bi-weekly basis to ensure that the caseload distribution has been properly corrected.
  6. This order is effective immediately.

DONE AND ORDERED in Chambers, Manatee County, Florida this 24th day of February, 2026.

DIANA L. MORELAND, CHIEF JUDGE
TWELFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
STATE OF FLORIDA

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