County & Court GPS
Osceola County family court
Ninth Judicial Circuit. Procedure notes below come from BenchPath verified sources — every card carries its citation, confidence level, and last-verified date.
Before you file here
- Confirm venue — this county is the right place for the case
- Confirm the current official forms at flcourts.gov
- Check signature / notary requirements per form
- Pick the correct e-filing case category on the portal
- Handle confidential information (SSNs, minors) per rule
- Note the filing fee — or the fee-waiver application
Before you appear here
- Confirm date, time, location — and Zoom vs. in person
- Check the assigned judge/division instructions below
- Confirm how evidence must be submitted for hearings
- Ask whether a proposed order is expected, and in what format
- Confirm courtesy-copy requirements
- Build the exhibit and witness lists in Hearing Prep
Uncontested in Osceola
Agreed on the terms? The path runs through this courthouse.
The qualifier reads your answers, the Assembly Line organizes the agreement, the Packet Composer names the official forms, and the tracker follows the clerk's acceptance loop — all county-aware. Filing fees are verified with the Osceolaclerk (this platform never types a fee it can't source), and the division's published practice above controls hearing logistics.
Florida law generally bars entry of a final judgment of dissolution until at least 20 days after the petition is filed (§ 61.19, Fla. Stat.); a court may act sooner only on the statute's required showing. Clerk and court processing add county-varying time on top.
Judge & Division Playbook
Who hears family cases here — and their published practice
A playbook is published practice — calendars, conferral, order formats — with its citation and verification date. FamilyLawGPS does not and will not predict judicial outcomes.
Ninth Judicial Circuit Court
Alison Kerestes
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Osceola County Court
Celia Thacker Dorn
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Ninth Judicial Circuit Court
Christine E. Arendas
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Ninth Judicial Circuit Court
Christy C. Collins
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Ninth Judicial Circuit Court
Craig A. McCarthy
circuit_judge
- Judge Craig A. McCarthy — AI disclosure/certification mandate (Division 30-C) [PREEMPTED]9th Jud. Cir. (Orange/Osceola), Division 30-C Procedures — AI filing requirement; preempted by Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin. 2.515(d)(2), AOSC26-12
Osceola County Court
David Peters
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Osceola County Court
Gabrielle N. Sanders-Morency
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Ninth Judicial Circuit Court
Hal C. Epperson Jr.
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Osceola County Court
Juna M. Pulayya
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Ninth Judicial Circuit Court
Mark A. Skipper
circuit_judge
- Judge Mark A. Skipper — AI disclosure/certification mandate (Division 43-C) [PREEMPTED]9th Jud. Cir. (Orange/Osceola), Division 43-C Procedures — AI filing requirement; preempted by Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin. 2.515(d)(2), AOSC26-12
Named in procedure notes
Holly Derenthal
- Judge Holly Derenthal — Division 47 procedures (Orange Domestic Relations)9th Jud. Cir. (Orange/Osceola), Division 47 Guidelines & Procedures — Judge Holly Derenthal (official published doc)
Named in procedure notes
Michael Murphy
- Judge Michael Murphy — Division 41 procedures (Orange Domestic Relations)9th Jud. Cir. (Orange/Osceola), Division 41 Guidelines & Procedures — Judge Michael Murphy (official published doc)
Named in procedure notes
Mikaela Nix-Walker
- Judge Mikaela Nix-Walker — Division 42 procedures (Orange Domestic Relations)9th Jud. Cir. (Orange/Osceola), Division 42 Guidelines & Procedures — Judge Mikaela Nix-Walker (official published doc)
Court procedure notes
Verified local intelligence
Court procedure data from BenchPath, compiled from official public court sources.
Divisional InstructionsDivision 30-C — Osceola Family · Craig A. McCarthy · Osceola
Judge Craig A. McCarthy — AI disclosure/certification mandate (Division 30-C) [PREEMPTED]
Division 30-C (Judge Craig A. McCarthy) published an AI-use disclosure/certification requirement. Preempted eff. 6/15/2026 by Rule 2.515(d)(2) + AOSC26-12; still posted as of 2026-07-06 (9th Circuit has no circuit-level AI order).
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Divisional InstructionsDivision 43-C — Osceola Family · Mark A. Skipper · Osceola
Judge Mark A. Skipper — AI disclosure/certification mandate (Division 43-C) [PREEMPTED]
Division 43-C (Judge Mark A. Skipper) published an AI-use disclosure/certification requirement. Preempted eff. 6/15/2026 by Rule 2.515(d)(2) + AOSC26-12; still posted as of 2026-07-06 (9th Circuit has no circuit-level AI order).
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Divisional InstructionsDivision 41 — Orange Domestic Relations · Michael Murphy · Orange
Judge Michael Murphy — Division 41 procedures (Orange Domestic Relations)
Division 41 procedures before Judge Michael Murphy (Orange Domestic Relations, 9th Circuit). Verbatim requirements: scheduling, conferral, orders, appearance format.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Divisional InstructionsDivision 42 — Orange Domestic Relations · Mikaela Nix-Walker · Orange
Judge Mikaela Nix-Walker — Division 42 procedures (Orange Domestic Relations)
Division 42 procedures before Judge Mikaela Nix-Walker (Orange Domestic Relations, 9th Circuit). Verbatim requirements: scheduling, conferral, orders, appearance format.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Divisional InstructionsDivision 47 — Orange Domestic Relations · Holly Derenthal · Orange
Judge Holly Derenthal — Division 47 procedures (Orange Domestic Relations)
Division 47 procedures before Judge Holly Derenthal (Orange Domestic Relations, 9th Circuit). Verbatim requirements: scheduling, conferral, orders, appearance format.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.