County & Court GPS
Seminole County family court
Eighteenth 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 Seminole
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 Seminoleclerk (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.
Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Court
Brian DeSanto
general_magistrate
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seminole County Court
Bryanna Bynum
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seminole County Court
Carsandra D. Buie
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Court
Christopher Sprysenski
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seminole County Court
Debra Krause
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Court
Donna M. Goerner
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seminole County Court
James Dekleva
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Court
Jessica Recksiedler
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Court
John D. Galluzzo
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Court
Kristina Paulter
general_magistrate
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Court
Mark E. Herr
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Court
Mary Nardi
general_magistrate
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Court
Melanie Chase
chief_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Court
Melissa D. Souto
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Court
Melissa Dayan
general_magistrate
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Court
Michael Rudisill
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Court procedure notes
Verified local intelligence
Court procedure data from BenchPath, compiled from official public court sources.
E-Filing
Statewide AI-Era Certification: Every Signer Certifies Cited Authorities Exist — Rule 2.515(d)(2)
Effective June 15, 2026, every signer of a Florida court filing — attorney or self-represented — represents that "the legal authorities identified exist and are accurately cited," with express sanctions (reprimand, contempt, striking, dismissal, costs, fees) for violations. Companion order AOSC26-12 preempts ALL circuit- and judge-level AI disclosure/certification requirements.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
E-FilingEighteenth Judicial Circuit
Proposed Orders in .DOCX with DJMCA Codes; Cover Letters in PDF — 18th Circuit
The Eighteenth Judicial Circuit (Seminole and Brevard) requires cover letters in PDF format and proposed orders in .docx format using DJMCA formatting codes, submitted through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Emergency Motions
Domestic Violence Injunctions: Ex Parte Temporary Relief and Prompt Final Hearing — Fla. Fam. L. R. P. 12.610
A DV injunction petition is reviewed promptly; the court may issue a temporary injunction ex parte, and when it does, a full evidentiary hearing is generally set within 15 days. There is no filing fee.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
E-Filing
E-Filing Through the Statewide Portal — Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
Florida attorneys must file court documents electronically through the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com). Self-represented litigants may e-file through the same portal. Local circuits layer their own formatting and routing quirks on top.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Service
E-Service of Pleadings and Documents — Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin. 2.516
Service of pleadings and documents after the initial pleading is made by e-mail — in practice through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal's e-service feature — to the designated service addresses on file.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Case Management
Mandatory Disclosure in Family Cases — Fla. Fam. L. R. P. 12.285
Parties in dissolution and most family financial cases must exchange a financial affidavit and specified financial documents within 45 days of service of the initial pleading, file a certificate of compliance, and supplement as circumstances change.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.