Hearing Prep Mode
Walk in organized. Walk out with a plan.
Hearing preparation is organization, not argument coaching: know the procedure, bring the proof, respect the format. Pick your county to pull its actual hearing procedures from BenchPath.
The universal prep list
01
Confirm the hearing
Date, time, length, judge/magistrate, and whether it's Zoom or in person. The notice of hearing controls.
02
Know what the hearing decides
A motion calendar hearing is short and narrow; a special set or evidentiary hearing takes testimony. Prepare for the one you actually have.
03
Organize exhibits
Number them, bring the required copies, and know your county's submission procedure — many divisions require pre-submission for Zoom hearings.
04
Line up witnesses
Who, why, and whether they need subpoenas. Confirm remote-appearance rules if any witness is remote.
05
Draft the timeline
One page: the key dates and facts you need the judge to absorb quickly.
06
Check the proposed-order procedure
Some divisions want proposed orders before the hearing, in editable format, through a specific channel.
07
Plan court day
Parking, security lines, childcare (children generally should not come), documents in a binder, phone silenced.
08
Plan the after
Who prepares the order, when it's due, and what you must start doing the moment it's signed.
clay hearing & division procedures
Courtesy CopiesCounty Division CC-J · Eleni Derke · Duval
Case-Law Binders Arrive 5 Days Early — Division CC-J
Judge Derke: courtesy copies of motions and memoranda three days out — but any BINDER containing case law must reach the Court at least five days before the hearing; civil hearings run on Zoom unless parties opt in-person.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Proposed OrdersCounty Division CC-O · Julie K. Nelson · Duval
Civil on Zoom by Default; Pro Se Addresses Belong on the Service List — Division CC-O
Judge Nelson conducts all civil hearings via Zoom unless a party requests in person, and requires the unrepresented party's mailing address on every proposed order's service list, with conformed copies provided.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Courtesy CopiesCounty Division CC-L · Michelle Kalil · Duval
Courtesy Copies 3 Business Days; Continuance Signed by the Party — Division CC-L
Judge Michelle Kalil (civil/small claims, FSC template, mod. Jan. 20, 2026): courtesy copies of motions and memoranda three business days out, binders with case law by physical delivery, and continuance motions signed by the requesting party per Rule 2.545(e).
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Courtesy CopiesCounty Division CC-P · Brooke Brady · Duval
Courtesy Copies AND Binders Five Days Early — Division CC-P
Judge Brady doubles the courtesy window: motions, memoranda, and any case-law binders must reach the Court at least five days before the hearing.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Remote / Zoom HearingsCounty Division CC-K · Kimberly Sadler · Duval
Out-of-County Zoom Requires a Motion AND Proposed Order — Division CC-K
Judge Sadler grants Zoom appearance to out-of-county parties only on a filed Motion with a proposed order (Rule 3.116 on the criminal side), and case-law binders arrive five days early.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Proposed OrdersCounty Division CC-O · Julie K. Nelson · Duval
Post-Hearing Orders Track the Court's Verbal Recitation — Division CC-O
Judge Nelson may request proposed orders from one or more parties per the Court's verbal rulings at hearing; orders without a hearing require the motion attached and all parties copied.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Remote / Zoom HearingsCounty Division CC-N · Gary Flower · Duval
Remote Appearance Only via the Written Order Approving It — Division CC-N
Judge Flower: Zoom/telephonic appearance happens only upon request and approval, with the Zoom or phone number issued IN THE WRITTEN ORDER approving the remote appearance — plus the standard no-reschedule rule for failed connections and an absolute cross-noticing ban.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Remote / Zoom HearingsCounty Division CC-I · Robin Lanigan · Duval
Zoom Failure = Absent; Cross-Notices Go Through Chambers — Division CC-I
Judge Lanigan holds Zoom participants responsible for their own connection (failure may count as absence, with no reschedule for inadequate connections) and refuses unilaterally cross-noticed motions; late-delivered authority may not be considered.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Remote / Zoom HearingsCounty Division CC-Q · Dawn K. Hudson · Duval
Zoom ID 262-722-9756 — Full Name Displayed or No Admission — Division CC-Q
Judge Hudson: her standing Zoom room is 262-722-9756, participants must display their full name in their Zoom ID or may not be admitted, and Zoom requests are handled case-by-case — possibly moving your hearing time; the morning criminal calendar runs 9:30, afternoons 1:30.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Remote / Zoom HearingsCounty Division CC-M · Mose Floyd · Duval
Zoom Is for Out-of-County Counsel — Never Guilt Dispositions — Division CC-M
Judge Floyd permits Zoom for routine appearances by out-of-county counsel, but not for disposition hearings involving an adjudication of guilt or for evidentiary hearings.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Proposed OrdersCounty Division CC-F · Shayla Lee · Duval
2026 FSC-Template Procedures; Defendant In Person at FPT — Division CC-F
Judge Lee (roster: Shayla Lee; her PDF prints "Shaya E. Lee" — spelling under review) publishes 2026 procedures on the Florida Supreme Court template: 9:30 a.m. start, E-Portal orders with courtesy copies to the JA, and the defendant present IN PERSON at the Final Pre-Trial Conference.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Remote / Zoom HearingsCounty Division CC-E · James Nealis · Duval
Bad Zoom Connection = Absent; the Court Will NOT Reschedule — Division CC-E
Judge Nealis puts Zoom risk on the parties: anyone whose connection fails may be deemed absent from the hearing, and the division warns in capitals — DO NOT EXPECT THE COURT TO RESCHEDULE because you or a witness lacked an adequate connection.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Remote / Zoom HearingsCounty Division CC-C · Michael I. Bateh · Duval
Civil Hearings Default to Zoom Unless Both Parties Opt Out — Division CC-C
Judge Bateh holds civil hearings via Zoom unless BOTH parties request in-person (or the Court requires it), with courtesy copies three days out and voluminous pleadings by physical delivery.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Proposed OrdersCounty Division CC-A · Emmet F. Ferguson, III · Duval
Civil Orders Within 10 Days; Remote Requests 5 Days Ahead — Division CC-A
Judge Ferguson's civil side: proposed orders with agree-or-disagree cover letters within ten days of hearing, remote-appearance requests at least five days before, and all hearing materials three business days out.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Motion CalendarCounty Division CC-E · James Nealis · Duval
Cross-Noticing Absolutely Prohibited; Criminal Passes Need 72 Hours — Division CC-E
Judge Nealis bans cross-noticing outright — unilaterally cross-noticed motions will not be heard and may be denied without prejudice — and criminal pass requests must reach the JA a full 72 hours before the requested date.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Proposed OrdersCounty Division CC-B · Audrey McKibbin Moran · Duval
Hybrid In-Person/Zoom Civil Hearings; Orders Through the E-Portal — Division CC-B
Judge Moran conducts civil hearings both in person and by Zoom, takes post-hearing orders on the Court's verbal recitation of rulings, and requires e-portal submission when all parties use it — with conformed copies to unrepresented parties.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Remote / Zoom HearingsCounty Division CC-G · Scott Mitchell · Duval
No Zoom for Guilt Dispositions; Dual Calendars 9:00 and 2:00 — Division CC-G
Judge Mitchell permits Zoom for routine appearances but never for disposition hearings involving an adjudication of guilt; morning calendar 9:00 a.m., afternoon calendar 2:00 p.m., FPT is the plea deadline with the defendant physically present.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Remote / Zoom HearingsCounty Division CC-D · Rhonda Peoples-Waters · Duval
One Standing Zoom ID for the Whole Division: 822-372-8969 — Division CC-D
Judge Peoples-Waters publishes a standing division Zoom room (Meeting ID 822-372-8969) used for civil hearings and most criminal arraignments and pretrial conferences — with courtroom-grade dress required on camera.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Motion CalendarFelony Division CR-E · Tatiana Salvador · Duval
Passes by E-Mail Before 3:30 P.M. the Day Prior; Zoom OK for PTs — Division CR-E
Judge Salvador: agreed add/remove/pass requests by e-mail to the JA (cc opposing) no later than 3:30 p.m. the day before — the most generous pass window in the felony wing — and Zoom appearance is allowed for pretrial conferences under Rule 3.116.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.