MAGISTRATE DIVISION (90)

**PLEASE REVIEW CAREFULLY THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURES AS THEY HAVE RECENTLY CHANGED.

1. All our hearings are being conducted via “ZOOM”. Please read the below number 3 if you are an Attorney or number 4 if you are a Self Represented party for instructions.

HEARING VIA ZOOM:

Pursuant to Administrative Order 2020-27-Temp issued by Chief Judge Jack Tuter on March 26, 2020, all court proceedings should continue in an effort to avoid substantial backlog of pending and newly-filed actions. To this end, hearings in Unified Family will be conducted via audio-video conferencing through “Zoom”.  

To conduct hearings via Zoom, all parties must have access to audio-video and download Zoom to their devices. Any objection to conduct your hearing via Zoom and request that the matter be rescheduled on the GM's regular in-person docket upon re-opening of the Courthouse must be made in writing and filed with the Clerk of Court prior to the scheduled hearing.  Please note that except for Case Management Conferences, Status hearings, and Unified Motion Calendar (non-evidentiary) hearings, telephonic hearings cannot be conducted at this time.  To conduct a telephonic hearing requires the presence of a notary.  While the presence requirement has been temporarily suspended by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Florida due to the current crisis,  the Administrative Order still requires that notaries be able to verify identification via audio-video conferencing.

Please enter the virtual meeting room as close to your scheduled hearing time as possible.  Please note that you will be muted upon joining the meeting and may be routed to a virtual waiting room to await the start of your hearing.  Once you have joined the meeting you may be prompted to enter a name.  Please list your full name so that you may be easily identified by the General Magistrate.  If prompted to connect by audio, please select "Call in using Internet Audio".  Below you will find the Zoom information to connect to your hearing scheduled for (date) at (time).

Once you have downloaded Zoom on your smartphone or computer you can click on the link below to be connected to the hearing.  If you have downloaded the Zoom application to your smartphone, you may select “Join a Meeting” from the App.  When prompted please enter Meeting ID below.

Join Zoom Meeting Link: https://17thflcourts.zoom.us/j/961072109

Meeting ID: 961 072 109

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Meeting ID: 961 072 109

Find your local number: https://17thflcourts.zoom.us/u/axZB91IYJ

For additional information on hearings conducted via Zoom, please access the following helpful link from the Seventeenth Judicial Court’s website:

http://www.17th.flcourts.org/electronic-hearing-with-zoom/

2. IF YOU ARE AN ATTORNEY:

1. We urge you to email us rather than call our office if you still need a question answered and do not find the answer here below.
2. If you need to set a hearing please DO NOT call to set but email our office, at kvega@17th.flcourts.org, and cc opposing counsel with your request to set a hearing (if self represented party on the other side, there is no need to cc them).

1. When sending the email requesting to set hearing please start by saying there is an opposing counsel on the case and very importantly advise us of how much time is needed.
2. If you are an attorney on a case where the other side is pro se and want to set a hearing, then email us at the email above and please start the email by saying that the other side is pro se and the amount of time needed for the hearing.

3. We are conducting all our hearings via zoom. Please refer to the zoom instructions.
4. All exhibits for hearing, that have been stipulated to, are to be emailed to the GM 2 days prior to the hearing to awoods@17th.flcourts.org.
5. All Reports, Order and Transmittal Letters are to be emailed to kvega@17th.flcourts.org.

3. IF YOU ARE A PRO SE/SELF REPRESENTED LITIGANT:

1. Please review the below procedures and if you still have questions regarding your case, BEFORE EMAILING US. 
2. If you received an Order of Referral to General Magistrate or Hearing Officer and need to schedule a hearing, please note that per our procedures: once the Magistrate receives the copy of the Referral and once the objection period has elapsed she will review the Referral and set it for Hearing. All parties will receive a notice of hearing in the mail within a few weeks after that.
3. We are conducting all our hearings via zoom. Please refer to the zoom instructions and prepare accordingly.
4. If you have any questions that have not been answered above you may email us at kvega@17th.flcourts.org.

DIVISION 90 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  YOU MUST HAVE AN ORDER OF REFERRAL THAT ALLOWS THE MAGISTRATE TO HEAR THE MOTION/PETITION PRIOR TO SCHEDULING A HEARING. IF THE MOTION RELATES TO A PENDING MATTER AND A PREVIOUSLY ENTERED ORDER OF REFERRAL, NO NEW REFERRAL IS NEEDED. NOTICE ALL HEARINGS FOR CHECK-IN AT COURTROOM WW12164. IMPORTANT: Please note that ALL NOTICES OF HEARING must comply with the Notice of Hearing Forms 12.920(c)(General Magistrate) or 12.921(Hearing Officer). If your matter relates to timesharing or a parenting plan is required to determine the matter, the parties MUST mediate prior to setting a hearing before the Magistrate.

2.  ALL HEARINGS:

UNIFORM MOTION CALENDAR: NON-EVIDENTIARY HEARINGS – Online Scheduling is available. Fridays at 9:00 a.m. held in Chambers with check in at COURTROOM WW12164. For all matters scheduled online, including re-notices, please submit a copy of the notice of hearing, the motion including all supporting documents, a copy of your online scheduling confirmation, and Order of Referral to General Magistrate/Hearing Officer Allana Robinson Woods’ courtroom five (5) business days prior to the hearing date. All Motions scheduled online must be cancelled online if the hearing is no longer needed.

Please do not write to the General Magistrate’s office requesting hearing dates. PLEASE CALL the Magistrate’s assistant to set a hearing. Before you call for a hearing date, you must obtain an Order of Referral from the assigned Judge. When calling the Magistrate’s office to schedule a hearing, please conference in opposing counsel’s assistant so that the date and time can be coordinated.

Before scheduling a hearing please be certain ALL outstanding discovery matters are resolved. If discovery issues are outstanding the matter should NOT BE SCHEDULED.

As per the policy of Division 90, any matter scheduled for hearing must be resolved by an Agreed Report and Order or the matter must be heard as scheduled. All motions for continuance must be heard by the General Magistrate and resolved before any scheduled hearing is continued.

 Please submit a copy of the Notice of Hearing, Motion and Order of Referral to Magistrate Robinson Woods’ chambers within seven (7) days from the date of scheduling the hearing. FAILURE TO DO SO MAY RESULT IN CANCELLATION OF THE SCHEDULED HEARING.

Upon receipt of a referral to General Magistrate on a family law matter, the General Magistrate will set and notice any hearings for pro se litigants.  Counsel of record will be responsible for emailing or calling the Magistrate’s assistant to obtain a hearing time.  Counsel shall notice the hearing to all parties.  

3. COMMUNICATION: The Code of Judicial Conduct precludes Judicial Assistants and other courtroom staff from speaking to parties about substantive matters in any case.  Furthermore, the Judicial Assistant and other court personnel are not legally qualified to provide legal advice to anyone. In addition, the Code of Judicial Conduct also prohibits judges/general magistrates from considering ex-parte (or one-sided) communications.  As a result, any issue to be considered by the Court should be in the form of a Motion filed with the Clerk of Court and copies provided to all parties of record.  However, the mere filing of a motion with the Clerk’s Office does not bring the matter before the Judge.  A hard copy must be provided to the General Magistrate with a cover letter explaining how much time is necessary for the matter to be heard.  The letter should also include information regarding whether evidence (i.e. – testimony) will need to be considered at the time of the hearing.  This division accepts e-mail communications provided they are not Ex-Parte. Self-represented or pro se litigants, who have questions after reviewing these procedures, may seek assistance in order to receive additional procedural information by going to Room 2140 of the Courthouse or by contacting the division Case Manager at 954-831-8532.

4. REPORTS:

1. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY - REPORTS SHALL BE SUBMITTED TO THE OFFICE NO MORE THAN FIFTEEN (15) DAYS AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF THE HEARING AND RULING. REPORTS SUBMITTED AFTER THE FIFTEEN (15) DAY TIME PERIOD WILL REQUIRE A TRANSCRIPT OR AN AGREED ORDER ON THE MATTER AT HAND.

2. ELECTRONIC REPORTING: EACH REPORT/RECOMMENDED ORDER MUST INDICATE IN IT THAT ELECTRONIC REPORTING WAS PRESENT OR THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE COURT REPORTER.

3. FORM OF REPORT:

1. REPORTS SHOULD BE PREPARED IN MS WORD FORMAT. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A COPY OF THE RECOMMENDED REPORT OF GENERAL MAGISTRATE AND FINAL ORDER UPON RECOMMENDED REPORT OF GENERAL MAGISTRATE TEMPLATE. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A COPY OF THE RECOMMENDED ORDER OF HEARING OFFICER AND FINAL ORDER UPON RECOMMENDED ORDER OF HEARING OFFICER TEMPLATE.
2. NO REPORT SHOULD BE SUBMITTED WITH ONLY A SIGNATURE LINE ON THE LAST PAGE OF THE REPORT. SOME OF THE SUBSTANTIVE WORDING OF THE REPORT THAT CONTAINS THE RULING MUST BE CONTAINED ON THE LAST PAGE. (THE SAME RULE APPLIES TO THE ORDERS RATIFYING THE REPORT/RECOMMENDED ORDER.)
3. SUBMIT A RECOMMENDED ORDER OF HEARING OFFICER FOR ALL HEARINGS REGARDING ONLY CHILD SUPPORT ISSUES. SUBMIT A RECOMMENDED REPORT OF GENERAL MAGISTRATE FOR ALL HEARINGS REGARDING OTHER ISSUES OR CHILD SUPPORT COMBINED WITH OTHER ISSUES. Revised 9/2017
4. THE REPORT SHOULD INCLUDE THE DATE OF THE ORDER OF REFERRAL.
5. A COPY OF THE PROPOSED REPORT SHOULD BE FURNISHED TO THE OTHER PARTY/ATTORNEY. PLEASE ALLOW AT LEAST 3 BUSINESS DAYS FOR THE PARTY/ATTORNEY TO REVIEW PROPOSED REPORT BEFORE SUBMITTING REPORT TO THE GENERAL MAGISTRATE’S OFFICE.
6. IF THE PARTIES DO NOT AGREE UPON THE WORDING OF THE REPORT, THE MOVING PARTY SHOULD SUBMIT THE REPORT AND THE OTHER PARTY HAND WRITE/TYPE THEIR SUGGESTED CHANGES ON THE SUBMITTED REPORT AND PROVIDE SAME TO THE OTHER ATTORNEY/PARTY AND THE MAGISTRATE. IF CHANGES ARE SUBMITTED IN A TYPED REPORT, DENOTE WITH A CHANGE IN TEXT FORMAT. (DO NOT SUBMIT SEPARATE VERSIONS OF REPORT, ONLY ONE (1) REPORT SHALL BE SUBMITTED TO THE OFFICE.)

D. NUMBER OF COPIES OF THE REPORT: 

1. AN ORIGINAL AND TWO COPIES, PLUS ONE COPY FOR EACH PARTY MUST BE SUBMITTED. (THIS USUALLY TOTALS FIVE (5) COPIES IF THERE ARE ONLY 2 PARTIES/ATTORNEYS.)

NUMBER OF COPIES OF ORDER RATIFYING REPORT: AN ORIGINAL AND ONE COPY FOR EACH OF THE PARTIES/ATTORNEYS MUST BE SUBMITTED. (THIS USUALLY TOTALS THREE (3) COPIES IF THERE ARE ONLY 2 PARTIES/ATTORNEYS.)

2. ENVELOPES: TWO (2) SETS OF ENVELOPES STAMPED AND ADDRESSED FOR EACH PARTY. DO NOT STAPLE THE ENVELOPES TO THE REPORT OR ORDER. (THIS USUALLY TOTALS FOUR (4) ENVELOPES IF THERE ARE ONLY 2 PARTIES/ATTORNEYS)
3. TRANSMITTAL LETTER: A TRANSMITTAL LETTER MUST ACCOMPANY THE REPORT THAT INDICATES THAT A COPY OF THE PROPOSED REPORT WAS FURNISHED TO THE OPPOSING PARTY/ATTORNEY AND WHETHER THEY AGREE WITH THE WORDING OF THE REPORT/RECOMMENDED ORDER, AND IF NOT THEIR SUGGESTED CHANGES.

SELF-REPRESENTED COMMUNITY RESOURCE INFORMATION AND REFERRAL SHEET

DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE (DOR):

1-800- 622-5437

1900 WEST COMMERCIAL BLVD., SUITE 190

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL 33309

CLERK OF COURTS:

(954) 831-6565

www.clerk-17th-flcourts.org

FAMILY LAW FORMS:

www.flcourts.org- Self-help/Family Law Forms. Forms may be printed from this website.

LEGAL ADVICE/LAWYER REFERRAL SERVICE:

Broward Bar Association: 954-764-8040

Legal Aid Service of Broward County: 954-765-8950

Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida: 954-358-5644

Law Library is located on the first floor of the north wing in Room 1881