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.
Hillsborough hearing & division procedures
Courtesy CopiesCircuit Civil Division D · Emily Peacock · Hillsborough
Hearing Binders Only as Bookmarked PDFs — Circuit Civil D
Judge Peacock refuses sharefile links and paper binders: courtesy materials go by e-mail with case number and hearing date, binders arrive as bookmarked PDFs, and Word orders are rejected by the ePortal.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney. If a specific order in your case says otherwise, that order controls over any county, division, or judge default shown here.
Proposed OrdersDenise A. Pomponio · Hillsborough
Juvenile A / Marchman Z: the Proposed-Order Deadline Is Internally Contradictory — Treat It as 3 Business Days
Judge Pomponio's published procedures say proposed orders are due "within five (3) business days after any hearing." The spelled-out word and the numeral disagree. Until the court corrects it, the safe reading is the shorter one: 3 business days.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney. If a specific order in your case says otherwise, that order controls over any county, division, or judge default shown here.
Proposed OrdersCircuit Civil Division O · Laura E. Ward · Hillsborough
PDF for Agreed, Word for Competing, 3- and 5-Day Clocks — Circuit Civil O
Judge Ward: agreed orders upload PDF-only to the ePortal within 5 days of hearing; objectors must deliver Word competing orders within 3 days; no response after 5 days of service lets the movant upload; binders are welcome if indexed, tabbed, and 3 days early.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney. If a specific order in your case says otherwise, that order controls over any county, division, or judge default shown here.
Remote / Zoom HearingsFamily Division J · Robert A. Bauman · Hillsborough
Zoom Only (Never WebEx); No Piggybacking; No Pre-Hearing Orders — Family J
Judge Bauman: PTCs, trials, and evidentiary hearings require counsel AND clients at the courthouse; the Court will not schedule on WebEx; no piggybacking matters onto set hearings; and proposed orders must NOT enter the queue before the hearing happens.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney. If a specific order in your case says otherwise, that order controls over any county, division, or judge default shown here.
Proposed OrdersCircuit Civil Division J · Alissa Ellison · Hillsborough
"Agreed Order" Captions Required; Orphan Agreed Orders Rejected — Circuit Civil J
Judge Ellison rejects agreed orders not preceded by a motion or stipulation, requires "Agreed Order" as the caption opener with the basis identified in paragraph one, and runs competing orders through a Word-format e-mail protocol with legal argument prohibited.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney. If a specific order in your case says otherwise, that order controls over any county, division, or judge default shown here.
Motion CalendarBusiness Court L & Asbestos Z · Darren D. Farfante · Hillsborough
Asbestos Division Z: Third-Thursday Agenda Docket via Outside Coordinator
Judge Farfante's asbestos calendar runs monthly (generally the third Thursday, 10:30 a.m.) on an agenda built by an outside coordinator — motions must reach the coordinator by 5:00 p.m. the Thursday one week prior or risk not being heard.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney. If a specific order in your case says otherwise, that order controls over any county, division, or judge default shown here.
Courtesy CopiesProbate, Guardianship, Mental Health & Trust Division A · Catherine M. Catlin · Hillsborough
Case Law and Tabbed Exhibit Binders 5 Business Days Out — Probate A
Judge Catlin: all case-law authority AND all hearing/trial exhibits due at least five business days ahead — exhibits in an indexed, tabbed binder — with mediation mandatory before any 2-hour-plus hearing on pain of cancellation.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney. If a specific order in your case says otherwise, that order controls over any county, division, or judge default shown here.
Courtesy CopiesCircuit Civil Division H · Helene L. Daniel · Hillsborough
No Binders Under 30 Minutes; Mailed-Only Binders at 45+ — Circuit Civil H
Judge Daniel splits binder practice by hearing length: short hearings (UMC 5–7 min, CMC 15/30) get NO binders with authority filed 3 business days ahead; 45-minute-plus hearings may have binders — but only by mail or courthouse drop-off, never e-mail.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney. If a specific order in your case says otherwise, that order controls over any county, division, or judge default shown here.
MediationFamily Division D · Kelly A. Ayers · Hillsborough
No Final Hearing Without Mediation in the Past 6 Months — Family D
Judge Ayers will not schedule a final hearing or trial unless mediation occurred within the past six months (or new counsel appeared since) — and the Order Setting Final Hearing must hit JAWS 15 days before the date.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney. If a specific order in your case says otherwise, that order controls over any county, division, or judge default shown here.
Remote / Zoom HearingsCircuit Civil Division B · Thomas N. Palermo · Hillsborough
No Hybrid Hearings — Ever — Circuit Civil B
Judge Palermo bars hybrid hearings outright: the courtroom is not equipped for them, so everyone is on Zoom or everyone is in the courtroom, absent a specific advance order.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney. If a specific order in your case says otherwise, that order controls over any county, division, or judge default shown here.
Proposed OrdersCircuit Felony Division C · Lawrence M. Lefler · Hillsborough
Orders in PDF; Exhibits to the Clerk on Paper, Single-Sided — Felony C
Judge Lefler's practices PDF (mod. June 30, 2026 — which also confirms his division as Felony C): proposed orders submit in PDF format, and exhibits go to the clerk in paper, single-sided.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney. If a specific order in your case says otherwise, that order controls over any county, division, or judge default shown here.
Remote / Zoom HearingsCircuit Civil Division A · Cheryl Thomas · Hillsborough
Zoom Default for Everything but Jury Trials — Circuit Civil A
Judge Cheryl Thomas runs the 13th's strongest civil Zoom default: jury trials in person, everything else — including pretrials and evidentiary hearings — on Zoom unless designated otherwise.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney. If a specific order in your case says otherwise, that order controls over any county, division, or judge default shown here.
Evidentiary HearingsTrial Division 2 · Lyann Goudie · Hillsborough
Zoom Witnesses: ID Check, Room Scan, No Virtual Backgrounds — Trial Division 2
Judge Goudie's remote-evidence protocol is the strictest in the circuit: witnesses show photo ID before being sworn, must be alone in a quiet room, may not use virtual backgrounds, must shut off other devices, and will be asked to scan the room before testifying.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney. If a specific order in your case says otherwise, that order controls over any county, division, or judge default shown here.
Remote / Zoom HearingsCircuit Civil Division F · Jennifer X. Gabbard · Hillsborough
30 Minutes or More Means In Person — Circuit Civil F
Judge Gabbard's practices PDF: hearings scheduled for 30 minutes or more are conducted IN PERSON; everything else runs electronically via Zoom unless the Court orders otherwise.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney. If a specific order in your case says otherwise, that order controls over any county, division, or judge default shown here.
Remote / Zoom HearingsFamily Division C · Wendy J. DePaul · Hillsborough
30-Minute Zoom Line; Unpermitted Zoom Evidentiary Hearings Get Cancelled — Family C
Judge DePaul's matrix: non-evidentiary ≤30 minutes on Zoom (pro se CMCs in person); evidentiary or >30 minutes in person, with evidentiary set at 60 minutes; Zoom-noticed evidentiary hearings without permission may be cancelled; phone appearances risk rescheduling.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney. If a specific order in your case says otherwise, that order controls over any county, division, or judge default shown here.
Trial ExhibitsFamily Division B · Joseph M. Tompkins · Hillsborough
Contested Financials Highlighted; One Color-Coded ED Worksheet in Excel — Family B
Judge Tompkins requires each side's final financial affidavit 5 days before trial with ONLY contested entries highlighted, and a single jointly-prepared equitable-distribution worksheet in Excel color-coding agreed vs. disputed items.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney. If a specific order in your case says otherwise, that order controls over any county, division, or judge default shown here.
Courtesy CopiesCounty Civil Division J · Michael C. Baggé-Hernández · Hillsborough
Digital Courtesy Copies Only; Small Claims & Eviction Procedures Published — County Civil J
Judge Baggé-Hernández runs the fullest county-civil template (13 sections) including dedicated Small Claims and Landlord/Tenant-Eviction procedures — courtesy copies go digitally to the division, JAWS is the scheduling default, and unsolicited non-party communications are disregarded.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney. If a specific order in your case says otherwise, that order controls over any county, division, or judge default shown here.
Remote / Zoom HearingsFamily Division L · Robin F. Fuson · Hillsborough
NO Evidentiary Hearing of Any Length via Zoom — Family L
Judge Fuson's practices PDF (mod. June 25, 2026): evidentiary hearings never happen on Zoom regardless of length, and all temporary-relief hearings are in person; scheduling impasses go to the JA.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney. If a specific order in your case says otherwise, that order controls over any county, division, or judge default shown here.
Remote / Zoom HearingsFamily Division E · Michael J. Hooi · Hillsborough
No Hybrid Hearings — but Mutual In-Person Is Always Available — Family E
Judge Hooi does not usually allow hybrid hearings (one side in person, one virtual); if both sides prefer, everyone may appear in person instead; emergencies route through the clerk to a judge-entered handling order.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney. If a specific order in your case says otherwise, that order controls over any county, division, or judge default shown here.
Proposed OrdersJuvenile Delinquency Divisions B & F · Kim Brennan · Hillsborough
No Orphaned Signature Lines; Capitalize Mother and Father — Juvenile Delinquency B/F
The Delinquency B/F division publishes unusually granular order-formatting rules: PDFs created from Word (not scans), no signature line or ORDERED-AND-ADJUDGED text alone on a page, Mother/Father capitalized, descriptive titles, "number of number" pagination — with orders in the JAWS queue presumed shared and unobjected.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney. If a specific order in your case says otherwise, that order controls over any county, division, or judge default shown here.
Proposed OrdersProbate, Guardianship, Mental Health & Trust Division A · Catherine M. Catlin · Hillsborough
Orders Cite the Hearing Date; Uploaded No More Than 2 Days Early — Probate A
Judge Catlin's paperless order regime: PDF only (never Word), the hearing date in the opening paragraph, uploaded no more than 2 days before the hearing (early uploads rejected and removed), 3-business-day docketing wait, and "no hanging signatures."
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney. If a specific order in your case says otherwise, that order controls over any county, division, or judge default shown here.
Remote / Zoom HearingsCircuit Criminal B & Jimmy Ryce T · Kimberly K. Fernandez · Hillsborough
PDF Orders; Zoom Decorum Violations Risk Sanctions — Criminal B / Jimmy Ryce T
Judge Fernandez's practices PDF (mod. 6/24/2026, covering Circuit Criminal B and the Jimmy Ryce Act T docket): proposed orders upload in PDF, and Zoom-decorum violators "may be subject to sanctions."
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney. If a specific order in your case says otherwise, that order controls over any county, division, or judge default shown here.
Remote / Zoom HearingsCircuit Criminal Division E · Wesley D. Tibbals · Hillsborough
Remote Appearance Only on Good Cause; No Arraignment Transport — Criminal E
Judge Tibbals: good cause must be established to appear remotely in his criminal division, and in-custody defendants are not transported to arraignment.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney. If a specific order in your case says otherwise, that order controls over any county, division, or judge default shown here.
Courtesy CopiesCounty Civil U & Protective Injunctions M · Jennifer P. Johnson · Hillsborough
Retrieve Hearing Binders Within 3 Days or They're Recycled — County Civil U / Injunctions M
Judge Johnson's practices PDF: hearing binders must be picked up within 3 days after the proceeding or they are recycled; anything over 15 minutes schedules by e-mail only; materials and continuances run on 5-day clocks.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney. If a specific order in your case says otherwise, that order controls over any county, division, or judge default shown here.
Remote / Zoom HearingsCounty Civil Division I · Christine D. Edwards · Hillsborough
UMC Runs on Zoom Only; Cancelled Hearings Kill the Zoom Credentials — County Civil I
Judge Edwards's practices PDF: the Uniform Motion Calendar is conducted via Zoom only, remote-appearance credentials die with a cancelled hearing, and Zoom appearances for in-person settings require an uploaded Order to Appear Via Zoom in the Division I queue.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney. If a specific order in your case says otherwise, that order controls over any county, division, or judge default shown here.
Motion CalendarCounty Civil Division H · James S. Giardina · Hillsborough
Unilateral Notices Need a Detailed Cover Letter and 3 Documented Attempts — County Civil H
Judge Giardina: 15-minutes-or-less schedules through JAWS, over 30 through the JA — and a unilaterally-set notice of hearing must attach a cover letter detailing at least three attempts to coordinate; hearings in person since February 14, 2022.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney. If a specific order in your case says otherwise, that order controls over any county, division, or judge default shown here.
Special Set HearingsJessica G. Costello · Hillsborough
Thirteenth Cir. — Judge Jessica G. Costello: Hearing & argument time
16 verbatim courtroom requirements from Judge Jessica G. Costello's published division procedures.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney. If a specific order in your case says otherwise, that order controls over any county, division, or judge default shown here.