WHEREAS, it has been made known to the undersigned that the efficient and proper administration of justice and the processing of Family cases in the Circuit Court in Volusia County requires the establishment of Western and Eastern divisions of this court;

            NOW THEREFORE, I, JAMES R. CLAYTON, Chief Judge of the Seventh Judicial Circuit of Florida, hereby order and adjudge as follows:

1. A Western Family Division of the Circuit Court in Volusia County is established and consists of those portions of Volusia County contained within zip codes 32102, 32105, 32130, 32132, 32141, 32168, 32169, 32170, 32180, 32190, 32706, 32713, 32720, 32721, 32722, 32723, 32724, 32725, 32728, 32738, 32739, 32744, 32753, 32754, 32759, 32763, 32764 and 32774.¹

2. An Eastern Family Division of the Circuit Court in Volusia County are established and consist of those portions of Volusia County contained within zip codes 32110, 32114, 32115, 32116, 32117, 32118, 32119, 32120, 32121, 32122, 32123, 32124, 32125, 32126, 32127, 32128, 32129, 32136, 32173, 32174, 32175, 32176 and 32198.

            IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that cases are to be assigned to the respective geographic family divisions based on the following criteria:

1. The Defendant/Respondent’s residence/address if the Defendant/Respondent resides in Volusia County.

2. If the Defendant/Respondent does not reside in Volusia County, then the Petitioner’s residence/address is to be utilized.

In the event the Clerk of Court’s office is unable to determine the proper geographic division assignment in a case due to the absence of a zip code on the cover sheet, the case may be assigned using the city of the defendant’s/respondent’s residence/address, or city of the petitioner’s residence/address.  In cases in which neither party resides in Volusia County or no residence/address is given, the case is to be assigned randomly between the judges in the four Family Divisions.  Additional direction/guidance concerning the assignment of cases to divisions may be provided by separate administrative order.  If any further uncertainty or ambiguity concerning the assignment of a case to a geographical division exists, the matter should be referred to the Court Administrator’s office for resolution by the Chief Judge {see Kruckenberg v. Powell, 422 So. 2d 994 (Fla. 5 DCA 1982)}.

TO BE RECORDED in Volusia County, Florida.

DONE AND ORDERED in DeLand, Volusia County, Florida this 30^th day of September 2022.

¹ While part of the Western Division, “Juvenile” cases arising in zip codes 32132, 32141, 32168, 32169, 32170, 32754, 32759 and 32764 are assigned to judges in east-Volusia County.