All Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns, and Volusia County courts will be closed Wednesday, Dec. 25, and Wednesday, Jan. 1, for Christmas and New Year’s.
WHEREAS, the Florida Supreme Court has encouraged judicial circuits to establish Unified Family Courts as a way to more efficiently and effectively address the needs of families with multiple related Family Law court cases, and
NOW THEREFORE, I, JAMES R. CLAYTON, Chief Judge of the Seventh Judicial Circuit of Florida, hereby order that Unified Family Courts be formally established in Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns and Volusia counties to hear such matters involving related Family Law cases as may be assigned.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that topics such as definitions, case assignments/reassignments, division designations, and judicial rotations will be the subjects of separate administrative orders. In summary, when a Family Law case is filed, the Clerk’s office will ascertain if an active Family Law case involving the same family exists. An active case is defined as a case which has been active within the past twenty-four months. If such an active related Family Law case exists, the newly filed case is to be assigned to the same judicial division as the earlier filed case. Family Case Management staff will assist the Clerks’ offices with the identification of related cases and the assignment/reassignment thereof. Additional issues that may arise are to be coordinated and mutually agreed upon by the affected judges. If the affected judges are unable to agree, then the chief judge shall determine which judge is assigned the cases.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Clerks’ offices are to make provisions within their respective case maintenance systems to “link” related Family Law cases.
TO BE RECORDED in Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns and Volusia Counties.
DONE AND ORDERED in DeLand, Volusia County, Florida this 30th day of September 2022.
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