The Family Law Practice Committee of the Palm Beach County Bar Association meets in the law library located in the Palm Beach County Courthouse. Meetings generally last one hour. All interested attorneys are encouraged to attend. If you have a question or a request for Committee action, please feel free to email your request to Committee Chair Elisha Roy.

Committee Members
CLE Information
Approved Forms
Social/Custody Investigation Roster

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EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2006 PALM BEACH COUNTY INSTITUTED UNIFIED FAMILY COURT PROCEDURES. SEE ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER 5.001

For a complete listing of all Administrative Orders, click here

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DO YOU REALLY HAVE AN EMERGENCY??? Please review the following Administrative Orders Prior to Filing Any Such Motion. Administrative Order 2.004 and Administrative Order 5.003

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What is Supervised Visitation
What is Monitored Exchange

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Please refer to the UMC Motion Calendar for Judges' suspension dates or call the hotline (561) 355-6860
For specific information on any Judge, please click here or contact the Judge's Judicial Assistant.
All Department of Revenue hearings are held in the Main Courthouse by the assigned Child Support Hearing Officer.

SOUTH COUNTY COURTHOUSE FY Judge Martin Colin FZ Judge Kenneth Stern UMC Hearings are held Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday at 8:30 a.m. Post judgment matters will be assigned to Magistrates according to the Father's last name as follows: A -K Magistrate Diane Kirigin L- Z Magistrate Maxine Williams

MAIN COURTHOUSE FA Judge Stephen Rapp FC Judge Catherine Brunson FD Judge Elizabeth T. Maass Judge Maass Divisional Instructions Judge Maass Order of Referral to General Magistrate Judge Maass Order of Referral to Child Support Enforcement Hearing Officer Judge Maass Order of Referral to General Magistrate and Order of Referral to Child Support Enforcement Hearing Officer UMCs are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday at 8:45 a.m. Post judgment matters (non-DOR) will be assigned to Magistrates according to the first letter of the male party's last name as follows: A-G: Magistrate Linda Goodwin H-R: Magistrate Joy Shearer S-Z: Magistrate Thomas Baker DOR Child Support Enforcement will be assigned to Magistrates according to the first letter of the male party's last name as follows: A-N Magistrate Peter Bassaline O-Z Magistrate Larry Weaver Magistrates UMCs are on Wednesdays from 8:30 - 9:30 AM. MAGISTRATE HEARING PROCEDURE CONTEMPT: File motion with Family Division Clerk of Court in Room 3.2200 and provide a date stamped copy of your motion along with the Order of Referral, if appropriate, to the Magistrate either in their drop box in the Clerk's office or by mail. Beginning July 1, 2008, we will revert to the “old days” of allowing attorneys to call and obtain hearing dates and times without first submitting a time-stamped copy of the Motion and a signed copy of an Order of Referral. Attorneys (or their assistants) will be able to call and give our assistants the necessary information, obtain a hearing date and time and set the matter for hearing. Of course, the setting attorney will still be responsible to coordinate the hearing date and time with opposing counsel. We request that attorneys try to be realistic in estimating the time necessary for the hearing so that we do not have many instances in which the matter cannot be heard in the amount of time allotted, requiring a continuance for additional hearing time. Counsel will be responsible to obtain a proper Order of Referral when necessary (avoiding any issues on the “No Referral List” previously distributed). The attorney also needs to send a copy of the Notice of Hearing and a courtesy copy of the Motion to the Magistrate’s office once the matter is set for hearing. At the time of the hearing, the attorneys will need to hand the deputy a copy of their Motion, Notice of Hearing, signed Order of Referral (when required), a sufficient number of stamped, addressed envelopes (two sets if there will be a Report, one set if only an Order) and a proposed Report/Order. We still will not allow “piggy-backing” of other Motions by the opposing party or Amended Motions with additional issues after the matter has been set on the Magistrate’s calendar. These changes are being implemented to assist in our adjustment to the reduction in our staff. We appreciate the continued cooperation we receive from the members of our legal community and we appreciate everyone's understanding of the challenges we face with the Court funding issues. MODIFICATION: File Petition for Modification motion with Family Division Clerk of Court in Room 3.2200 along with an Order of Referral. After the appropriate time has lapsed for objection to the Referral to the Magistrate, provide a date stamped copy of your Petition along with the Order of Referral, if appropriate, to the Magistrate either in their drop box in the Clerk's office or by mail. As with any other petition, once your case is at issue and ready for trial, you must prepare and file a Notice to Set Cause for Trial, providing a courtesy copy to the Magistrate as well. If you have motions arise during the underlying Petition that need to be addressed, file your motion and contact the Magistrate's Judicial Assistant to schedule same. So long as it pertains to the underlying Petition for Modification, a separate Order of Referral should not be necessary. For those motions, the attorney also needs to send a copy of the Notice of Hearing and a courtesy copy of the Motion to the Magistrate's office once the matter is set for hearing. At the time of the hearing, the attorneys will need to hand the deputy a copy of their Motion, Notice of Hearing, signed Order of Referral (when required), a sufficient number of stamped, addressed envelopes (two sets if there will be a Report, one set if only an Order) and a proposed Report/Order.

NORTH COUNTY COURTHOUSE FH Judge Richard Oftedal - UMC's Mondays and Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m. FI Judge Sandra McSorley - UMC's Tuesdays at 1:30 p.m.and Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m. FJ Judge John Phillips - UMC's on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8:30 a.m All post judgment matters are referred to Magistrate Fanelli whose UMCs are Monday at 8:30 a.m.