Requirements & Information
Standards of Professionalism
Magistrate Jacobs expects all attorneys who appear to know and adhere to the Twelfth Judicial Circuit’s Standards of Professionalism, also available on the websites of the Manatee County Bar Association and the Sarasota County Bar Association.
A. Remote Appearance
All hearings, with the exception non-evidentiary hearings scheduled for 30 minutes or less, will be held in person.
Requests for a hearing by audio or audio-video technology or for remote testimony must be in writing in accordance with Rule 2.530, Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin. A copy of the motion must be forwarded to the Court in addition to the parties. Please note: Pleadings filed with the Clerk of Court do not come to the attention of the Court unless accompanied by a Form A, Form C or are emailed to the office.
If a Zoom hearing is approved the Notice of Hearing must contain the correct Zoom credentials.
Zoom Credentials for Sarasota County
- Meeting ID
- 921 0290 8261
- Password
- 410795
- Audio Only
- 646) 558-8656; (301) 715-8592; (253) 215-8782; (786) 635-1003; (312) 626-6799
Zoom Credentials for DeSoto County
- Meeting ID
- 978 9329 0699
- Password
- 419034
- Audio Only
- (646) 558-8656; (301) 715-8592; (253) 215-8782; (786) 635-1003; (312) 626-6799
A Zoom hearing requires the same attention and respect as would take place in a courtroom. Set aside the time necessary to appear. Find a quiet place without distractions. Dress appropriately. Do not eat, drink, smoke or vape while you are in a court hearing. Minimize distractions including children and pets. Let others know that you are not to be disturbed.
B. Hearing Procedures
All hearings are scheduled solely by the Hearing Officer/Magistrate’s Office.
Please ensure an Order of Referral has been entered prior to scheduling a hearing if the hearing is to be heard by Lawrence Jacobs as a Magistrate. An Order of Referral is not required for hearings related solely to child support issues.
In cases that do not involve the Department of Revenue hearing time is scheduled by self-represented parties filing a Form A with the proper pleadings. Attorneys schedule hearings on pleadings already filed by emailing the Magistrate’s Assistant with the case number, names of the parties, the matter to be scheduled including the Document Identification Number and the anticipated time needed for both parties to be heard.
Department of Revenue scheduling: Self-represented parties request a hearing by filing a Form C with their petition or motion. Attorneys can request hearing time by contacting the Attorney General’s Office representative assigned to calendaring at Office of the Attorney General or Phone: (727) 825‑7600.
Children are not to be brought to court unless the Judge or Magistrate has granted permission after a hearing on a Motion to Allow Child Testimony.
Interpreters must be State of Florida Certified unless they are qualified as Language Skilled because no certification exam is available for that language. Parties should contact the Court Interpreter’s Office at least 5 days in advance at 941‑749‑3659 or submit the online request form.
C. Communications with the Court
Self-represented parties: You may only speak with the Magistrate in court. The Magistrate’s Assistant cannot answer your legal questions and cannot “explain” your situation to the Magistrate.
Email is strictly a method of communicating basic information and sending documents. It is not a means for communicating a position or attempting to persuade the Court. Arguments should be confined to motions, memoranda, and related documents.
D. Submission of Orders
Recommended Orders shall be submitted by email to the Magistrate’s Assistant. Do not use the ePortal. Any proposed Report/Recommendation shall be submitted as an email attachment in a format compatible with Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx format) – do not send in PDF format.
An attorney who has been asked to submit a proposed Recommended Order should do so only after the opposing party has had an opportunity to approve or respond. Proposed orders submitted to the Court should be accompanied by a cover letter stating whether all have approved the order or, if unable to agree, detail the points of disagreement. The Court will schedule a further hearing on a disputed issue if needed or if a party files an appropriate pleading. If an opposing party fails to respond regarding a proposed order within 10 business days, it should be forwarded to the Magistrate’s office with a notation as to the date it was provided to the opposing party and that no response has been received.
E. Courtesy Copies
Unless otherwise indicated by the Court, courtesy copies are only requested for Notice of Hearings and Notices of Cancellation. All other notices and pleadings are not needed so long as they are in the Court file. Memorandums with facts and supporting law are encouraged as are legible copies of exhibits and documents expected to be utilized and/or introduced.
F. Emergency & Other Urgent Matters
The Magistrate can only schedule emergency or expedited hearings at the Judge’s direction. Motions requesting emergency or expedited hearing time should be emailed to the Judge’s office with a cover letter that includes the amount of time requested. The Judge will review the motion to determine whether an emergency or expedited hearing is warranted.
G. Exhibits for Evidentiary Proceedings
Exhibits are to be pre-marked. The Petitioner shall use numbers and the Respondent letters to denote their exhibits, (“Petitioner’s Exhibit #1,” “Respondent’s Exhibit A”). Copies of proposed Exhibits not provided to the opposing party in Discovery are to be shown to the opposing party prior to the hearing. If an Exhibit is in a different form/format than what was provided in Discovery, the party seeking to use this exhibit shall advise the opposing party as to where, in the previously provided Discovery, the content of the information in the new/reformatted exhibit came from.
H. Pretrial Procedures & Conferences
The Court encourages the use of case management conferences for addressing issues and scheduling court dates. The Court will often on its own motion schedule a case management conference, but parties are encouraged to seek a case management conference if it will assist in resolving issues and moving a case forward.
I. Setting Case for Trial
A Case Management & Scheduling Conference will be held to review the case, determine issues to be litigated and to schedule the trial when a case is referred by a Judge to the Magistrate for trial.
J. Preferred Division Forms
Unless otherwise indicated by the Court the forms the Court expects to used can be found on the Documents & Forms page.
K. Other Division Procedures
A party to a child support case who is not represented by an attorney may request a hearing before the Child Support Hearing Officer by doing the following:
- File a motion or petition with the Clerk of Court for the county where your child support case is located (Sarasota or DeSoto).
- Every motion or petition filed must be accompanied by a signed and dated copy of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit Family Division Rules of Courtroom Etiquette.
- If your motion or petition concerns more than one child support case, you must file the motion or petition in every case in which you are seeking relief.
- Send a copy of the motion or petition to the other party and to the Department of Revenue if they are involved in the case along with verification you have done so. If the petition seeks to establish or modify child support, it must be served by formal process (the Sheriff's Office or a private process server) on the opposing party. Proof of service must be filed in the court file.
- File a “Form C” with the Clerk of Court to inform the Office of the Child Support Hearing Officer that you are requesting a hearing in cases involving the Department of Revenue. File a “Form A” in Child Support cases not involving the Department of Revenue. If you do not file a “Form C” or a “Form A” the Court will not know that you have filed a motion or petition and are requesting a hearing and could delay your case being reviewed.
- You will be contacted by mail or email if you have provided an email address regarding your request.
- For help you can visit the Judge Lee E. Haworth Self Help Center and Law Library at the Silvertooth Judicial Center, 2002 Ringling Blvd., First Floor, Sarasota, FL 34237; (941) 861‑8191. The Self-Help Center/Law Library is closed Saturdays and Sundays, as well as court holidays.
Department of Revenue Addresses
- Sarasota County
- 100 Paramount Drive, Suite 100, Sarasota, FL 34232
- DeSoto County
- 10 South DeSoto Avenue, Suite D, Arcadia, FL 34266
- Statewide
- Call toll-free 800‑622‑5437