Judge Jaimie Goodman, Division AD: Hearings, Orders, Trial Call

Attorneys and parties appearing before Judge Jaimie Goodman in Circuit Civil Division AD of Florida’s 15th Judicial Circuit (Palm Beach County) must follow division-specific procedures that go beyond standard Florida court rules. The controlling source is the Divisional Instructions page for Division AD on the 15th Judicial Circuit website, supplemented by the division’s separate Divisional News page, which posts standing orders and short-notice updates. Where these instructions differ from general circuit practice, the division’s instructions govern. Missing a step can mean a rejected filing, a returned order, or a canceled hearing.

Communicating With Chambers

Every communication to Judge Goodman’s chambers must be copied to all attorneys and parties of record. The court will not accept ex parte communications or personal correspondence about a pending case. Anything you want the judge to see belongs in a motion filed with the Clerk and served on all parties.¹

The division email address, CAD-DivisionAD@pbcgov.org, exists for a narrow set of uses: submitting hearing materials under ten pages, requesting special set hearing dates, sending notices of hearing or cancellation, and submitting the joint E-Calendar Call Form. Do not call the Judicial Assistant to schedule or cancel hearings.²

Scheduling a Hearing

Division AD runs two hearing tracks. Short non-evidentiary matters go on the Uniform Motion Calendar. Longer matters and anything evidentiary must be specially set. Both tracks require compliance with Local Rule 4: before setting a hearing, the moving party must try in good faith to resolve the dispute and certify that effort on the Notice of Hearing.³

Uniform Motion Calendar

UMC is held by Zoom on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings at 8:30 a.m. It is reserved for non-evidentiary motions that can be heard in ten minutes total, five per side. Motions for attorney’s fees, summary judgment, and any matter requiring testimony or evidence are not appropriate for UMC and must be specially set.²

Scheduling runs entirely through the court’s Online Services portal. Do not contact the Judicial Assistant. After reserving a date, file a Notice of Hearing with the Clerk and email a copy to the division address.²

If the matter resolves, cancel in two steps. Log into Online Services, choose “Cancel Hearings” under the UMC Scheduling section, and follow the prompts. Then file a Notice of Cancellation with the Clerk and email a copy to the division and all parties. Phoning the Judicial Assistant is not proper cancellation.²

Special Set Hearings

Any hearing needing fifteen minutes or more is scheduled by written request to CAD-DivisionAD@pbcgov.org. File the underlying motion first and confer with the other parties on availability. Copy the email to all counsel and parties of record, and include the Division AD case number, the title and filing date of the motion, and the time needed. A short list of dates that work for everyone speeds things along.²

Judge Goodman reviews the request and determines availability. The Judicial Assistant then responds with open dates. To confirm the reservation, upload a proposed order specially setting the hearing through Online Services, with a cover letter stating the date, time, reserved duration, and the title and docket number of the underlying motion.²

Submitting Hearing Materials

Judge Goodman does not participate in the court’s E-Courtesy system. Uploading materials there will not get them in front of the judge.²

Materials under ten pages may be emailed to CAD-DivisionAD@pbcgov.org at least five business days before the hearing. Put the hearing date, time, and case number in the subject line and describe the matter in the body.²

Materials over ten pages must be delivered by U.S. mail or courier to the Judges’ Box at the Main Courthouse, also at least five business days before the hearing. Email is not accepted for bulk filings. Whatever the delivery method, tab and highlight all documents, authority, and exhibits for easy reference.²

How Appearances Happen

UMC hearings and most special set matters are held by Zoom. The specific Zoom access information for a special set hearing is in the order setting it. Keep your audio muted until your case is called.²

Evidentiary hearings and bench trials are held in person in Courtroom 9B unless the court directs otherwise.¹

Proposed Orders

One of the most common mistakes in Division AD is sending a proposed order before the hearing. Judge Goodman’s instructions are explicit: proposed orders submitted in advance will be rejected and returned unsigned.²

After the ruling, upload the proposed order to Online Services in Microsoft Word format, separate from any attachments. Include a PDF cover letter noting the date and time of the hearing. The order must contain complete mailing addresses for all participating parties and complete email addresses for all registered parties. Do not combine the order and the cover letter into one document.²

Agreed orders work differently. When the parties resolve a motion before the hearing, submit the agreed order in Microsoft Word through Online Services before the hearing date. Put “Agreed Order” in the title and include a PDF cover letter confirming that all parties reviewed and agreed to the content and language.²

If a pro se party or anyone who has opted out of electronic service is in the case, the order must state that the moving party will furnish a paper copy by U.S. mail.²

Emergency Motions

For a genuine emergency, put “emergency” in the title of the motion and use the “emergency filing” button on the Clerk’s website so the motion moves on the expedited track under Administrative Order 3.206. Judge Goodman decides independently whether the motion alleges a real emergency and acts accordingly, which may include entering an ex parte order if the law allows.²

Trial Readiness and Calendar Call

The division expects real preparation well before trial. If counsel or parties cannot be trial-ready by the scheduled case management conference or calendar call, a Differentiated Case Management conference must be set, and it can be placed on the UMC.²

Before calendar call, the parties must have:

Participated in mediation
Held a pretrial conference between counsel
Exchanged itemized exhibit and witness lists
Agreed on trial length, including jury selection if applicable
Agreed on available time periods during the upcoming trial docket
Filed the joint pretrial stipulation
Collaborated on proposed jury instructions and provided the trial clerk with one copy noting any disagreements
Pre-marked exhibits per the Clerk’s instructions and exchanged them with opposing counsel
Scheduled any motions in limine or other pretrial motions for hearing before calendar call

Calendar call itself is electronic. No one appears in person or by Zoom. Counsel and parties confer in advance, complete one joint E-Calendar Call Form, and submit it to CAD-DivisionAD@pbcgov.org by 4:00 p.m. on the scheduled calendar call date.²

1
15th Judicial Circuit. AD Divisional News
2
15th Judicial Circuit. AD Divisional Instructions
3
15th Judicial Circuit. Local Rule No 4 – Uniform Motion Calendar