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July 2022

We now offer an online DIY tool and in-person DIY Center to simplify injunctions for protection.

The DIY service is an interactive tool that guides customers through each step of preparing the paperwork needed for their case, like TurboTax and other similar software. It is available 24/7 on our website and our new DIY Center at the Bartow Courthouse. The center features full-time staff and a computer lab for customers to access the tool. This helps our customers with the sometimes difficult task of determining the right type of injunction. It also adds value to the courts by reducing the number of hand-written forms, which improves clarity and our processing workload.

We will eventually provide the same resources for evictions, small claims, and divorce cases, specifically dissolution of marriage without children and dissolution of marriage with children.

Once the paperwork is prepared through the DIY tool, the customer can file it in person or on the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal.

To assist court participants with attending virtual court hearings, the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Management Council’s Workgroup on Access to Justice has developed the following resources:

• An animated video titled the “Rules for Virtual Court Hearings” to provide guidance for self-represented litigants who will appear in virtual court hearings.
• A series of tutorial videos that demonstrate how to use a smartphone and computer to participate in virtual hearings through Zoom and Microsoft Teams.

I am not only focusing on improving DIY services for customers in Polk County, but as an appointed member of this group, I am also helping with statewide efforts. I actively involve myself at all levels of government to help create cohesive and seamless service for all. I look forward to the future expansion of these services.

While the resources were developed with self-represented litigants in mind, they can also be a valuable resource to share with your clients in the preparation for attending virtual court.

E-Filing Service Reminders

Things to remember when E-Filing confidential cases:

• If you are no longer a party on a confidential case, make sure to remove yourself from receiving e-service on it. Confidential cases include dependency, delinquency, mental health, etc.

• When filing on confidential cases, only e-service current parties. Using “select all” for e-service sends confidential documents to all parties who were ever on the case and not all of them may be current parties.

For further information regarding E-Filing standards, you may contact the Florida Courts E-Filing Authority or my office at 863-534-4000

I am honored to have recently earned the Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers Certified Florida Clerk and Comptroller designation. The newly established program recognizes the Florida Clerks & Comptrollers who complete New Clerk Academy, which is an extensive program that requires more than 240 hours of training.