how to go about community court without a lawyer in jacksonville florida

Is Jacksonville the only large city in Florida without legal aid?

The City of Jacksonville’s lack of support makes it the only large city in the state that does not support legal services. This, despite the fact that roughly 48% of the City’s residents qualify for civil legal aid.

Where can I get help with family law in Florida?

COURTS HELP APP. Florida Courts Help seeks to help Floridians who represent themselves in family law cases. The Florida Courts Help app works on Apple and Android phones and tablets. The app offers in one place information for people seeking a divorce, adoption, orders of protection, name change, and other family law issues.

Where is the Jacksonville Division of the Florida State Attorney's Office?

The Jacksonville Division is headquartered in downtown Jacksonville, Florida. It serves Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Duval, Flagler, Hamilton, Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns, Suwannee, Union Counties. Please watch a short courthouse protocol video before your arrival at the courthouse.

What is the Florida courts help app?

Florida Courts Help seeks to help Floridians who represent themselves in family law cases. The Florida Courts Help app works on Apple and Android phones and tablets. The app offers in one place information for people seeking a divorce, adoption, orders of protection, name change, and other family law issues.

State Courts

This gorgeous building just opened in 2013. Inside this sprawling structure you’ll find both the Circuit Court and County Court:

Federal Courts

The Bryan Simpson U.S. Courthouse holds a branch of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. They exclusively handle federal matters at the trial level here.

What do you need to enter a courthouse?

Each visitor to a courthouse must present a valid official photo identification, such as a state identification, state driver license, federal identification, military identification, or current passport.

How do you scan a visitor in a courthouse?

If an alert sounds, a court security officer will scan the visitor using a handheld wand. The visitor must place personal items in a tray to be scanned by x-ray.

Where is the conference room in the courthouse?

Conference space for lawyers is on the first floor of the courthouse in suite 1-211. The room includes a work table, chairs, a couch, a fax machine, a paper shredder, a radio, a telephone, WiFi, a Keurig coffeemaker, a water cooler, and a refrigerator.

Can you bring a gun to a courthouse?

No one may bring onto courthouse property a firearm, ammunition, explosive device, knife, pocket knife, chemical spray, or any other weapon. Absent an exception, no one may bring a personal electronic device (for example, a cell phone, laptop computer, or tablet) beyond a courthouse's security checkpoint. For information on exceptions, see the ...

Is the courthouse wheelchair accessible?

The courthouse is wheelchair-accessible with a ramp that provides access to both main entrance doors, elevators. The intake office has a wheelchair-height counter. Contact the clerk’s office if a different accommodation is needed.

Step 1: Read General Form Information & Instructions

You should read the General Information thoroughly before taking any other steps to file your case or represent yourself in court. Most of this information is NOT repeated in the forms listed below.

Step 2: Review Florida Statutes and Rules of Court

These forms should be used in conjuction with the Florida Statutes and the Rules of Procedure. These resources are fundamental to your case. Please take time to review them as they provide additional information and forms you may need.

Step 3: Determine the Form You Need for Your Case

Read the instructions on the first page of each form to determine if that is the form you will need.

Step 4: Determine What Other Forms You Will Need to File

The instructions to the form, Petition, Supplemental (modification) Petition, or Answer in your case will list the other forms you will need to file.

Step 5: Complete the Forms and File Them In the Appropriate Office

Complete each of the forms you are required to file, by hand, through the available fillable PDF, or via DIY Florida interview process and file the forms in the Clerk of Court's office in the appropriate county or electronically through the E-Portal. Follow the instructions to your forms or interviews.

Who will be the next state court administrator in Florida in 2021?

July 23, 2021. The Florida Supreme Court has named Allison “Ali” Sackett as its next state courts administrator. Sackett will serve as the eighth state courts administrator and lead nearly 200 employees in the Office of the...

What is the Office of the State Courts Administrator?

The Office of the State Courts Administrator (OSCA) was created in 1972 to serve the chief justice in carrying out his or her responsibilities as the chief administrative officer of the judicial branch, which includes the Florida Supreme Court, 5 district courts of appeal, 20 circuit courts, and 67 county courts. OSCA also prepares the branch’s budget requests, collects and analyzes court-related data, certifies and trains mediators and court interpreters, and coordinates education programs and publications for judges and court employees.

What is the role of a self help center?

The role of the self-help center staff is to direct interested individuals to the self-help website where they can explore resources needed to represent themselves, access the courts, and other essential resources.

What is JALA law?

Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc. (JALA) is a non-profit law firm dedicated to providing free civil legal assistance to those who could not otherwise afford it.

Is Florida a zero state?

Although roughly half the State’s population qualifies for civil legal aid based on income guidelines, and our economy is heavily dependent on low-income workers in our tourism and service industries, Florida is now one of only three states in the country that provide zero state funding support for legal services.

Can I open an estate by myself?

Unfortunately you cannot open an estate by yourself. You will need to hire an attorney to file for probate in Miami.#N#If you need to take the estate through probate it must be because there are assets in the name of your wife alone.

Do you need an attorney to probate a late wife's estate in Florida?

You don't state why you need to probate your late wife's estate in Florida. I agree with Attorney Perlin that you will need an attorney for a full blown formal administration of your late wife's estate. But just guessing from what you said, if you don't have enough money to hire an attorney, what could be in the estate that needs to be probated?

Does Florida require an attorney for probate?

The Florida Probate Rules require the use of an attorney in most actions in the probate court. If you are unable to afford an attorney, you may wish to contact the Miami-Dade County Bar Association Referral Service. There may be attorneys in that county who may be able to assist you on a reduced fee or pro bono basis.#N#More

What is the community caretaker exception?

The community caretaker exception allows a police officer to conduct a search in an emergency situation for the limited purpose of protecting the safety of the general public. For example, if the police are patrolling and someone tells them a guy is having a heart attack in his house. If the police go to the house and see the through the window a guy lying on the floor, the police may be authorized to enter the home to help the victim. If the police find drugs on the table next to the victim, the police may be able to seize those drugs and make an arrest for a drug charge. Normally, the police would not be allowed to enter a person’s home and seize drugs they find in plain view. However, if there was a valid emergency requiring them to enter a house and the drugs were found as they were responding to the emergency, the search may be valid under the community caretaker exception.

Can the police search a home for drugs in Florida?

In Florida, the police are generally not allowed to search a person’s home for drugs or evidence of other crimes unless the police have a valid search warrant or consent from the owner or someone authorized to give consent to search. There are, however, exceptions to this general rule. One such exception is called the community caretaker exception.