What to Expect at a Contested Divorce Hearing in the 14th Judicial Circuit
By Justin Andersson, Esq. | Justin Andersson, P.A., Panama City
For anyone with a contested divorce in Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson or Washington County
Let’s be honest: nobody likes going to court. Not even lawyers.
Here’s the good news. Many contested divorces in our circuit never reach a final trial. They settle along the way, often at mediation. But if your case is headed to a hearing, knowing what the room looks like, what the judge expects and what you’ll be asked to do takes a lot of the fear out of it.
This is your field guide: the different kinds of hearings, what the 14th Circuit requires before a final hearing, how the day usually goes, and what happens after.
"Hearing" can mean a lot of different things
A contested divorce can involve several kinds of court appearances. They’re not all trials.
- Case management conferences. Short check-ins where the judge looks at the progress of the case, sets deadlines and keeps things moving. Bay County publishes a yearly calendar for these; in the other counties, the assigned judge sets them. Depending on the judge, they may be held by Zoom. When the court sets one, both spouses and their attorneys must attend unless an agreed case management plan has been filed and accepted beforehand.
- Motion hearings. Hearings on a specific request, like a motion to make the other side hand over financial records. Non-evidentiary motions usually get about 15 minutes each.
- Temporary relief hearings. Evidentiary hearings about what happens while the case is pending: a temporary parenting schedule, temporary child support or alimony, who stays in the house, or temporary attorney's fees. Judges in our circuit typically limit these to about an hour. The spouse asking for relief must file a notice of exactly what's being requested at the same time as the request, and a witness list at least 10 days before the hearing; the other spouse's witness list is due 5 days before.
- Pretrial conference. The court may set one on its own or at a party's request. It's a short conference, often 15 minutes, that should be held no later than 30 days before the final hearing, to narrow the issues and make sure the case is ready.
- Final hearing. This is the divorce trial. A judge, not a jury, hears the evidence and decides every issue the two of you couldn't resolve. Judges in our circuit set final hearings in half-day blocks (morning or afternoon) or full-day blocks. If more time is needed, it has to be requested and approved.
Before the final hearing: what our circuit requires
The 14th Circuit’s family law administrative order and Standing Family Law Pre-Trial Court Order, together with the order setting your final hearing, run the show in the weeks before trial. Details vary from judge to judge, so always read your own order. The common requirements:
- Mediation first. Mediation is required in family cases in our circuit. The judge will expect you to have tried to settle before asking the court to decide.
- The Pre-Trial Catalogue. Each side files one. It's a structured summary of that side's positions: the dates of marriage and separation; the children, the proposed parenting plan, time-sharing schedule and child support; any alimony requested; the property in dispute and all debts, with their values and proposed division; retirement accounts; the attorney's fees requested; and any stipulations. Attached to it: a current financial affidavit, a child support guidelines worksheet, the parenting course certificate, a proposed equitable distribution chart, copies of the exhibits you plan to use, and a witness list. Under the circuit's administrative order (AO 2022-00-07) it's due 72 hours before the pretrial conference unless the court sets a different deadline, and the order setting your final hearing may set an earlier one.
- Discovery closes. Discovery generally must be finished by the pretrial conference unless the court orders otherwise, and any other evidentiary hearings must be held at least 14 days before trial absent good cause.
- No surprises. Your Pre-Trial Catalogue has to attach your exhibits and witness list, and the order setting your final hearing may bar a party from using an exhibit or calling a witness that wasn't listed, unless there's good cause or the other side agrees. A surprise document is often a document the judge never sees.
- Exhibits are organized ahead of time. Exhibits are pre-marked (one side uses numbers, the other uses letters, for example), exchanged with the other side ahead of time, and, for in-person hearings, brought in paper copies so they can be admitted into evidence. Judges in our circuit commonly require hearing materials to be uploaded to a court file-sharing folder before the hearing, in some divisions two or three business days ahead, so check your judge's procedures.
Ignore these requirements and the consequences can be serious: cancellation of the trial date with costs, striking of pleadings, a default, or dismissal of the case.
In person or on Zoom?
It depends on the judge. The 14th Circuit uses Zoom for some hearings, and others are held in person, usually at the courthouse in your county: Panama City, Blountstown, Port St. Joe, Bonifay, Marianna or Chipley. Each judge publishes his or her own procedures. Some hold all specially set hearings in person unless a Zoom request is granted. Others hold longer hearings in person and allow shorter ones by Zoom when everyone agrees. Your lawyer will tell you which applies to you.
If you’re on Zoom, treat it exactly like a courtroom:
- Be in a private, quiet room. Never appear from a moving vehicle.
- Dress like you're going to court, because you are.
- Keep your camera on and your microphone muted until the judge calls on you.
- Log in early, wait in the waiting room, and don't hang up if you're not let in right away.
- Test your device, internet, camera and microphone ahead of time. If you're calling a witness who'll appear remotely, that witness needs to test too.
If you’re in person, get there early enough to clear courthouse security, dress conservatively, silence your phone, and expect to wait for your case to be called.
Pro Tip: If you wouldn’t wear it to a job interview, don’t wear it to court. That goes for Zoom, too.
What happens in the courtroom
The judge presides (or a general magistrate, if the matter was referred and no party filed a timely written objection, which counts as consent). Things usually go in this order:
- 1. Housekeeping. The judge confirms what's being tried, handles any last-minute motions and notes any agreements.
- 2. Opening statements, if the judge wants them: short previews of what each side expects the evidence to show.
- 3. The petitioner's case. The spouse who filed usually goes first. Each witness is questioned by his or her own lawyer (direct examination), then by the other lawyer (cross-examination).
- 4. The respondent's case, the same way.
- 5. Closing arguments, either at the end of the hearing or in writing afterward if the judge allows it.
Kids don’t come to court. Under the Florida Family Law Rules, children generally can’t be brought to a hearing, subpoenaed or deposed without a court order based on good cause.
The rules of evidence apply. The judge can only decide the case on evidence that’s properly admitted. That means a screenshot of a text has to be authenticated, something another person said outside of court may be hearsay, and financial records need a proper foundation. Part of my job is making sure the evidence that matters gets in, and the evidence that shouldn’t stays out.
The clock is real. The court reserves a fixed block of time. When it runs out, the judge may stop the hearing, continue it to another day or limit what’s left. Trials go best when each side focuses on the issues that matter, not every grievance from the marriage.
Think about a court reporter. If there’s any chance you’ll want to challenge the result later, ask your lawyer about having a court reporter there. Without a record of what was said, there’s very little an appeals court can review.
What the judge is actually deciding
The judge isn’t deciding who the better person is. Judges don’t rubber-stamp revenge fantasies. They apply specific legal standards to the evidence.
Parenting and time-sharing. The child’s best interests come first. Since 2023, unless the statute provides otherwise or the parents agree, Florida law presumes that equal time-sharing is in a child’s best interests, and a parent who wants something other than equal time-sharing must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that equal time-sharing is not in the child’s best interests. Unless the parents agree on a schedule and the court approves it, the judge must evaluate every statutory best-interest factor and make specific written findings. Parental responsibility (decision-making) is shared unless the court finds sharing would be detrimental to the child.
Child support. It’s calculated under Florida’s child support guidelines. An equal schedule doesn’t by itself eliminate child support.
Property and debts. The judge starts from the premise that marital assets and debts should be divided equally, then considers whether the evidence justifies an unequal split. Factors include each spouse’s contributions, economic circumstances, the length of the marriage, and any intentional dissipation, waste, depletion or destruction of marital assets after filing or within two years before filing.
Alimony. The spouse asking for alimony must first prove an actual need for it and that the other spouse has the ability to pay. Florida now allows only temporary, bridge-the-gap, rehabilitative and durational alimony. The law no longer authorizes permanent alimony.
Attorney’s fees. The judge may order one spouse to contribute to the other’s attorney’s fees after considering both spouses’ financial resources. Fees aren’t automatic.
Testifying: how to come across as credible
If you testify, your credibility is evidence. A few habits make a real difference.
DO:
- Listen to the whole question, pause, and answer only what was asked
- Say "I don't know" or "I don't remember" when that's the truth
- Speak to the judge, not to your spouse or the other lawyer
- Stay calm on cross-examination, even when you're being provoked
- Be specific: "He missed six of the last eight Wednesday exchanges, and here are the texts" is evidence
DON’T:
- Guess
- Argue, interrupt or give speeches
- Keep talking when your lawyer objects (stop until the judge rules)
- Roll your eyes or sigh loudly
- Bring notes or anything else to the witness stand without asking your lawyer first
- Post about the case on social media (posts have a way of becoming exhibits)
After the hearing
The ruling. Some judges rule from the bench at the end of the hearing; others take it under advisement and rule later. Either way, the decision becomes effective through a written final judgment, which the judge may ask the attorneys to prepare in proposed form.
If a general magistrate heard the case, the magistrate issues a recommended order, the judge reviews it and enters it, and a party may move to vacate the order within 15 days after it’s entered. A challenge generally requires a record of the hearing, usually a transcript.
Rehearing and appeal. A motion for rehearing must be served within 15 days after the final judgment is filed. If the judgment is missing findings of fact the law requires, that has to be raised in a motion for rehearing to preserve it for appeal. A notice of appeal to the First District Court of Appeal is generally due within 30 days after the judgment is rendered, and a timely motion for rehearing affects when that clock starts. These deadlines are short and strict, so call your lawyer right away if you disagree with the result.
It’s never too late to settle. Many cases settle in the days before a final hearing, or even at the courthouse. If that happens, the court has to be told right away, and the settlement still has to be put in writing and approved.
Frequently asked questions
No. Florida divorce trials are heard by a judge.
Judges in our circuit typically set final hearings in half-day or full-day blocks. The time is reserved in advance, and the case has to fit inside it.
Not without a court order. A child's reasonable preference is one of the factors a judge may consider if the child is mature enough, but the court controls how, and whether, that preference is presented.
Usually the courthouse in the county where your case is filed: Panama City (Bay), Blountstown (Calhoun), Port St. Joe (Gulf), Bonifay (Holmes), Marianna (Jackson) or Chipley (Washington), unless the judge allows you to appear by Zoom. The order or notice setting your hearing controls, and some judges hold final hearings at another courthouse in the circuit.
A government photo ID and whatever your lawyer asks you to bring. Exhibits are exchanged and organized before the hearing, not handed up for the first time on the day of trial.
Yes, and many couples do. Notify the court promptly and get the agreement in writing.
Final Thought
Court rewards preparation: a clear theory of the case, disciplined exhibits, prepared witnesses and strict compliance with the court’s orders. You don’t have to love the process. You just have to be ready for it.
If your divorce is contested, or a hearing is already on the calendar, let’s talk about where your case stands and what the court will expect.
You’ve got this. And I’ve got your back.
Justin Andersson, Esq.
Your 850 Divorce Lawyer
Justin Andersson, P.A. | 435 W. Oak Avenue, Panama City, FL 32401
Serving Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson and Washington Counties, in person or by video.
Questions? Call (850) 871-7397 or visit www.850divorcelawyer.com.
This article is provided for general informational and educational purposes about Florida law and 14th Judicial Circuit procedures as of October 2026. It is not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Hearing procedures vary by county, by judge and by the orders entered in each case, and every case turns on its own facts.
Florida law referenced: Sections 61.075, 61.08, 61.13, 61.16 and 61.30, Florida Statutes; Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure 12.200, 12.407, 12.440, 12.490, 12.530 and 12.740; Fourteenth Judicial Circuit Administrative Order 2022-00-07.