Florida Small Claims Virtual Hearing

Which Florida Counties Allow Virtual Small Claims Hearings

There is no single statewide policy on virtual small claims hearings in Florida. Each judicial circuit sets its own rules through local administrative orders, and those rules vary significantly.

Broward County (17th Judicial Circuit) has been the most aggressive adopter. Under Administrative Order 2020-38-CO, Broward implemented permanent hybrid and Zoom protocols for status conferences and pretrial hearings. Defendants in Broward can often attend pretrial conferences via video without filing a separate motion.

Orange and Hillsborough counties use specialized remote video appearance protocols in certain divisions, including automated pre-marking exhibit upload portals for electronic evidence submission. Miami-Dade, by contrast, defaults to in-person attendance. Remote participation there typically requires filing a motion and receiving judicial approval before the hearing date.

Check your summons for video platform instructions. If none appear, contact the clerk's office — not to ask for legal advice, but to confirm whether your assigned division permits remote attendance.

How to Request Remote Attendance

If your county does not have an automatic remote option, you need to file a written motion requesting virtual attendance. File it as early as possible through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com). Include:

• The specific reason you cannot attend in person (distance, medical condition, work conflict)
• Your proposed setup (video platform, internet reliability, how you will present evidence)
• A statement confirming you can appear via video with camera on and in a quiet environment

A phone call to the clerk does not secure remote attendance. Neither does an email. You need a court order granting the request.

Presenting Evidence in a Virtual Hearing

Virtual hearings require advance planning for evidence presentation. The practical three-copy approach — one for the judge, one for the opposing party, and one for yourself — may not fit a remote hearing. Follow the assigned division's instructions for submitting exhibits.

Some divisions use an electronic exhibit upload portal. The exact procedure and deadline are set by the court, so check your hearing notice and any pretrial order. For trials, local orders and standard Form 7.323 orders typically require pre-marked exhibits and exchange at least 10 days before trial. If no electronic exhibit instructions appear in your hearing notice, contact the clerk to ask how to submit documents before the hearing. During the hearing itself, you may be asked to share your screen or hold documents up to the camera.

Common Pitfalls With Virtual Small Claims Hearings

Filing a document through the e-filing portal does not mean the clerk has accepted it. Check your email for the acceptance notification. A submission that shows "Rejected / Correction Required" means your document was not filed.

More importantly, filing anything — a written answer, a motion, a counterclaim — does not excuse you from attending the pretrial conference. Rule 7.090(c) is clear: the filing of a motion or defensive pleading does not substitute for personal appearance. If you file a motion for remote attendance and the court does not grant it, you must attend in person or risk a default.

Virtual hearings can also create a false sense of informality. Dress appropriately, mute when not speaking, and treat the proceeding with the same formality as an in-person courtroom appearance.

What If My County Does Not Offer Remote Hearings

If your county requires in-person attendance and you genuinely cannot appear on the scheduled date, your option is to file a written motion for continuance under Rule 7.130(a). A continuance is granted only for good cause shown, and the motion must be served on the opposing party.

Do not simply skip the hearing. An unapproved continuance motion does not postpone anything. If you are absent, the court may enter a default, which can lead to a default final judgment.

For a complete guide to responding to a Florida small claims case — whether your hearing is in person or virtual — the Florida Small Claims Response Guide covers the entire process from service through judgment.

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