Form 12.923, Notice of Hearing (General), is a Florida Supreme Court approved family law form that you use to give the other party written notice of a hearing you have set before a judge. A notice of hearing states the judge, date, time, courtroom, issues and reserved time, and it ends with a certificate showing how a copy reached the other party. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the form and its instructions are published by the Florida Courts, and you file the original with the clerk of the circuit court.
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What is 12.923?
Form 12.923, Notice of Hearing (General), is the Florida Supreme Court approved family law form on which a party tells the other party in a circuit court case that a hearing has been set before a judge, and gives the details of that hearing.
The form is captioned for the circuit court of a judicial circuit and county, with the case number, division, Petitioner and Respondent. It then states the name of the judge, the date and time, the room and county courthouse, the issues to be heard, and the hours or minutes reserved. A block for people with disabilities, filled in by the court or with information you obtained from the court, names the court personnel to contact about accommodations; the form says to contact them at least 7 days before the appearance, or immediately if less than 7 days remain, and gives 711 for people who are hearing or voice impaired.
The form also reminds the other party to notify an attorney if represented, and says that if the matter is resolved the moving party must contact the judge's office to cancel the hearing. A certificate of service closes the form, and a final block is for a nonlawyer who helped complete it.
It is the general version. Other forms cover other hearing officers:
- Form 12.920(c), Notice of Hearing Before General Magistrate, when the hearing is before a general magistrate.
- Form 12.921, Notice of Hearing (Child Support Hearing Officer), when the hearing is before a child support enforcement hearing officer.
Who needs to file 12.923?
Any party to a Florida family law case who has set a hearing before a judge uses this form to notify the other party. The instructions say you must send notice of the hearing to the other party anytime a hearing has been set before a judge.
Conditions and exclusions from the instructions:
- Do not use it if the hearing is before a general magistrate; use Form 12.920(c) instead.
- Do not use it if the hearing is before a child support enforcement hearing officer; use Form 12.921 instead.
- If a default has been entered, you must still send this form to the other party to notify them of the final hearing.
- Self-represented litigants may file documents electronically and may serve them by e-mail, but they are not required to do either.
- A person who is not an attorney (a nonlawyer) may help you fill out the form, but must first give you a copy of Disclosure from Nonlawyer, Form 12.900(a), and must put a name, address and telephone number on the form in the nonlawyer block.
If you are represented by an attorney, the form says to notify your attorney of the hearing.
When to file 12.923
Use Form 12.923 as soon as you have set a hearing before a judge, because the instructions require notice of the hearing to go to the other party anytime a hearing is set. A default does not remove this duty: you still send the form to notify the other party of the final hearing.
To set the date and time, the instructions say you will usually have to make a good-faith effort to coordinate a date and time that works for you, the other parties and the judge, except in certain emergency situations. Some circuits have additional procedural requirements for notifying the court and other parties, so contact the clerk's office, family law intake staff or judicial assistant before completing the form. The form sets no separate deadline of its own; the instructions refer you to rule 1.090(d) of the Florida Civil Rules of Procedure for further information on serving notices of hearing.
Documents you need
- Form 12.914, Certificate of Service (General): read its rules and instructions if you serve documents by e-mail; the instructions direct you to it.
- Form 12.915, Designation of Current Mailing and E-mail Address: needed only if you elect to serve and receive documents by e-mail.
- Form 12.900(a), Disclosure from Nonlawyer: a nonlawyer who helps you fill out the form must give you a copy before helping you.
How to fill out 12.923
Enter the court and case caption
Fill in the judicial circuit, the county, the Case No. and the Division at the top. Then write the Petitioner's and Respondent's names.
Name the party being notified
After TO:, write the name of the other party who must receive notice of the hearing.
Enter the judge, date and time
Write the judge's name, the hearing date and the time, filling in the blanks the form leaves for them. Use the date and time you coordinated with the court and the other parties.
Give the courtroom location
Enter the room number and the county of the courthouse where the hearing will be held.
State the issues to be heard
On the line after "on the following issues", describe what the hearing will address. Then enter the hours or minutes reserved for the hearing.
Complete the accommodation contact block
This part is filled out by the court or with information you obtained from the court: the name, address and telephone number of the court personnel to contact about disability accommodations.
Complete the certificate of service
Check how the copy was sent (e-mailed, mailed, faxed or hand-delivered) and write the date. Enter the other party's or attorney's name, address, city, state, ZIP code, fax number and designated e-mail address.
Sign and add your details
Sign as the party, then print your name, address, city, state, ZIP code, fax number and designated e-mail address under the signature.
Complete the nonlawyer block if needed
Only if a nonlawyer helped you, choose Petitioner or Respondent for whom the form was prepared, and enter the helper's name, business, address and telephone number.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check the judge, date, time, room and the certificate of service, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF. File the original and serve a copy as described under How to submit.
How to submit 12.923
You deliver Form 12.923 two ways: file the original with the court, and send a copy to the other party.
- Filing with the court: file the original with the clerk of the circuit court in the county where your case was filed, and keep a copy for your records. The Florida Rules of Judicial Administration call for electronic filing except in certain circumstances, but self-represented litigants are not required to file electronically. If you choose to, follow Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.525 and the procedures of your judicial circuit.
- Serving the other party: a copy must be mailed, e-mailed or hand delivered to the other party in your case. Complete the certificate of service at the end of the form with the method, the date and the other party's (or attorney's) name, address and designated e-mail address.
- E-mail service: if you elect to serve and receive documents by e-mail, designate your e-mail addresses on Form 12.915, Designation of Current Mailing and E-mail Address, and put your e-mail address on each form you sign. Read Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.516 and Form 12.914, Certificate of Service (General).
Procedures vary by circuit, so ask the clerk's office, family law intake staff or judicial assistant first. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using Form 12.923 for a hearing before a general magistrate, which calls for Form 12.920(c), or before a child support enforcement hearing officer, which calls for Form 12.921.
- Not sending a copy to the other party after a default has been entered; the instructions say the final hearing still requires notice.
- Filing the original without keeping a copy for your own records.
- Setting the hearing without making a good-faith effort to coordinate a date and time with the other parties and the judge, outside emergency situations.
- Skipping the clerk's office, family law intake staff or judicial assistant before completing the form, when your circuit may have extra procedures.
- Leaving the certificate of service blank: the method (e-mailed, mailed, faxed or hand-delivered), the date and the other party's details must be filled in.
- Serving by e-mail without designating your e-mail addresses on Form 12.915 or without printing your e-mail address on each form you sign.
- Leaving out the nonlawyer block, or the nonlawyer's name, address and telephone number, when someone who is not an attorney helped you.
Frequently asked questions
What is a notice of hearing in Florida family law?
Form 12.923, Notice of Hearing (General), is the written notice you send the other party when you have set a hearing before a judge. It gives the judge, date, time, room, issues and reserved time, and certifies how a copy was delivered.
When do I use Form 12.923 instead of Form 12.920(c) or 12.921?
Use Form 12.923 when the hearing is before a judge. If the hearing is before a general magistrate, use Form 12.920(c); if it is before a child support enforcement hearing officer, use Form 12.921.
Do I have to send the notice if a default was entered?
Yes. The instructions say that even if a default has been entered, you must still send this form to the other party to notify them of the final hearing.
Where do I file Form 12.923?
File the original with the clerk of the circuit court in the county where your case was filed, and keep a copy. Self-represented litigants may file electronically under Rule 2.525 but are not required to; follow your circuit's procedures.
How do I serve the notice of hearing on the other party?
A copy must be mailed, e-mailed or hand delivered to the other party. Record the method and date in the certificate of service on the form. E-mail service requires following Rule 2.516 and designating your e-mail on Form 12.915.
Can I fill out Form 12.923 online?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is independent of the Florida Courts and does not file or serve the notice; you file and serve it through the channels the form's instructions describe.
Who fills in the disability accommodation contact information?
The court, or you with information you got from the court. The block names the court personnel to contact at least 7 days before the appearance, or immediately if less than 7 days remain; people who are hearing or voice impaired can call 711.
What if the issue is resolved before the hearing?
The form says that if the matter is resolved, the moving party must contact the judge's office to cancel the hearing.
Can someone who is not a lawyer help me complete the form?
Yes, but that nonlawyer must give you Form 12.900(a), Disclosure from Nonlawyer, before helping, and must fill in the nonlawyer block with name, business, address and telephone number.
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