| Best Practices |
 Quarterly Feature
2025 Best Practices Regional Training Concludes
In September, more than 230 Clerks and Comptrollers and their staff attended Best Practices regional trainings in Collier, Citrus, Duval, and Okaloosa counties. This year’s best practice training covered the effective use of FCCC’s
best practices, designed to streamline Clerk processes with the goal of efficiency, professionalism, legal compliance, and consistency. Best Practices Philosophical Statement and Structure and Procedures
The Best Practices Philosophical Statement and Best Practices Structure and Procedures were unanimously approved by FCCC's Best Practices Committee on August 28, 2023, and subsequently, unanimously approved by FCCC's Board of Directors on November 1, 2023. These documents are reviewed regularly, in practice, and amendments are suggested as necessary. Best Practices
 Clerks of Court perform a wide range of court-related duties and services for Florida’s judicial system and county government as it relates to both civil and criminal court matters. These best practices include guidance on civil and criminal courts processes including probate, mental health, and guardianship matters, protective injunctions, case reopens and transfer, court records maintenance, pro se service, and more.  As the county recorder, Clerks are responsible for recording, maintaining, protecting, and disseminating Official Records, most often related to real property. Clerks must also maintain and manage access to court records and evidence, including the protection of confidential information. These best practices provide guidance related to both the duties of the Clerk as the county recorder and as court records custodian.  Planning, implementation, and maintenance of technology systems in the Clerk’s office is paramount in developing and maintaining efficient processes in coordination with the Court and internal and external stakeholder agencies and entities. These best practices provide guidance on the application of technology and information management within the Clerk’s office.  Most Clerks of Court also serve as the Comptroller within their county, acting as the Chief Financial Officer, accountant, and custodian of county funds. These best practices are specific to the Clerk’s role as Comptroller to the Board of County Commissioners and provide guidance surrounding the Comptroller’s duty to maintain fiscal order and ensure efficient use and protection of public and county funds.  Clerks of court hold a fiduciary responsibility for the courts. They collect and disburse fines, court costs, forfeitures, fees, and service charges including tracking financial obligations and compliance services. These best practices provide guidance related to the Clerk’s duty to act as a guardian of public funds within the judicial framework.  This category of documents is maintained peripheral to FCCC’s best practices and are retained and updated as resources meant to provide general guidance in accordance with industry standards and generally accepted business practices. While these documents are endorsed by the FCCC Best Practices Committee, they are not categorized as FCCC best practices and, therefore, should be accepted as guidelines separate from FCCC’s recommended body of best practices. Best Practices Excellence Program
The Best Practices Excellence Program creates an opportunity for Clerks of the Circuit Court and Comptrollers to receive a Best Practices Recognition of Excellence Certificate for following the recommendations for select best practices. Each Clerk or Comptroller who submits qualifying best practice checklists is recognized at the annual FCCC Best Practices Award Ceremony. The details of the program are outlined in the Best Practices Excellence Program Guidelines, approved by the Best Practices Committee on November 28, 2022.
Program History
The FCCC Best Practice Resource page is a product of the FCCC Best Practices Committee. In 2004, the FCCC Executive Committee directed staff to work with Clerks to develop a body of recommended practices in functional areas to provide Clerk staff with guidance on court practices. As a result, the Best Practices Committee was formed. Its purpose is to provide guidance to Clerks and Comptrollers statewide and assist in achieving consistency in interpretation of the law and in practice. The committee is supplemented by workgroups of dedicated Clerk staff who research, draft, and revise the best practices. As a result, the recommended practices have been approved by the Best Practices Committee and the FCCC Board of Directors. For more information on best practices program or to get involved, contact Cheri Wright. |
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