Orange-Osceola courts set to close its business division

Faced with a growing, complex caseload in family-law divisions in Orange and Osceola county courts, the region’s chief judge will close a commercial litigation division and move an additional judge into family court.

“The fact of the matter is that the litigants in that [commercial] division have resources that they can bring to bear for their problems, and yet families who are in the domestic division often are resource-depleted, and can’t bring the same kinds of resources to address their problems,” OrangeOsceola Chief Judge Frederick Lauten said Thursday at an Orange County Bar Association luncheon.

Orange and Osceola counties have about 25,000 open familylaw cases, he said.

Family courts handle cases pertaining to issues ranging from domestic violence, divorces and custody disagreements to adoptions and name changes. Many of the defendants represent themselves instead of hiring lawyers, and the complex and personal nature of the cases means they can take a long time to resolve, Lauten said.

Last year, Orange and Osceola counties qualified for three new judicial positions but received state approval and funding for none, he said. That means judges see their caseloads grow.

One of two commercial litigation divisions — also known as business court — will close Jan. 1.

“I decided we had to get help into the family division, and I couldn’t look to an expansion of the workforce for that,” Lauten said. “… Families who are in the domestic division very often are experiencing some sort of crisis or trauma. That crisis or trauma involves either financial pressures or social pressures or psychological pressures, and unfortunately sometimes physical pressures.”

Orange and Osceola counties opened the state’s first division for complex business litigation, he said. “It was one of the most interesting assignments — as an aside, it was one of the most demanding assignments — that I had,” the judge said.