Most Family Court hearings are before Commissioner Burns, who hears cases on Wednesdays at the Green County Courthouse. The general schedule is as follows:
Commissioner Burns may schedule hearings at other times if the number of hearings and complexity of issues requires a hearing outside the normal schedule.
Commissioner Burns may be holding hearings in various rooms in the courthouse, depending on room availability. If you are coming to court for a hearing, look for posted schedules near each of the main floor entrances. The location of your hearing will be posted on these schedules. Hearings are held in the following rooms in the courthouse:
| Room 3 (Small Courtroom) 328-9571 or 328-9514 |
Main Floor of the Courthouse |
| Room 12 (Family Court Commissioner's Office) 328-9429 | Upstairs level of the Courthouse |
| Conference Room 328-9419 |
Basement level of the Courthouse |
| Room 14 (Main Courtroom) 328-9564 |
Upstairs level of the Courthouse |
Before you can get any hearing scheduled, the Summons and Petition must be filed with the Clerk of Court. If that is already done, the person who wants the hearing must file a motion or order to show cause. People who are pro se should file an order to show cause, because it's easier to get the paperwork done properly. An order to show cause packet with instructions can be downloaded from the Forms and Form Sources Page or can be picked up from the Green County Clerk of Court. Hearings on motions and orders to show cause are generally scheduled for 30 minutes.
Most pre-judgment, and many post-judgment hearings, are not evidentiary. That means that witnesses are usually not called to testify. Instead, the Commissioner listens to the arguments of the parties or attorneys, supported by offers of proof, and makes a decision without hearing testimony. Depending on the case, the Commissioner may want to hear testimony on an issue. Because your witnesses may be necessary, you should make arrangements to have them at the hearing. If someone important cannot come because of work or other obligations, the Commissioner may allow them to testify by telephone. If you want someone to testify by telephone, you must call the Family Court to get advance permission. Don't wait until the day before the hearing!
In hearings where witnesses testify, the Commissioner may limit each party to a limited time or limited number of witnesses.
Before you can get a date and time for a stipulated final hearing, each party must file an updated financial statement, a marital settlement agreement covering all issues, and a statistical data sheet. When neither party is represented by an attorney, proposed Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law and Judgment of Divorce must also be filed with the Court Commissioner before the hearing will be scheduled.