Procedures verified June 25, 2026

Magistrate Judge Shaniek Mills Maynard -- United States District Court, Southern District of Florida

Alto Lee Adams, Sr. United States Courthouse, 101 South U.S. Highway 1, Fort Pierce, FL 34950

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Key Traps — Where Counsel Gets Caught

  1. 1. UNIQUE REMITTAL RULE: Judge Maynard recuses herself after conducting a settlement conference. If parties want her to remain as the paired magistrate judge for the rest of the case, they must file a joint notice of waiver before the conference or immediately after. No other FL-SD magistrate publishes this rule.
  2. 2. No reply permitted on discovery motions without court order. File the motion and response; do not file a reply unless the court specifically authorizes it.
  3. 3. Boilerplate objections (vague, overbroad, unduly burdensome) standing alone are meritless and will be treated accordingly. 'Notwithstanding my objections, without waiving same' answers preserve nothing.
  4. 4. Rule 37(a)(5) fee-shifting is explicitly mentioned in the discovery order. Losing on a discovery motion means fee exposure is on the table.

Quick Reference

Topic Rule
Motion Days No standing motion calendar. Court sets a hearing if it determines one is necessary. Discovery motion limited to 5 pages; response 5 pages within 5 days; no reply without court order. [S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(b)(1)]
Motion Limit Per Local Rules (S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(c)(2)): 20 pages maximum for non-discovery motions. For discovery disputes: 5-page limit. [S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(c)(2)]
Reply Limit Per Local Rules (S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(c)(2)): 10 pages maximum for non-discovery motions. Discovery replies: not permitted without court order. [S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(c)(2)]
Chambers Copies ✗ Not required Not required.
Tentative Rulings Not issued. FL-SD does not use a tentative ruling system.
Remote Appearances Not specified in published procedures.
Discovery This judge is the assigned magistrate judge for discovery disputes referred by the district court. Judge Maynard operates under Model C: personal conferral, then file a discovery motion. [S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(b)(3)]

Procedural Briefing by Motion Type

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Before You File

Motion Days & Times
No standing motion calendar. Court sets a hearing if it determines one is necessary. Discovery motion limited to 5 pages; response 5 pages within 5 days; no reply without court order. [S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(b)(1)]
Notice Period
Per Local Rules. Discovery disputes governed by the 28-day window under S.D. Fla. L.R. 26.1(g). [S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(c)(1)]
Motion Page / Word Limit
Per Local Rules (S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(c)(2)): 20 pages maximum for non-discovery motions. For discovery disputes: 5-page limit. [S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(c)(2)]
Opposition Limit
Per Local Rules (S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(c)(2)): 20 pages maximum for non-discovery motions. Discovery responses: 5 pages within 5 days. [S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(c)(2)]
Reply Limit
Per Local Rules (S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(c)(2)): 10 pages maximum for non-discovery motions. Discovery replies: not permitted without court order. [S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(c)(2)]
Font & Formatting
Per S.D. Fla. L.R. 5.1 (double-spaced, Times New Roman 12-point).
Footnote Policy
Not specified.
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At Filing

Chambers Copies
✗ Not required Not required.
Proposed Orders
Per Local Rules (S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(a)(2)): Word format emailed to chambers per CM/ECF Administrative Procedures. [S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(a)(2)]
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Before the Hearing

Tentative Rulings
Not issued. FL-SD does not use a tentative ruling system.
Prohibition / Ex Parte Contact Re Tentatives
N/A.
Oral Argument
No hearing unless set by the Court. Court decides after full briefing. [S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(b)(2)]
Remote Appearances
Not specified in published procedures.
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Background Rules

Chambers Contact
No published individual restrictions beyond the Model C procedure.
Discovery Referral
This judge is the assigned magistrate judge for discovery disputes referred by the district court. Judge Maynard operates under Model C: personal conferral, then file a discovery motion. [S.D. Fla. L.R. 7.1(b)(3)]
Discovery Dispute Procedure District-default
Model C -- Traditional. Required sequence: (1) Personal conferral (in-person or phone required; email alone insufficient). (2) File discovery motion (5-page limit). Attach all relevant exhibits (e.g., interrogatory responses showing which remain in dispute) -- L.R. 26.1(h)(2)-(3) compliance is not required if exhibits are attached. (3) Response within 5 days (5-page limit); no reply without court order. (4) Court sets a hearing if it determines one is necessary. Rule 37(a)(5) fee-shifting is explicitly noted in the discovery order. Boilerplate objections standing alone are meritless. Formulaic 'notwithstanding my objections' answers preserve nothing. In some (not all) cases, Judge Maynard may issue an Order Setting Discovery Status Conference -- a telephonic conference roughly 1 month before discovery cutoff. Next-gen policy: attorneys with 5 or fewer years of experience may argue alongside lead counsel if counsel advises the court before the hearing. [Judge Maynard -- Chambers Procedures]
Ex Parte Applications
Per S.D. Fla. L.R. 5.4(d): Include 'ex parte' in title; restricted from public docket upon submission. [S.D. Fla. L.R. 5.4(d)]
Settlement Notification
UNIQUE REMITTAL RULE: After conducting a settlement conference, Judge Maynard recuses herself from the case as a general rule. Parties who want her to remain as the paired magistrate judge must file a joint notice of waiver (Order Requiring Joint Filing Regarding Remittal Waiver). This is unique among FL-SD magistrates. Settlement conference requires a confidential pre-conference memo per the conference order. [Judge Maynard -- Chambers Procedures]
Lead Counsel
Next-gen policy: attorneys with 5 or fewer years of experience may argue alongside lead counsel with advance notice to the court.
Under Seal Filings
Per S.D. Fla. L.R. 5.4.
Continuances & Calendar Conflicts
Per Local Rules. Contact chambers to reschedule any hearing set.
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AI & Style Preferences

AI Disclosure Requirement
Not specified.
Additional Notes
Sources: Judge Maynard's chambers page (6 tabs), Discovery Order (Word doc), and Settlement Conference Order PDF. Fort Pierce division. Model C. The settlement remittal rule is unique in the district. In some cases, a telephonic Discovery Status Conference order may be issued roughly 1 month before discovery cutoff -- watch for it.

Sources & Currency

verified Procedures verified June 25, 2026. Verify now →

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