Case Name: Stephen BAKER, Petitioner, v. HENDERSON KEASLER LAW FIRM and American Heritage Life Insurance Company, Respondents
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 2003-10-24
Citations: 857 So. 2d 367
Docket Number: No. 1D03-2258
Parties: Stephen BAKER, Petitioner, v. HENDERSON KEASLER LAW FIRM and American Heritage Life Insurance Company, Respondents.
Judges: LEWIS and POLSTON, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 857
Pages: 367–367

Head Matter:
Stephen BAKER, Petitioner, v. HENDERSON KEASLER LAW FIRM and American Heritage Life Insurance Company, Respondents.
No. 1D03-2258.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, First District.
Oct. 24, 2003.
Robert H. Sturgess, of Motes & Carr, P.A., Jacksonville, for petitioner.
Alan D. Henderson, of Henderson Keas-ler Law Firm, Jacksonville, for respondents.

Opinion:
WOLF, C.J.
Baker files a Petition for Writ of Certio-rari challenging an order requiring him to pay his withdrawing counsel before allowing substitute counsel to appear. This order is reviewable by certiorari. See generally, St. Paul Fire & Marine Ins. Co. v. Marina Bay Resort Condo. Ass'n, Inc., 794 So.2d 755 (Fla. 1st DCA 2001). The challenged order departs from the essential requirements of law. Kiriakidis v. Kiriakidis, 855 So.2d 208, 2003 WL 22187836 (Fla. 4th DCA Sept.24, 2003) (finding error to require party to pay fees of withdrawing attorney prior to allowing new counsel to appear when amount of fees are in dispute). We, therefore, grant the Petition for Writ of Certiorari; we quash the order of the circuit court and direct the trial court to enter a new order consistent with this opinion.
LEWIS and POLSTON, JJ., concur.