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The Honorable Steve Berlin

Division 9·Pinellas County · Florida
1,182 cases since 202062% FJ rate
Division Context

Section 9 - Pinellas County Family Law Division. Handles dissolution of marriage (with and without minor children), equitable distribution, alimony, paternity, and child timesharing/support. Part of the 6th Judicial Circuit, which serves both Pinellas and Pasco counties.

How the judge operates

Judge Steve Berlin has served on the Section 9 family law bench since 2020, following a 20-year U.S. Army JAG Corps career that included roles as Special Victim Prosecutor and staff judge advocate, along with private practice at Rumberger Kirk & Caldwell. His courtroom operates with structured, evidence-focused procedures reflecting his military legal background and comfort with complex evidentiary matters.

Background

CourthouseSt. Petersburg Judicial Building
Year on Bench2020
Law SchoolUniversity of Florida, Fredric G. Levin College of Law
UndergraduateUnited States Military Academy (West Point)
Assumed OfficeJanuary 2020
Pre-Bench Career20-year U.S. Army career as JAG Corps officer (lieutenant colonel), including Special Victim Prosecutor, legal adviser in Iraq, staff judge advocate for CJIATF-Syria; private practice Rumberger Kirk & Caldwell Tampa (2017-2019); Pinellas County Court Judge (2019-2020)
Bar Associations
The Florida BarFlorida Bar Military & Veterans Affairs Committee (Co-Chair)

Closed Dissolution Cases

From 7,853 dissolution cases · Pinellas County · 2020–2026

Total Cases1,182
Final Judgments73062%
Dismissed3
Avg Filings / Case91
With Children326
Without Children400
Reopened Cases233

Most Frequent Attorneys

Bar & Civic Roles

  • FL Bar #823511
  • admitted Sep 24 2004
  • West Point B.S., University of Florida Levin College of Law J.D. ~20 years U.S. Army JAG Corps (LTC)
  • served in Iraq
  • member Army's first Special Victim Prosecutors unit
  • posts at MacDill AFB, Fort Bragg, Fort Knox, USSOCOM, CENTCOM. Appointed County Court by DeSantis Nov 2019
  • elevated to 6th Circuit ~late 2020. Currently Co-Chair, FL Bar Military & Veterans Affairs Committee (through June 30 2027).

Steve Berlin is modeled as a family-court bench actor in Section 9, with 2 graph connections and 0 documented trap signals.

All data sourced from public court records. Judges are bound by Florida law, not personal tendencies. Past case patterns reflect caseload composition and case complexity — they do not predict how a judge will rule in your specific case.