The Florida Baker Act is the common name for the Florida Mental Health Act, codified in Chapter 394 of the Florida Statutes. The statute establishes the legal framework for involuntary mental health examination and short term treatment of individuals who may pose a danger to...
The Florida dependency process is governed by Chapter 39, Florida Statutes, and the Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure. The Florida dependency process exists to protect children who are alleged to be abandoned, abused, or neglected, while preserving the fundamental constitutional rights of parents. In Miami...
Termination of parental rights in Florida is one of the most serious legal actions a court can take because it permanently severs the legal relationship between a parent and a child. Under Florida law, termination of parental rights in Florida may occur only when strict...
Step-parent adoption cases arise when a spouse seeks to legally adopt their partner’s child and assume full parental rights. In Miami and throughout Florida, step parent adoption allows a family unit to formalize an existing parent child relationship and provide legal stability for the child....
When a divorce happens, you can only hope for as smooth as a separation as possible. Perhaps more than anything else, threats from your soon to be former spouse can be stressful and frustrating. Threats surrounding custody of the children or valuable property can be...
Infant visitation schedules Florida courts approve often differ significantly from parenting plans designed for older children. Infant visitation schedules Florida family courts establish must balance two fundamental legal principles. The first principle is the statutory presumption that children benefit from frequent and continuing contact with...
The concept of community property in Florida frequently arises when married couples move to the state from jurisdictions that follow community property laws. Many individuals assume that property acquired during marriage is automatically owned equally by both spouses. While this assumption is correct in several...
Garnishing wages for child support in Florida is one of the most powerful enforcement mechanisms available to Florida family courts. When a parent fails to pay child support as ordered, Florida law permits courts to order income withholding directly from the obligor’s wages to ensure...
Pendente Lite Alimony is a form of temporary financial support awarded during the pendency of a dissolution of marriage proceeding. In Florida divorce litigation, pendente lite alimony functions as an interim remedy designed to ensure that a financially disadvantaged spouse has the resources necessary to...