Legal Documents Prepared on a Budget
The Phone Keeps Ringing at Florida Family Adoptions Back in February, we posted a blog titled Nonlawyer Relative Adoptions and the Florida DCF (Department of Children and Families). In that discussion, we focused on the heartbreak that is endured when families wanting to adopt, typically grandparents wanting to adopt grandchildren, realize that they’ve waited too … Read more
THE HIGH COST OF MISINFORMATION PRO SE (NON-LAWYER) ADOPTIONS IN FLORIDA If I were given the task of picking the one thing that most adversely affects pro se petitioners filing cases in the Florida Courts, it would have to be, hands down, the issue of misinformation. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines misinformation as “incorrect or misleading … Read more
Can I Adopt My Grandchild(ren) or Close Relative in Florida Affordably Without an Attorney? Most likely, yes! Your reasons for adopting your grandchild(ren) or relative are varied, but your situation is all too common across Florida. It is estimated that almost a half-million children in Florida live in homes with their grandparents or other close … Read more
Frequently we receive calls at Florida Family Adoptions where the pro se party has “heard” or has been “told” something about Florida adoptions that isn’t accurate. I have compiled a list of the most common myths and realities, and I hope this will help others who are contemplating filing a pro se grandparent, relative, step-parent … Read more
Kudos to Volusia County Clerk of Court Laura E. Roth and her Staff of Friendly and Knowledgeable Professionals My mother (God rest her soul) used to say that it was always important to give credit where credit is due, because it keeps you right with the world. I think it’s time that I share my … Read more
But I don’t know where they are! – When birth parents can’t be located. One of the most common scenarios we encounter at Florida Family Adoptions is when we get a call from a relative (mostly grandparents) wishing to adopt their grandchildren, but they don’t know where the biological parents are. Unlocated parents can present … Read more
What Is the Florida Putative Father Registry? During the Adoption Reform Act of 2003, the State of Florida instituted the Putative Father Registry, which is established within the Florida Department of Health. In general terms, a putative father is defined as a man, whose relationship to a child has not been legally established but who … Read more
You Want to Adopt, but DCF (Florida Department of Children and Families) has Sheltered or Placed your Grandchild or Relative in Foster Care? One of the most heartbreaking and common inquiries we receive at Florida Family Adoptions are relatives (usually grandparents) reaching out for help with filing a pro se Relative Adoption when the child … Read more
The Florida Parenting Class Requirement Most everyone knows by now that if you are a party to a divorce with minor children or going through a paternity action, the State of Florida requires that you take an approved Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course of at least 4-hours. This divorce parenting class is court-ordered in … Read more
COURT ACCESS IN FLORIDA: THE VIEW FROM TWO PERSPECTIVES Justice in Florida will be accessible, fair, effective, responsive, and accountable. ~ Vision of the Florida Judicial Branch – 2008 Over ten years ago, these words led the report from the Florida Supreme Court’s Commission on Trial Court Performance and Accountability addressing the issue of … Read more