Blueprint for a More Effective Family Court Intake Process and Beyond: Opening the Umbrella to Process Family Court Cases

The Florida family court system is working on improving the way they handle cases involving families. A task force was created in 2017 to come up with better ways to help people navigate the court system. They looked at what other places are doing, did some research, and got input from people who work in the courts. They came up with a plan called the “ITAC” model, which includes three main parts: providing better information to people who don’t have a lawyer, figuring out what support services they need, and making sure their case is handled efficiently. 3) Using tools and orders to better manage court cases and save time and resources for the court.

4) Using technology to make the family court system more user-friendly and well-managed. The work of previous court opinions, the circuit efforts, and the task force and its committees were important for the task force’s vision. The Florida Supreme Court wanted cases to be evaluated right away to figure out what resources and procedures are needed. This should happen for all cases involving the same family and continue throughout the court process. The task force recommendations include a model for handling cases from start to finish in Florida’s family courts.

One of the committees focused on helping people who represent themselves in court. They found that 72% of family cases involve at least one person without a lawyer. It’s important to make sure these people have a good experience with the court and legal system, so the committee suggested some best practices for the court and staff to follow. To help people who represent themselves in court (SRPs) have better outcomes, the courts and parties should actively participate in their cases. SRPs need procedural guidance and access to legal information and advice. It’s also important to have full-service self-help centers in every county or area, where people can learn about their cases and get help with paperwork. These centers should have clear standards and guidelines for how they operate, and they should get feedback from SRPs to make them better. The Triage Committee is working on ways to make it easier for people who don’t have a lawyer to navigate the family court system. They want to provide clear forms in different languages and make sure people know about the forms and how to use them. They also want to create helpful videos and guides to avoid common mistakes in court. The committee is also looking into using technology to help people who don’t have a lawyer. The Triage Committee recommends using a family-friendly questionnaire to help identify the issues and needs of parties involved in a court process. This will help determine the best process for their specific situation and provide referrals to services that can help. As the case progresses, new information may trigger a change to a different process. This could include issues like mediation difficulties, allegations of abuse, or child special needs. It’s important to adjust the process as needed to best meet the needs of the parties involved. After a response is filed in a family law case, the triage questionnaire should be made easily accessible to both parties. This can be done electronically through a website or through self-help centers and court websites. The information from the questionnaire will be used to create a summary for the judge, which will help the judge make decisions about the case. The goal is to provide help to the parties as soon as possible to resolve issues and reduce conflict. The Case Management Committee has created a flow chart outlining the steps for processing family law cases. The Unified Family Court is important for managing cases involving families to make sure that everything is handled efficiently and conflicts are avoided. The Case Management Committee has made recommendations for how the court should control the progress of cases, establish timeframes, review all necessary information, set dates for conferences and other events, and have well-trained staff to manage cases effectively. They also suggest using general magistrates and hearing officers to help manage family court cases. The committee believes that final hearings in family court cases should be done virtually when all necessary documents are in the court file. Experienced court staff should stay with a judge even if they rotate to a new division. Technology has become important in the courts due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it should be used to make the court system more efficient and accessible to the public. The committee recommends using the same technology platforms for all courts in Florida and integrating systems for better communication and data sharing. They also believe there should be a statewide case management system for all aspects of the courts. In Florida, the courts need a better system for people to submit evidence and information for virtual hearings. They should also make it easier for people to get information about the court process, like how to access hearings online and where to find forms. Judges and magistrates should also be trained on using technology for virtual hearings and handling evidence and testimony. The task force wants to make family court easier and better for everyone involved. They worked hard to come up with ideas to improve the process. The members believe that every county and circuit court can use their ideas to help families going through the court system. This article talks about ways that courts can use technology to serve people better, especially in family court cases. It also mentions a report from a Florida court committee and recommendations from the Florida Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Court. It includes links to resources and information about forms for family law cases in Florida. Overall, it’s about improving the court system to help families and people who represent themselves in court. Linda Fieldstone is an elder justice advocate with a background in family court services. Robert J. Merlin is a family law attorney who specializes in collaborative processes. Peggie Ward is a psychologist who focuses on child and family issues. Judge Sandy Karlan is a former circuit court judge who now works as a mediator and arbitrator. This column is from the Family Law Section, led by Douglas A. Greenbaum and edited by Krystine Cardona.

Source: https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-journal/blueprint-for-a-more-effective-family-court-intake-process-and-beyond-opening-the-umbrella-to-process-family-court-cases/