TWELFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
Revisions to the Twelfth Judicial Circuit’s Shared Parental Contact Guidelines have been made, approved by the Chief Judge and are non-modifiable. These new documents, titled Parenting Plans” were created to assist parents in determining the most suitable plan based upon their family’s needs. The four plan choices are as follows:
• Basic Parenting Plan
• Long Distance Parenting Plan
• Safety Focused Parenting Plan
• Highly Structured Parenting Plan
SOCIAL INVESTIGATION/PARENTING PLAN PROGRAM
Pursuant to Florida Statute 61.20, the Court can appoint a mental health professional to provide recommendations to the Court for parents who are unable to agree to time-sharing and responsibilities. The program is currently in development.
PARENTING COORDINATOR PROGRAM
The Court may appoint a parent coordinator in high conflict cases to assist parents in resolving shared parenting disputes. A list of Family Programs Service Providers is available. The application to be included on the Parent Coordinator List can also be found.
The Family Mediation Program can provide a state trained and certified mediator to assist with disputing parties. Costs are outlined and a Florida Statewide Mediator Listing is available.
SELF-HELP (PRO SE) PROGRAM
For litigants who have decided to represent themselves in Court, general information and forms are available. However, it may save time to visit the Supreme Court website at www.flcourts.org for a list of approved forms.
FAMILY LAW ADVISORY GROUP (F.L.A.G.)
This group is made up of a diverse group of professionals dedicated to the review and improvement of existing procedures and development of new programs and practices to improve the quality of services provided to families in the Court system. For additional information, please contact the following:
Michelle Smith
(941) 749-3600 ext. 7102
masmith@jud12.flcourts.org
MANATEE COUNTY
MANATEE COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION
SARASOTA COUNTY
SARASOTA COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION
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