{"id":15070,"date":"2026-10-29T01:50:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T01:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/robinsoncasey.com\/guides\/involuntary-commitment-addiction\/marchman-act-consultation-parents\/"},"modified":"2026-10-29T01:50:08","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T01:50:08","slug":"marchman-act-consultation-parents","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/robinsoncasey.com\/guides\/involuntary-commitment-addiction\/marchman-act-consultation-parents\/","title":{"rendered":"Marchman Act Consultation for Parents in Florida"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Marchman Act Petitions | Miami-Dade and South Florida<\/p>

Marchman Act Consultation for Parents in Florida<\/h1>

Robinson Casey focuses on Marchman Act petitions and guardianship matters for families across South Florida and statewide. Your first consultation is free, confidential, and comes with no obligation to continue.<\/p>

Schedule a Free Consultation<\/a><\/div>
Schedule a Free Consultation<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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What to Expect When You Call<\/h2>\n

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Free<\/h3>

Initial consultation<\/p><\/div>

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Confidential<\/h3>

Your conversation stays private<\/p><\/div>

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No obligation<\/h3>

To continue after your consultation<\/p><\/div>

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Statewide<\/h3>

Serving families across South Florida and Florida<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

By Richard J. Casey III, Esq. \u00b7 Published October 28, 2026<\/p>\n\n

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When Your Adult Child Is Getting Worse and Nothing Has Worked<\/h2>\n

You’ve paid for treatment, tried interventions, and held firm on boundaries. Still, your child keeps getting worse. Maybe it was the overdose call, the hospital discharge, or the day your child stopped answering the phone. A Marchman Act consultation is a private meeting where a Florida attorney reviews your facts and explains whether a court petition may help.<\/p>\n

Robinson Casey focuses on Marchman Act petitions and guardianship matters. The firm serves families in Miami-Dade, across South Florida, and statewide. This page explains what a consultation covers, how the process works, and how to reach our team.<\/p>\n

You may be asking whether a court can really step in. Florida law lets certain family members ask a judge to order assessment and treatment. The sections below explain who may file, what the court looks for, and what to expect.<\/p>\n\n

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If your adult child has overdosed, been hospitalized, or disappeared, and you're ready to ask a court for help, talk with our team. You don't have to handle the next step alone. Talk it through with our team — the first consultation is free, confidential, and carries no obligation.<\/p>

Get a free consultation<\/a><\/div>
Get a free consultation<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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What a Marchman Act Consultation Is and Who It Is For<\/h2>\n

A Marchman Act consultation is a first meeting to see whether Florida’s Marchman Act fits your family.<\/p>\n

Florida law lets certain people file. For an adult, a petition may come from a spouse or legal guardian, any relative, a service provider, or an adult with direct personal knowledge of the substance use problem and past treatment (Fla. Stat. \u00a7 397.68112<\/a>). A parent is a relative, so a parent may file.<\/p>\n

This fits parents of adult children, typically between 18 and 40, whose substance use puts them or others at risk.<\/p>\n

A consultation is not a hearing. It is where we learn the facts and explain the options. Whether to file depends on those facts.<\/p>\n

What the Consultation Covers and What to Bring<\/h2>\n

The consultation covers the facts a court will weigh. Florida’s criteria ask whether there is good faith reason to believe your child is substance abuse impaired, or has a substance use disorder and a co-occurring mental health disorder, and because of that has lost the power of self-control with respect to substance abuse and also either needs services and has judgment so impaired that he or she is incapable of appreciating that need and of making a rational decision about it (mere refusal of services is not evidence of impaired judgment), or, without care or treatment, is likely to neglect himself or herself in a way that poses a real and present threat of substantial harm, and it is not apparent that such harm may be avoided through willing family or friends or other services, or there is a substantial likelihood he or she has inflicted, threatened, or attempted physical harm on himself, herself, or another, or, unless admitted, is likely to inflict it. We review these points with you:<\/p>\n