{"id":15518,"date":"2026-10-31T01:54:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-31T01:54:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/robinsoncasey.com\/guides\/involuntary-commitment-addiction\/involuntary-commitment-addiction-force-adult-child-into-treatment-florida\/"},"modified":"2026-10-31T01:54:22","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T01:54:22","slug":"involuntary-commitment-addiction-force-adult-child-into-treatment-florida","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/robinsoncasey.com\/guides\/involuntary-commitment-addiction\/involuntary-commitment-addiction-force-adult-child-into-treatment-florida\/","title":{"rendered":"Lawyer to Force Adult Child Into Treatment in Florida"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Marchman Act Attorney \u00b7 Miami-Dade and South Florida<\/p>

Need a Lawyer to Help Get Your Adult Child Into Treatment?<\/h1>

Robinson Casey focuses on Marchman Act petitions and guardianship matters for families across South Florida and statewide. Start with a free, confidential first consultation, 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

By Richard J. Casey III, Esq. \u00b7 Published October 30, 2026<\/p>\n\n

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When Your Adult Child Keeps Getting Worse<\/h2>\n

Florida law can let a parent ask a court to order an adult child into treatment, even without the child’s agreement. That request runs under the Marchman Act, and a judge makes the final decision.<\/p>\n

You may have already paid for treatment, tried interventions, and set firm boundaries. Then came the overdose, the hospital visit, the arrest, or the day your child disappeared. Now you are looking for a lawyer to force adult child into treatment Florida, because the old methods are not working.<\/p>\n

Your fears are real. You worry your child will overdose and die, go to jail, or end up homeless. You may also worry that nothing will ever work.<\/p>\n

This page explains how the Florida process works, what a court must find, and what to expect. You don’t have to decide anything today. Robinson & Casey focuses on Marchman Act petitions and guardianship matters, serving families across South Florida and statewide. Richard J. Casey III, Esq. is the responsible lawyer for this page.<\/p>\n\n

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If your adult child is in a crisis you never chose, you don't have to work through the court process alone, so call Robinson Casey at (561) 849-4149 to talk through your situation. 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 the Marchman Act Is and Who It Covers<\/h2>\n

The Marchman Act is Florida’s law for assessment and treatment of people severely impaired by substance abuse. It covers both adults and youth, according to the Florida DCF Marchman Act page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Act is about care. The court asks whether your child needs treatment, not whether your child committed a crime. The main criteria focus on impairment, loss of self-control, and risk of harm, as set out in Fla. Stat. \u00a7 397.675<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Some people have a substance use disorder along with a mental health condition. The statute covers that combination too. If mental health issues are part of the picture, the facts need to be presented to the court in full.<\/p>\n

Can You Force an Adult Child Into Treatment in Florida?<\/h2>\n

Yes, but only through a court order. A family cannot order treatment on its own, and a judge decides whether the legal criteria are met.<\/p>\n

There must be a good faith reason to believe the person is substance abuse impaired, or has a substance use disorder and a co-occurring mental health disorder. The person must have lost the power of self-control over substance use. The person must also need services and be unable to see that need, or be likely to neglect themselves, where that neglect poses a real and present threat of substantial harm that is not apparent to be avoided through the help of willing, able, and responsible family members or friends or other services, or there is a substantial likelihood the person has inflicted, threatened, or attempted physical harm on themselves or others, or is likely to inflict it unless admitted. See Fla. Stat. \u00a7 397.675<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Refusing help alone is not enough. The statute says that mere refusal to receive services is not, by itself, evidence of impaired judgment. Fla. Stat. \u00a7 397.675<\/a> reads: “(b) Without care or treatment, is likely to suffer from neglect or refuse to care for himself or herself; that such neglect or refusal poses a real and present threat of substantial harm to his or her well-being; and that it is not apparent that such harm may be avoided through the help of willing, able, and responsible family members or friends or the provision of other services, or there is substantial likelihood that the person has inflicted, or threatened to or attempted to inflict, or, unless admitted, is likely to inflict, physical harm on himself, herself, or another.”<\/p>\n

\u00a7 397.675<\/a> does not address where a petition is filed or any filing fee; it sets out the criteria for involuntary admission: there must be good faith reason to believe the person 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 over substance abuse and meets one of the need-or-harm conditions. The courts have also held that a petition filed in the wrong county did not take away the circuit court’s jurisdiction, as shown in J.P. v. J.N.<\/a>. Whether the criteria are met depends on the facts of each case.<\/p>\n

What Our Florida Marchman Act Attorneys Handle<\/h2>\n

Our attorneys and staff focus on Marchman Act petitions and involuntary commitment for addiction. The work serves families in South Florida, Miami-Dade, and statewide.<\/p>\n

The work typically includes:<\/p>\n