{"id":21373,"date":"2026-11-09T22:05:25","date_gmt":"2026-11-09T22:05:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/robinsoncasey.com\/guides\/involuntary-commitment-addiction\/marchman-act-adult-son-refuses-treatment\/"},"modified":"2026-11-09T22:05:27","modified_gmt":"2026-11-09T22:05:27","slug":"marchman-act-adult-son-refuses-treatment","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/robinsoncasey.com\/guides\/involuntary-commitment-addiction\/marchman-act-adult-son-refuses-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"Marchman Act Petition Florida: Adult Son Refuses Treatment"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Marchman Act Petition Florida: Adult Son Refuses Treatment<\/h1>\n

You’ve paid for treatment, tried interventions and held firm on boundaries. Your adult son still keeps getting worse, and each crisis leaves you wondering what else can be done.<\/p>\n

Yes, Florida law gives a parent a court route. The Marchman Act lets a relative ask a judge for assessment and, if the court finds it necessary, involuntary treatment. This guide explains how that works.<\/p>\n

When Your Adult Son Refuses Help and the Crisis Keeps Coming Back<\/h2>\n

A Marchman Act petition is a request to a Florida court when an adult with substance use impairment won’t accept treatment on his own.<\/p>\n

The cycle is familiar: a frightening night, a short hospital stay, a discharge, then another overdose or a week of silence. Many parents in your position fear the next call will bring the worst news, or that their son will end up in jail or homeless.<\/p>\n

Those fears are why the law gives families a legal option. For a broader view of the process, see this Marchman Act family guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What the Marchman Act Is and Who Can File<\/h2>\n

For an adult, Florida law lets a relative file a petition for involuntary treatment.<\/p>\n

The Marchman Act sits in Chapter 397 of the Florida Statutes and covers substance abuse treatment.<\/p>\n

Under \u00a7 397.68112<\/a>, when the respondent is an adult, a petition may be filed by a spouse or legal guardian, any relative, a service provider, or an adult with direct personal knowledge of the impairment and past treatment. The “respondent” is the person the petition is about, which is your son in this case.<\/p>\n

The petition is a court filing. It starts a case that a judge must hear, so the family cannot finish it alone.<\/p>\n

What a Judge Looks For in a Marchman Act Petition<\/h2>\n