This is the final post in a series of articles about terminating parental rights in Melbourne, Florida. One objective of this series was to provide an overview of Florida law governing the termination of parental rights. Another was to review the legal process for taking such action. As we have stressed throughout these articles, the termination of a parent’s rights is taken very seriously by Florida courts in light of the permanent consequences of such a decision. Before taking legal action to terminate a parent’s rights, it is imperative to retain a family law attorney with experience in child custody matters. If you need assistance, contact our office today to speak with a lawyer.
This series addressed the following points:
- When a Florida court will terminate a parent’s rights
- The process for terminating parental rights
- The importance of discovery when seeking the termination of parental rights
It is important to have a basic understanding of these topics prior to initiating legal action to terminate someone’s parental rights. First, a Florida judge will only terminate a parent’s rights in extreme situations that pose a danger to the child. Courts will not consider terminating one’s rights simply because the parents disagree on matters related to the child’s upbringing. A parent should understand whether their circumstances rise to the level that a court may justify termination before involving the court system. Second, when seeking termination of parental rights, there are required legal procedures that must be followed before the court will hear the case. An attorney with experience in child custody matters can help ensure you meet the requirements. Third, a court will require clear and convincing evidence that the parent’s rights should be terminated. The person seeking termination must provide a substantial amount of objective evidence in support of their case. Using the process of discovery, the parties can gather the necessary evidence to present to the court.
One point we cannot stress enough is the importance of retaining legal counsel with child custody experience if you are considering asking the court to terminate a parent’s legal rights to a child. Our firm handles these cases for clients in the cities of Melbourne, Titusville, Cocoa, Palm Bay, Grant, Valkaria, and Rockledge, as well as in the Indian River County areas of Fellsmere, Sebastian, Vero Beach, Indian River Shores, and Orchid.