Navigating the complexities of family court can be an overwhelming experience, especially when parents are caught in personal turmoil and legal processes that distract from their children’s needs. For children experiencing these challenging times, having someone who understands their situation and offers support can be invaluable. In Miami-Dade County, Family Court Services provides a crucial resource to help families through these difficult situations.
Understanding Family Court Services in Miami
For over two decades, Miami-Dade County, Florida, has benefited from the therapeutic justice approach offered by Family Court Services. As part of Florida’s largest judicial circuit, this unit plays a vital role in assisting judges and general magistrates with complex family cases. Family Court Services is dedicated to providing solution-focused, brief therapeutic interventions to families navigating the legal system. The team of professionals at Family Court Services is committed to reducing conflict within families and providing supportive services for the entire family unit, with a particular focus on the well-being of children.
Comprehensive Services Offered
Family Court Services offers a range of no-cost services to families in Miami-Dade County, addressing various challenges that arise in family court cases. These services include:
- Alienation: Addressing and providing support in cases of parental alienation.
- Child/Family Assistance: Intervening in situations where immediate issues affect children’s welfare, through interviews with family members, including children when appropriate.
- Co-parenting: Assessing and improving parenting skills, communication, and time-sharing arrangements between parents.
- Crisis Assistance: Providing immediate and rapid intervention in urgent situations where there may be imminent danger to a parent or child.
- Marital Reconciliation: Helping couples considering separation or divorce to explore their motivations and the factors involved in their decision.
- Parenting Coordination: Assisting parents in creating or implementing parenting plans and developing strategies to minimize the child’s exposure to parental conflict.
- Reunification: Supporting children experiencing estrangement from a parent, working to re-establish or build a healthy relationship.
- Time-sharing: Resolving disputes between parents regarding child custody arrangements, clarifying existing schedules, and developing more effective time-sharing plans.
- Supervised Visitation/Monitored Exchanges: Providing a safe and neutral environment for parent-child interaction when the child’s physical or emotional well-being may be at risk.
Connecting with Community Resources
In addition to in-house services, Family Court Services acts as a bridge to vital community resources. They facilitate referrals to external agencies and private providers for court-ordered services, including:
- Counseling services
- Extended co-parenting programs
- Parenting classes
- Parenting coordination services
- Psychological and psychiatric evaluations
- Substance abuse evaluations and treatment
- Social investigations
- Therapeutic supervised visits
- DNA testing
Hours and Contact Information
Family Court Services is available during standard business hours:
- Hours of Operation: Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Supervised Visitation Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays, 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
To access these valuable services, please contact Family Court Services at the Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center:
- Address: Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center, 175 N.W. 1st Avenue, Suite 1503, Miami, Florida 33128
- Telephone: (305) 349-5508
- Fax: (305) 349-5634
If you are navigating family court in Miami and need support, Family Court Services is there to help you and your family through the process.
