A parent can find themselves in a very frightening and unfamiliar environment upon being summoned to Juvenile Court. Either their child has been arrested, in which case they must now face the Juvenile Delinquency system as well as the Department of Juvenile Justice, or there have been allegations of abuse, abandonment, or neglect, and they now must face the Juvenile Dependency system as well as the Department of Children and Families. In either case, the Juvenile courtroom is one of particular idiosyncrasies, governed by the Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure, which can cause even the most experienced Family or Criminal attorney to perform missteps if they are not familiar with certain peculiarities of the Juvenile Court. In fact, Delinquency and Dependency are no longer tested on the Florida Bar Exam after a determination that the fields are of such a highly specialized area of practice that the average Florida attorney would not be required to be knowledgeable of the specifics of the Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure. The attorneys at McNary Powers, PLLC, have extensive experience in this area, please call for a consultation should the need arise.
