transFormingFamiLYLaw : emBraCingtheFamiLYCourtguidingprinCipLes
Marital & Family law Section Chair : KimMaxwell – OlderLundyKoch & Martino theguidingprinciples emphasizethe court ’ sroleinidentifyingservicesand craftingsolutionsthatensurelong-term stabilityandminimizefuturecourt actionsthroughtherapeuticJustice .
Family law cases involve families , “ the foundation of society ,” 1 making them unique . Litigants ’ lives are permanently intertwined through children , inheritances , businesses , or life savings , making final judgments rarely final . Disagreements often bring litigants back to court for enforcement , contempt , or modification proceedings , exhausting the entire family ’ s time , money , and emotions . Recognizing the distinctiveness and potential devastation of contested family cases , the Florida Supreme Court issued the Family Court Guiding Principles 2 to help all stakeholders better serve Florida ’ s families .
The Guiding Principles emphasize the court ’ s role in identifying services and crafting solutions that ensure long-term stability and minimize future court actions 3 through Therapeutic Justice . 4 This approach requires addressing families ’ interrelated legal and non-legal problems to improve their functioning by empowering them with skills development , dispute resolution assistance , access
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