Legal Question in Family Law in Florida
child custody
My 15 year old son whom I have custody (dad and me never married) went to arizona to visit his father for the summer, I live in Florida. I recently found out his father enrolled him in school there and refuses to send him back home. I have moved several times since the child support paperwork and custody papers were drawn up and have misplaced them, What are my options?
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: child custody
Hello: In response to your questions, you can go to the Clerk of Court (or get on-line) and look up your case to obtain copies of your Final Judgment or other papers. You would need to file a Motion for Contempt and possibly An Emergency Motion for him to return the child. Then you contact the Judge's assistant to get a court date. He would need to be sent copies of eveything you file includding a Notice of the Hearing. If my office can be of any assistance in No. Fla., please give us a call. Tom Rosenblum
Re: child custody
In most parts of Florida, you'll need to file an Emergency Motion for Pick-Up Order. Once you have the signed order in hand, you'll need to take it to Arizona. Then, go with the police to the father's house and get your son.
After that, you'll probably want to terminate or restrict the father's visitation, but get your son back here first.
Don't do this without a lawyer, and, obviously, do this right away, since school is starting very soon.