Legal Question in Juvenile Dependency in Florida

Yes, your child will likely need a lawyer. If your seventeen year old child has no prior criminal history, most likely he or she will be charged in juvenile delinquency court. Judges will not allow the parent to appear as the attorney unless the parent is a licensed attorney. Most juvenile judges will not allow the child to appear "pro se", or on their on behalf; the logic is a seventeen year old is not necessarily capable of making decisions that can affect his or her life without the advice of counsel.