A Parent’s Efforts to Assume Parental Duties While Incarcerated is Relevant and Admissible in a Proceeding for Termination of Parental Rights.

L.K. v. Department of Children and Families, 4D10 – 5124 June 15, 2011 The Fourth District Court of Appeal addressed a final order terminating L.K.’s parental rights as to her daughter, G.B. The Department initiated dependency proceedings regarding G.B and took her into the Department’s custody. Shortly thereafter, L.K. was incarcerated for narcotics. The evidence showed...

Extended Turkish Vacation: Fourth DCA Affirms Trial Court’s Exercise of “Home State” Jurisdiction to Make Custody Determination Despite Children’s Absence From Florida for Seven Months

Sarpel v. Eflanli, 4D09-4828 & 4D10-3146 June 1, 2011 The Fourth District recently addressed a trial court’s jurisdiction to make a custody ruling under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (“UCCJEA”). The father had Turkish and American citizenship, and the mother was a Turkish citizen. The family members were longtime residents of Florida. On...

Appeal Dismissed in Favor of Client Where Unauthorized Under Appellate Rules

The issue was whether a trial court’s order denying exceptions to a general magistrate’s report and affirming the report, with several exceptions, was appealable as a final order or an appealable non-final order. We represented the Father of an infant child in a contentious custody dispute over timesharing and other issues. A general magistrate entered...