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If you have decided that filing a petition to Marchman Act your loved one is the only option left, the next step will be filing the paperwork. Marchman Act Packages are held at county courthouses for you to file. Florida Marchman Act Services can help you navigate through your options and filing the paperwork properly and efficiently.

The Package will contain general information for the petitioner, a flowchart that outlines how the process will be carried out, and documents ordering an assessment and treatment. The forms are:

Petition for Involuntary Assessment and Stabilization

Ex-Parte (Emergency) Petition for Involuntary Assessment and Stabilization

Petition for Involuntary Treatment

Once the petitions are signed, they will be sent through the Clerk of Court to the Sheriff or to a Petitioner and will be served to the individual. Once that occurs, both parties will be ordered to appear in court before a General Magistrate, where a judgement will be passed on whether the petition will be approved or dismissed.

The documents are legal filings and require everything to be done in proper order. Choosing the proper paperwork and which petition to sign, when to appear, the process of serving the individual, and what happens if the case is approved, can sometimes be confusing, which can cause delays in the court processing. This is why Florida Marchman Act Services can be an essential tool in helping your family through this legal process as quickly and systematically as possible.

Where to begin is often the most difficult question. The Florida Marchman Act Services is here to help you, step by step, from before, all the way to the end of the petition process. In the beginning, even if you aren’t sure if this is the direction you want to go, it can be helpful to speak with a professional to discuss your options.

After that, receiving and filing the appropriate paperwork is essential to prevent a long and drawn out process. Once the paperwork has been signed and filed with a County Clerk, either a Sheriff or a Certified Process Server will serve your loved one with the petition.

The next step will be a court date where a Magistrate will prepare a report and recommendation for an Order of Assessment for the Judge’s signature. After that, the Judge will decide whether to approve or dismiss the petition, and, if approved, your loved one will be taken to a licensed facility for assessment or treatment.

Once in a facility, the physician on hand will perform an assessment deciding whether your loved one will benefit from a longer term stay in treatment, which will be brought back through the court to assign a petition for treatment.

If your loved one chooses to leave treatment early, needs a longer stay, or does not complete for any other reason, the petitioner can choose to file further documentation requiring the individual to complete a longer duration of treatment.

Just looking around on the internet can often lead to thousands and thousands of options, with more questions raised than questions answered. The Florida Marchman Act Services can help the family through the stages of filing and carrying out a Marchman Act.

There are also other alternatives. Many families of addicts often don’t know where to turn or how to help their loved ones, and the communication divide usually worsens the problem over time. For this reason, seeking out help from a professional interventionist or an educational consultant for their best recommendations around the best way to move forward.

Interventions are primarily the last resort for many families, and they can help initiate and follow through on the Marchman Act process from beginning to end, if necessary. If not, the interventionist can help the family decide other options, and can even help find the best treatment center, sober escort, and travel plans for the loved one in question.

Living in fear or worry about your loved one doesn’t have to be the only way. The first step in achieving change is by reaching out to professionals who have you and your families best interest in mind. The treatment industry is a booming field, and there are a lot of facilities who are more concerned with financial gain than your loved ones recovery, so speaking with trusted sources who are experienced and reputable in the field comes from reaching out. Florida Marchman Act Services will help facilitate this process for the best options for you and your loved one.