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Current as of January 01, 2025 | Updated by Findlaw Staff
Before the court may grant authority to a guardian to exercise any of the rights specified in s. 744.3215(4), the court must:
(1) Appoint an independent attorney to act on the incapacitated person's behalf, and the attorney must have the opportunity to meet with the person and to present evidence and cross-examine witnesses at any hearing on the petition for authority to act;
(2) Receive as evidence independent medical, psychological, and social evaluations with respect to the incapacitated person by competent professionals or appoint its own experts to assist in the evaluations;
(3) Personally meet with the incapacitated person to obtain its own impression of the person's capacity, so as to afford the incapacitated person the full opportunity to express his or her personal views or desires with respect to the judicial proceeding and issue before the court;
(4) Find by clear and convincing evidence that the person lacks the capacity to make a decision about the issue before the court and that the incapacitated person's capacity is not likely to change in the foreseeable future; and
(5) Be persuaded by clear and convincing evidence that the authority being requested is in the best interests of the incapacitated person.
The provisions of this section and s. 744.3215(4) are procedural and do not establish any new or independent right to or authority over the termination of parental rights, dissolution of marriage, sterilization, abortion, or the termination of life support systems.
Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Florida Statutes Title XLIII. Domestic Relations § 744.3725. Procedure for extraordinary authority - last updated January 01, 2025 | https://codes.findlaw.com/fl/title-xliii-domestic-relations/fl-st-sect-744-3725/
FindLaw Codes may not reflect the most recent version of the law in your jurisdiction. Please verify the status of the code you are researching with the state legislature before relying on it for your legal needs.
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