Astor Simovitch Law Blog
What are some legal avenues that I can take to help a child with substance abuse problems?
October 07, 2018
As drug and alcohol attorneys we specialize in helping young adults who have addiction and mental illness issues. Typically, we use two avenues when it comes to making that person go to treatment and keeping them into treatment. Number one is the Marchman Act, which is Florida’s involuntary commitment statute for addiction and co-occurring mental […]
How is an emergency temporary guardianship (ETG) appointment different than a determination of permanent guardianship?
October 07, 2018
The ETG, the Emergency Temporary Guardianship, is only granted on a temporary basis. Initially, it can be up for 90 days, and then it can be extended for a further 90 days. So you have a total of 180 days. What makes it different from the permanent guardianship is that, at the ETG hearing, there’s […]
How do I seek a permanent guardianship?
October 07, 2018
To seek a permanent guardianship requires two things. There’s going to be a petition to determine incapacity. In other words, the court is going to appoint three experts to determine is this person, is the respondent, the person on the other end of the petition, are they incapable of making rational decisions on their behalf. […]
How does an emergency temporary guardianship (ETG) appointment affect HIPPA rights?
October 07, 2018
HIPPA is our federal statute, which protects a medical records. Not everybody can look at our medical history. The guardianship statute provides for an exception to HIPPA. So when somebody has filed a petition for guardianship, the HIPPA statute or the exception to it is going to allow that person, in theory, if it’s granted, […]
How long does an emergency temporary guardianship (ETG) appointment last?
October 07, 2018
Typically, the ETG or the Emergency Temporary Guardianship is going to be granted for a period of 90 days. That period of 90 days can then be granted for an additional 90 days. It tracks the Marchman Act statute, which is our involuntary commitment statute for addiction and mental illness. The two can run together. […]
How can an emergency temporary guardianship (ETG) appointment be used to help?
October 07, 2018
When somebody is suffering from the diseases of addiction and mental illness, one of the things they’re not capable of doing is making rational diseases for themselves. So the emergency temporary guardianship can be used by a parent, for instance, to get control of what is an out-of-control decision, and start making decisions for that […]
How can I get emergency access to the medical records of a loved one?
October 07, 2018
There are three ways to get access to the medical records. Number one is I consent. I give you permission to look at my medical records. Number two is some type of directive. In other words, healthcare directive where I put in writing that in the event that I cannot grant you consent, perhaps I’m […]
How can a permanent guardianship be used to help a young adult with substance abuse?
October 07, 2018
The permanent guardianship can be used by mom or dad or whoever the petitioner is to get control of the other person, the respondent’s medical decisions, financial decisions and access to the medical records. What really is the determining factor is whether or not the addiction issue, the mental illness issue is an ongoing problem. […]