Tools for Miami Guardians ad Litem, Therapists and Mediators

A co-parenting app and case tools you can recommend to the Miami families you work with, whether you serve as a guardian ad litem, a therapist, or a mediator. Messaging between co-parents is free for both parents, and every message is time-stamped and tamper-evident.

Families in Miami who end up in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida, Family Division rarely arrive at a mediation, a therapy session, or a home visit with their records in order. FamilyCourtHelp.com is a self-help platform built for those parents. Below is what it does for them, what it means for you as a guardian ad litem, therapist, or mediator, and what to know about family court in Miami.

Florida uses its own words, "timesharing" where many states say custody and "time-sharing schedule" where they say visitation, and the tools follow Florida's terms so the papers parents bring you read the way the court reads them.

Area covered: Miami-Dade County.

Court for custody cases: Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida, Family Division.

Appointed for the child: Guardian ad litem.

Custody mediation: Often ordered by the judge (Family mediation).

Parenting coordinators: Set by state law or court rule (Fla. Stat. § 61.125).

Parenting class: Required statewide (Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course).

State family law: Florida Statutes Chapter 61 - Dissolution of Marriage.

What Florida calls custody: timesharing.

Co-parent messaging (Free): One time-stamped, tamper-evident thread, free for both parents, with a Tone Meter that offers calmer rewrites.

Invite a professional into the conversation (Free): A parent can add a guardian ad litem or mediator to the co-parent conversation with a single-use link.

Parenting plan, built and shared (Free to build): Parents draft a parenting plan and can share it with you to read and comment on.

Verify a chat export (Free): Check that an exported message record (the JSON file) has not been changed. No account needed.

Court-Grade Journal (Paid plan): A dated, no-delete journal; a parent can send you a packet of chosen entries.

Expense Tracker (Paid plan): Shared child costs with receipts; a parent can give you a view-only look.

Parents can create an account and message their co-parent for free, with no credit card. Building a parenting plan is free; sharing, downloading, and printing it, and the tools marked as a paid plan, are part of a monthly plan a parent can start and stop.

For guardians ad litem in Miami

In Florida, the court can appoint a guardian ad litem in a custody case. What the role involves is in the FAQ below.

On FamilyCourtHelp.com you see what a parent chooses to share. A parent can invite you into the co-parent conversation with a single-use link, which you accept with your own free account; from there you can read the thread, post in it, and review the shared calendar's requests and approvals. A parent can also share the parenting plan with you to read and comment on.

For therapists and counselors in Miami

Court-involved and reunification therapists, co-parenting counselors, and custody evaluators in Miami do not get an account view here, and that is deliberate: each parent keeps their own record and chooses what to bring you. The free messenger keeps the week's facts in one time-stamped thread, and its Tone Meter flags a heated message and suggests a calmer one before it is sent.

For mediators and parenting coordinators in Miami

In Florida, custody mediation is often ordered by the judge. Parenting coordinators are set by state law or court rule (Fla. Stat. § 61.125). The details are in the FAQ below.

Sessions in Miami start further along when the draft is already on the table. Parents can share their parenting plan with you to read and comment on, and invite you into their conversation with a single-use link. Agreements then live in one time-stamped thread, and every schedule change is a request on the shared calendar that the other parent approves or declines.

Parenting coordinators can be added to a shared plan as a viewer who reads and comments.

Family court programs in Miami

Custody cases in Miami are heard in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida, Family Division. The court-connected programs below were checked against official sources.

Family Court Self-Help Program (Eleventh Judicial Circuit): A court program for people handling a family case without a lawyer. Staff help parents get the right forms packet, review the forms once filled out, and explain how to file and move the case forward.

If you searched for a guardian ad litem, a family therapist, or a custody mediator in Miami, the court that has your case, the order in it, or your lawyer is the place to find who is appointed or approved. This site does not appoint professionals or refer you to one. What you can do here is come prepared: keep every message with your co-parent in one time-stamped thread, write down what happened with dates while it is fresh, and work on a parenting plan before the meeting.

Free help for parents in Miami: the court help desks and legal aid offices below were checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

Miami-Dade: Family Court Self-Help Program (Miami-Dade County), (305) 349-7800. Reviews and helps complete family law paperwork so self-represented parents can get a hearing.

Miami-Dade legal aid: Legal Services of Greater Miami, (305) 576-0080.

FamilyCourtHelp.com is a self-help platform, not a law firm and not a court, and nothing on this page is legal, clinical, or mediation advice. Court rules and local programs change, so confirm anything that matters for a case with the court, the order that appointed you, or the program itself.

Frequently asked questions

Where are custody cases heard in Miami?

The Family Division of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit hears divorce, child custody and support, paternity, adoption and modification cases for Miami-Dade County.

Where can parents in Miami get free help with a family court case?

Free court help for parents without a lawyer: Family Court Self-Help Program (Miami-Dade County). Free legal aid: Legal Services of Greater Miami. Phone numbers and links are in the parents section above, checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

How can parents prepare for custody mediation in Miami?

Bring the family calendar, a draft parenting plan, a list of the issues still open, and a list of shared costs with receipts. Parents can put all of that together on FamilyCourtHelp.com before the first session.

What does a guardian ad litem do in a Miami custody case?

In a family case the court may appoint a guardian ad litem for the child. The guardian ad litem may look into the issues, interview the child and others after notice, ask the court for access to records, and give the court recommendations on agreements that affect the child. You may also see "GAL". The rule is in Fla. Stat. § 61.403. This is general information, not legal advice; the order in the case controls.

Is custody mediation required in Florida?

In circuits that have a family mediation program, once the court finds a dispute it must send custody, visitation and other parenting issues to mediation. On a party's request, the court will not order mediation if there is a history of domestic violence that would compromise the process.

Does Florida use parenting coordinators?

Florida has a state law on parenting coordination for family cases with children.

Do parents in Florida have to take a parenting class?

Parents in a divorce with minor children, and in paternity cases that decide parenting issues, must finish this course. It runs at least 4 hours and must be approved by the Department of Children and Families.