Office of Family Courts

Florida Office of the State Courts Administrator

MISSION AND METHODS

Working with and for judicial officers, court staff, and court stakeholders, the Office of Family Courts (OFC) staff members strive for continuous quality improvement in Florida’s courts by employing a variety of methods:

• staffing two court governance committees and statewide advising groups and panels
• coordinating training opportunities and providing technical assistance resources
• developing publications (benchbooks, court user guides, newsletters, case law updates)
• maintaining two automated case management systems
• collecting and analyzing court data
• collaborating with court stakeholders
• conducting site visits and arranging peer visits across judicial circuits
• tracking and analyzing legislation
• coordinating, developing, and conducting training and events (conferences, meetings, workshops)
• conducting literature reviews on promising practices
• developing fillable and interactive court user forms
• maintaining Florida Supreme Court approved family court forms
• providing self-help and DIY information for self-represented litigants
• developing and managing contracts
• conducting presentations

GOALS

• to deliver justice effectively, efficiently, and fairly
• to enhance access to justice and court services
• to improve understanding of the judicial process
• to modernize the administration of justice
• to maintain a professional, ethical, and skilled workforce

CURRENT PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES

• Information System Initiatives
  • Florida Domestic Violence Court Information System (FDVCIS)
  • Florida Dependency Court Information System (FDCIS)
  • Early Childhood Court (ECC) Tracking System
• Family Court Initiatives
  • Early Childhood Court
  • School-Justice Partnerships
  • Domestic Violence Regional Trainings
  • Family Law Court Forms
• Criminal Court Initiatives
  • Criminal Domestic Violence Project
• Overarching Initiatives
  • Trauma-Responsive Court Initiative
  • One Family/One Judge Implementation
  • DIY Florida