A.W., mother of O.F., a minor child, Appellant, v. DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES (2022)

District Court of Appeal of Florida, First District.

A.W., mother of O.F., a minor child, Appellant, v. DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, Appellee.

No. 1D21-1476

Decided: August 10, 2022

David Maldonado of The Maldonado Law Firm, P.A., Lakeland, for Appellant. Ward L. Metzger of Children's Legal Services, Tallahassee, for Appellee the Department of Children and Families. Sara Elizabeth Goldfarb, Statewide Director of Appeals, and Desiree Erin Fernandez, Senior Attorney, Appellate Division, Tallahassee, for Guardian ad Litem o/b/o O.F.

Appellant seeks review of an order adjudicating her minor child dependent. Appellant's sole argument on appeal is the trial court's written order did not include the factual findings supporting the adjudication of dependency as required by Florida Rule of Juvenile Procedure 8.331(a). Appellant did not alert the trial court to any issue with its order and raises this argument for the first time on appeal. Adequacy of findings in an order is an issue that must be preserved by a motion for rehearing. B.T. v. Dep't of Children & Fams., 300 So. 3d 1273, 1279 (Fla. 1st DCA 2020). Nevertheless, the trial court made specific and sufficient factual findings in its written order granting the Department of Children and Families’ petition for dependency entered prior to the adjudication order. This order satisfied the requirements of rule 8.331(a).

Affirmed.

Per Curiam.

Roberts, Osterhaus, and Long, JJ., concur.

Was this helpful?

Why was this helpful?

Easy to understand

Solved my problem

Other

Why was this not helpful?

Missing the information I need

Too complicated / too many steps

Out of date

Other

Thank you for your feedback!

Trusted by Consumers. Recognized by AI.

As the largest network of trusted legal brands, we help firms build authority across the platforms consumers and AI systems rely on most. Our network helps attorneys strengthen visibility, credibility, and preference where legal decisions begin.

Explore the Network