About FCPC

The Family Court Professional Coalition is a not-for-profit organization, comprised of attorneys, mental health professionals, financial advisors, parent educators, members of the judiciary, and the business community to support the Twelfth Judicial Circuit’s efforts to meet the complex needs of the families it serves.  Through the commitment of dedicated professionals, FCPC has accomplished a great deal in their short tenure. Some of the innovative programs and initiatives that are attributable to FCPC include:

  • Custody Evaluation (now known as Parenting Plan Evaluation) Program for indigent families
  • Social Study and Parenting Plan Facilitation Program
  • METV Community Education Project
  • Social Investigation and Parenting Plan Evaluation Program for indigent families
  • Parenting Plans (Basic, Long Distance, Safety Focused, and Highly Structured) – 12th Circuit parenting plans were developed prior to the substantial change in FL Law (Oct. 2008) and were the model for the FL Supreme Court plans and for many other circuits around the State.
  • Parenting Coordination Program
  • Mental Health Evaluation Program – Tiered levels
  • Updated and user-friendly 12th Judicial Circuit website
  • FCPC Website – community and professional information network
  • Divorce Parent Education Programs
  • Court-Approved Professionals Committee
  • Next Step Program – first of its kind to focus on kids aging out of foster care
  • Annual Professional Conferences

After 13 years, the future of FCPC remains bright:

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”   – Margaret Mead

Our History

FCPC Board Retreat – June 14, 2013
Debra K. Carter

Henry Ford said: “Coming together is a beginning.   Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” FCPC borrowed this philosophy in 2000 when two people had an idea – that bringing together dedicated professionals who serve children and families in our circuit would result in improved services for the community, the courts, and the citizens of the counties we serve. Under the leadership of the Hon. Scott Brownell and Dr. Debra Carter, stakeholders developed a grass roots organization to provide a forum for communication, collaboration, education, and innovation among the professionals in the 12th Judicial Circuit.   Prior to the formation of this group, Manatee and Sarasota County legal and mental health professional groups had a history of operating as separate entities even though both were under the umbrella of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit.

The group initially met on the New College campus approximately every other month for the first several years and set about identifying needs and establishing priorities for program development and new services within the circuit.   By 2002, the group decided it needed an identity and named itself FLAP (Family Law Professionals) since they were modeling themselves after a similar interdisciplinary group in the 20th circuit, the Association of Family Law Professionals (AFLP), that had been very successful in their mission to improve programs and services in their circuit.   Excitement and synergy grew quickly resulting in new programs being offered in the circuit, including a low-fee Custody Evaluation program and Mental Health Evaluations (Tier I and II) for the court that delineated research-based protocols and procedures to ensure high quality service and consistent work product for legal professionals and the court.

By 2004, as the needs of the circuit changed, the group re-named itself ADEPT (Attorneys, Divorce Planners, Educators, Psychologists & Therapists) in an effort to solidify an evolving identity and mission. In 2005, then FL Supreme Court Chief Justice Barbara Pariente initiated a State-wide program for court improvement called FLAG (Family Law Advisory Group) and directed each of the 20 circuits in FL to form such a group.  FCPC was a natural choice for the FLAG in the 12th Circuit since it was already operational and working on court improvement, but a concern was raised about maintaining autonomy to allow for continued innovation. This resulted in FCPC becoming officially incorporated in early 2006.   Working in cooperation with the Supreme Court mandated Family Law Advisory Group under the guidance of the Hon. Lee Haworth, FCPC established strong leadership in a Board of Directors and Committee Chairs and formalized their mission:

June 12, 2006

Mission: To use the multi-disciplinary resources of the legal, accounting, and mental health professions to research, develop, and propose innovative programs and procedures which will facilitate the peaceful disposition of volatile legal issues, enhance the reliability of in-court expert testimony, and minimize the trauma of litigation on the family.

After many years of informal, multi-disciplinary collaboration and a growing membership, the goal remained the same – to find ways to convene family law professionals and other interested persons to create innovative programs that would assist the court in providing services to families in an effective, efficient, and affordable manner.   Recognizing that the divorce pandemic was continuing to erode many families and cause harm to children through unresolved high conflict, FCPC’s mission was to mitigate damages and ensure that the losers were NOT the children.

2009

In the 2009 FCPC Conference Brochure, FCPC was described in the following manner:   

       “The FCPC acts as a think tank for the Twelfth Circuit Family Court. The organization has sponsored several initiatives that have improved judicial services, and their educational programs are of the highest caliber.         

        The FCPC remains our best source of new ideas, and we are fortunate to have such a dedicated group of professionals working with the courts in the best interest of families.” 

The Honorable Lee E. Haworth
Chief Judge, Twelfth Judicial Circuit