If I file a marchman act or guardianship will it be a smooth process?

In this video, I want to answer a question asked by a family that reached out to us about filing a Marchman Act. The question was, “Will this is a smooth process, and should we expect any bumps in the road?” I can tell you, the majority of the cases that we file go smoothly. We go through the assessment process, there’s a treatment service hearing, and then the person goes off to treatment. Things usually go well for the next 90 days. However, there are cases where that doesn’t happen. If you’re a family who’s been dealing with this for several years, your loved ones maybe have been to multiple treatment centers. There have been numerous trips to the emergency room, overdoses, and relapses. That has been very volatile, so it’s not going to fix the situation. If I had a magic wand, I would help more people.

I’ve had people who ended up getting baker acted in the middle of the process. I’m following a Marchman Act; next thing, they’re off to a Baker Act, or they get picked up by law enforcement, and while they’re in the assessment process, they end up getting baker acted. I’ve had people who got to treatment and got baker acted. I’ve had people that ran. In other videos, you’ll see I’m not locking the person up; I can’t lock them up at least initially. I mean that there can be bumps in the road and for the family.

Filing a Marchman Act or a Guardianship requires a serious commitment of time, energy, and money. It’s an emotional experience. There will be times when the family regrets the decision, but this is the right thing. I want to say that this is an exhausting process for you and even for us as lawyers. It’s emotional work, but this is what we signed up for, and we love what we do. Not every case will be smooth, but we’re going to hold your hand through the process, and we’re here for you.

We’ll cross this bridge as we get to it, so with that said, take care and be safe.