Family courts are among the most consequential parts of Florida’s judicial system. Every day, they make decisions that permanently shape children’s lives, determine parental relationships, and impose long-lasting financial and emotional consequences on families. For many parents, these rulings come at their most vulnerable moments.
Floridians should reasonably expect transparency and accountability from such an impactful system. Yet Florida family courts lack even basic, standardized information about how they function across judicial circuits. More importantly, families have no way to understand how the system is actually working for them.
That lack of information has real consequences. Without consistent data, families navigate a system they cannot meaningfully evaluate, and lawmakers must rely on anecdotes rather than facts when assessing statewide performance. Over time, this opacity erodes confidence in the courts and in government itself.
Florida is a state built on transparency. Our Sunshine Laws reflect a long-standing commitment to public accountability. From budgeting and procurement to education outcomes and agency performance, lawmakers have strengthened oversight across government to build public trust. Family courts, however, remain largely insulated from the same system-wide visibility, despite their profound impact on children and parents.
The Family Court Report Card Act—SB 452, sponsored by Sen. Bernard, and HB 1391, sponsored by Rep. Basabe—is designed to address that gap in a careful, responsible way.
The bill requires the Office of the State Courts Administrator to publish an annual public report card for each family court judge, using standardized metrics related to case management, timeliness, and outcomes. These include average time to final judgment, compliance with statutory deadlines, mediation usage, and appellate reversal rates.
Crucially, the bill does not disclose personal information about litigants or children. It does not alter custody standards, interfere with judicial discretion, or impose penalties or discipline. It simply makes performance data available to the public, especially the families the system is meant to serve.
Transparency is not an attack on the judiciary; it is a safeguard for public confidence. Performance reporting highlights consistency, efficiency, and best practices while identifying patterns that may indicate delays, unnecessary costs, or procedural bottlenecks, issues families routinely experience but lack the data to explain.
Family law statutes already establish timelines and procedural expectations. The Family Court Report Card Act measures how those standards function in practice across the state. It gives lawmakers in Tallahassee reliable information to assess whether existing laws are working as intended and reassures the public that the government is willing to examine itself honestly.
Florida has embraced performance reporting in areas from education to transportation to public safety. Family courts should be no exception.
The Family Alliance Movement supports the Family Court Report Card Act because families deserve a system that is fair, consistent, and transparently effective. Children deserve timely resolutions. Parents deserve predictability. And legislators deserve reliable data when shaping laws that affect thousands of Florida families each year.
Pass the Family Court Report Card Act. Florida families deserve a system they can trust.
Joshua Krakow serves as an administrator with the Family Alliance Movement, a Florida-based 501(c)(4), working to support families and advocate for fairness in the family court system. He brings firsthand understanding of how deeply these cases impact families. His mission is simple: no parent should have to walk this path alone. FamilyAllianceMovement.com 
