Hope in Crisis: The Legal Clarity of Florida’s Safe Haven Surrender

The Florida Safe Haven Law provides a crucial, life-saving option: it allows a parent to anonymously and legally surrender an unharmed newborn infant, up to 30 days old, to a staff member at a designated safe place like a hospital, fire station, or emergency medical services station, with immunity from prosecution. This law is designed for parents in crisis who need a safe alternative to abandonment. We are proud to say that many hospitals in Florida use our team to help train their social workers and nursing staff on laws regarding adoptions and safe havens.

When an infant is surrendered under this law, speed and legal precision are non-negotiable. The licensed child-placing agencies that manage these cases need counsel that can respond immediately and flawlessly, regardless of where in Florida the event occurs.

At Tate Healey Webster, we are proud to be the largest law firm in Florida focusing only on adoption and assisted reproductive technology. This means our capacity and expertise in high-stakes, time-sensitive matters like Safe Haven surrenders are unmatched. When we are notified by an accredited agency client, our large, highly coordinated team moves quickly. Often within the hour, we secure the necessary emergency custody order from the circuit court.

This swift legal action is fundamental, as it allows the agency to instantly place the infant into a loving, pre-approved adoptive home. Our size ensures that we always have the right experts—including five Board Certified Adoption Attorneys—available to provide confident, immediate guidance, whether the case originates in Jacksonville, Orlando, or the farthest reach of the Panhandle. We can handle anything that arises during this process.

Our support for licensed agencies goes far beyond the initial emergency order. Safe Haven adoption cases require navigating a clear legal path involving guardianship, termination of parental rights, and finalization. Our breadth of experience across thousands of cases means we can handle anything that arises during this process, including complex jurisdictional issues or contested matters.

We are proud to stand with agencies as they fulfill their life-saving mission. Our commitment is to ensure that every surrendered infant is transitioned securely and legally into a permanent, hopeful future, adhering to every requirement of the Florida Safe Haven Law.

If you require confident, comprehensive, and immediate legal counsel any aspect of Newborn Adoptions across Florida, trust the state’s largest and most experienced team.