S.K. v. Department of Children & Families
S.K. v. Department of Children & Families
839 So. 2d 876; 2003 Fla. App. LEXIS 3140
(Southern Reporter, Second Series)
S.K. v. Department of Children & Families
Opinion of the Court
We find that the entry of a default and the trial court’s denial of the father’s motion to vacate the default judgment terminating his parental rights was an abuse of discretion. Rule 8.270 provides that “[o]n motion and upon such terms as are just, the court may relieve a party or the party’s legal representative from an order, judgment, or proceeding for the following reasons: Mistake, inadvertence, surprise, or excusable neglect.” Fla. R. Juv. P. 8.270(1). We find that the father demonstrated at least one of these reasons.
REVERSED.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.