The emphasis of my site is on the Baker Act and lawyers.

The Baker Act was initiated in Florida about 145,000 times in 2012. Then, the average age of individuals experiencing a Baker Act (involuntary mental health examination) was about 35 years old, with about 15% of initiations for children and over 5% for people 65 years and older. No lawyers were involved at this stage of the Baker Act.

People get these Baker Acts (involuntary mental health examinations) anywhere in Florida.  Often, family takes them to an emergency room or law enforcement intervenes with a Baker Act. Contrary to the original goal, individuals are taken to a psychiatric unit of a hospital or psychiatric hospital (receiving facility) against the wishes of those involved. Once a Baker Act occurs, individuals are not free to leave and no one can simply "take them home" until the receiving facility decides to discharge them or a doctor releases them. They may be given conflicting information, deemed incompetent, have medication forced, restrained, secluded, have communication restricted, can’t get their own record, or can't get transferred. Maybe a stranger rather than a family member or friend is asked to make decisions about treatment. Not unheard of during a Baker Act, they might even be considered a voluntary patient after signing one of several papers given in a stack of papers and told to sign. To "add insult to injury," the involuntary patient because of the Baker Act will be charged fees by the receiving facility. And the person who originally sought assistance can't get information.

Perhaps your rights guaranteed by Florida laws weren't observed. Maybe you need your own attorney. An attorney is often needed to get transferred, discharged or complain so that it doesn't happen to anyone else. Lawyers can often help with matters associated with the Baker Act.