Governor De Santis Signs “Greyson’s Law” to Safeguard Children at Risk of Parental Harm

“Greyson’s Law,” named for Greyson Kessler, a 4-year-old Broward County boy who was killed by his father in a 2021 murder-suicide, is now the law in Florida as of July 1, 2023.  Greyson’s Law establishes new and additional factors the court must consider in making custody and visitation decisions by adding protection for children in danger of parental harm.  A Court is now required to consider threats against ex-partners or spouses when making child visitation and custody determinations.  The expanded factors are as follows: evidence of domestic violence, whether a parent in the past or currently has reasonable cause to believe that he or she or minor child is or has been in imminent danger of becoming the victim of domestic violence or sexual violence by the other parent, even if no other legal action has been brought or is currently pending in court; whether either parent, in the past or currently, has reasonable cause to believe that the shared minor child is or has been in imminent danger of becoming a victim of abuse, abandonment; and any other relevant factors.  Accordingly, when a court makes a determination regarding parental responsibility or time sharing, the “best interest of the child” factors now include evidence that a parent has or has had reasonable cause to believe that he or she or the minor child is in imminent danger of becoming the victim of domestic violence.