Opinion ID: 2815838
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: is any procedure available following the

Text: TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS TO RAISE CLAIMS OF INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE OF COUNSEL THAT ARE NOT APPARENT ON THE FACE OF THE RECORD? We have jurisdiction. See art. V, § 3(b)(4), Fla. Const.; see also J.B. v. Dep’t of Child. & Fam., 2014 WL 5420898 (Fla. Oct. 21, 2014) (granting review). We answer question I in the negative and question II in the affirmative. Although we have previously held that indigent parents have a constitutional right to counsel in proceedings to terminate parental rights (TPR), we have not expressly recognized an attendant right to the effective assistance of counsel. For the reasons we explain here, we hold that the right to counsel in termination of parental right (TPR) proceedings includes the right to effective assistance and requires a means of vindicating that right. Accordingly, in response to the first certified question, we establish the appropriate standard for determining whether counsel provided constitutionally ineffective assistance in termination of parental rights proceedings. And regarding the second question, we provide here a temporary process for bringing such claims of ineffective assistance, and we direct the development of rules providing the procedure for vindicating that right. In this specific case, however, we conclude that J.B. has failed to present any basis for setting aside the order terminating her parental rights and thus we approve the district court’s decision.