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Judges press Broward County for family-court navigators; commissioners agree to explore pilot funding
Summary
Chief Judge Carol Lisa Phillips and Judge Lauren Alperstein asked the commission to fund court-based family navigators and related staff to provide therapeutic services and monitoring for high-conflict domestic relations cases. Commissioners and the county administrator agreed to pursue a one-year pilot and return with a proposal.
Chief Judge Carol Lisa Phillips and Judge Lauren Alperstein told the Broward County Commission on Sept. 16 that rising family-court caseloads and related child trauma require in-court navigators and court-linked services.
The judges said their request had been scaled back from an initial ask of about $1.0 million to a phase 1 request of $760,322 for fiscal year 2026. That phase would include a family court service manager, two judicial support investigators for statutorily required social investigations in high‑conflict custody cases, four judicial navigators and three administrative assistants to monitor referrals and manage the program. Judge Alperstein described the navigators as professionals who can identify appropriate mental-health providers, arrange low-cost or insurance-based services and monitor compliance so judges receive timely feedback.
A narrower pilot proposal discussed at the dais would fund four judicial navigators at an estimated $309,304.76 for a one-year pilot. County administrator Monica Sapero identified an operating…
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