Mental Health

The Lake County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller’s Office processes petitions for mental health cases filed in Circuit Court. These include cases commonly referred to as Substance Abuse, also known as Marchman Act cases, and Baker Act cases.

Baker Act:

Baker Act is a process established by Florida Statutes by which a person whose current mental state poses a danger to that person or to others may be taken to a mental health receiving facility for an involuntary examination.

Substance Abuse:

Substance Abuse, or Marchman Act, is a process established by Florida Statutes by which a person may be admitted for an involuntary evaluation to determine whether his or her judgment is impaired due to substance abuse and whether he or she has, therefore, lost the power of self-control with respect to substance abuse and poses a danger to himself or herself or to another person.

NOTE: Florida law prevents staff of the Lake County Clerk’s Office from providing legal advice. The information, forms, and documents contained on this website are provided to help those seeking to represent themselves without the assistance of an attorney and are meant to serve as a guide only.

We do not guarantee that the information provided will achieve the result you desire. If you are using the forms or documents provided on this website, you do so at your own risk.