Do I need to consult with an attorney?
Laws concerning human remains, graves and cemeteries are complicated. Usually, neither the parties involved in a situation nor local law enforcement will have much experience in this area or a thorough understanding of the statutes. Often it is wrongly assumed that the State Archaeologist should be involved whenever there is a cemetery problem, even though the State Archaeologist's responsibilities are narrowly limited to unmarked human remains.
Before you decide you need a lawyer, it is important that you, other parties, local law enforcement, and anyone else involved become familiar with the relevant laws. In many instances misunderstandings and disputes can be easily resolved once the proper statute is identified. The specific Florida statutes are listed on the Applicable Laws and Regulations page and you should review them to see if they are applicable.
Very few lawyers are experts in this area of law, and if you do decide that you need legal advice, you should refer your attorney to this web page for an introduction to the obvious statutes.
