Call These Numbers First
- 911 if someone is in immediate danger.
- Florida Abuse Hotline: 1-800-962-2873 (1-800-96-ABUSE), press 2, answered 24/7, or report online at reportabuse.myflfamilies.com. This is the mandatory first report for abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a vulnerable adult anywhere in Florida, including Duval County, and it activates Adult Protective Services.
- Elder Helpline: 1-800-963-5337 for care navigation and local senior services.
- Florida Senior Legal Helpline: 1-888-895-7873 for free legal advice, Florida residents 60 and older.
Our statewide hotline guide covers every number, including facilities, guardians, and scams. Below is what Duval County adds on top.
Duval County Elder Abuse Resources
Jacksonville is home to a Florida first: the State Attorney’s Elder and Vulnerable Adult Abuse Fatality Review Team, the state’s first team dedicated to reviewing elder deaths from abuse and neglect. The clerk handles vulnerable-adult injunctions through its Mental Health department, which few families would guess.
- State Attorney, 4th Circuit: Elder and Vulnerable Adult Abuse Fatality Review Team. Florida’s first elder-abuse fatality review team; elder-abuse prosecutions run through the office’s Special Prosecution Division.
- ElderSource (Area Agency on Aging for Northeast Florida): 1-888-242-4464. The regional aging hub, with elder-abuse prevention among its help programs (local line 904-391-6600).
- City of Jacksonville Senior Services: 904-255-5400. Sixteen senior centers and city senior programs.
- Jacksonville Area Legal Aid: Elder Law: 904-356-8371. Free elder-law help for seniors 60 and older.
All numbers and links verified August 2026. Duval County sits in Florida’s 4th Judicial Circuit; the State Attorney for that circuit prosecutes exploitation as a felony, graded by the amount taken.
Helping a Duval County parent from anywhere.
Book a free 30-minute consult. We assess what can be frozen, recovered, and protected, by phone or video.
Book your free consultFreezing the Money in Duval County
When money is actively being drained, reporting alone does not stop it. Florida’s vulnerable adult injunction can freeze accounts and credit lines within days, even jointly titled ones, with no filing fee, and it works against anonymous online scammers too.
In Duval, the vulnerable adult injunction is handled by the clerk’s Mental Health department (501 W. Adams St., Room 2409), not the domestic-violence counter; you can also e-file through myflcourtaccess.com. The local number is 904-255-1986. Local filing information →
When to Bring In a Lawyer
The agencies above do the protection and the prosecution. What they do not do is file the civil case: unwinding transfers, recovering up to three times what was taken plus attorney fees, and disqualifying an abuser from inheriting. That track has its own clock, because money moves and trails go cold. How the recovery side works →
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Report Elder Abuse in Duval County?
Call the Florida Abuse Hotline at 1-800-962-2873 (press 2 for adult reports), report online at reportabuse.myflfamilies.com, or call 911 if someone is in immediate danger. The hotline routes the report to Adult Protective Services and, for crimes, to Duval County law enforcement. Reporting is required by Florida law, good-faith reporters are immune from liability, and your identity stays confidential.
Can Duval County Agencies Get the Money Back?
Not usually. The local agencies protect your parent and prosecute the crime, and restitution is possible after a conviction, but no agency files the civil case that unwinds transfers or recovers the money with treble damages. That runs through the courts: freeze first with a vulnerable adult injunction, then recover. We handle that side for Duval County families by phone and video.
Where Do I File the Vulnerable Adult Injunction in Duval County?
In Duval, the vulnerable adult injunction is handled by the clerk’s Mental Health department (501 W. Adams St., Room 2409), not the domestic-violence counter; you can also e-file through myflcourtaccess.com. There is no filing fee, no lawyer is required, and the sworn petition makes you certify that you already reported to the abuse hotline. Because the asset-freeze provisions are technical and a thin petition can backfire, most families have the petition and freeze list reviewed first; that is part of what our free consult covers.
Do You Have an Office in Duval County?
No. StepUp Law is a Miami firm serving Duval County residents remotely, by phone and video, which works well for adult children stepping in from out of town. Exploitation cases are document cases (statements, deeds, account records), so distance rarely matters, and we move fast when it counts.
Sources of Law
- Fla. Stat. §415.1034 (mandatory reporting to the central abuse hotline); §415.1036 (good-faith reporter immunity); §825.103 (criminal exploitation, felony graded by value); §825.1035 (the vulnerable adult injunction: no filing fee, clerk assistance, venue in the circuit where the vulnerable adult resides); §772.11 (civil recovery). Local resources verified against each agency’s official page on August 3, 2026.
Updated on August 3, 2026. Reviewed by Kevin D. Klagge, Esq., Fla. Bar No. 99502. Attorney Kevin Klagge represents families, businesses, and international clients in estate planning and international law, with a focus on Florida legal tools. He litigates estate and business issues in court. General information about Florida law, not legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created. We serve Duval County residents remotely; this is not a Duval County office. Agency numbers and pages change; if a number fails, start with the Elder Helpline at 1-800-963-5337.