Santa Rosa Beach, FL asked in Libel & Slander and Internet Law for Florida

Q: Are derogatory texts about my 9 yr old daughter between two other parties a case for defamation of character?

My friend's daughter and my daughter are friends. The mother of another child texted my friend bashing my 9 yr old daughter. I've never even met this child or her mom, but this mom has been spreading nasty comments about my daughter to several people in our community. I have text proof of several things she has said about my daughter. Why would an adult even be spreading these kinds of lies. I just wanted to know if any legal action could be taken for defamation of character based on texts. If these messages were about myself I wouldn't care, but my daughter does not deserve this.

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1 Lawyer Answer

A: A Florida attorney could advise best, but your question remains open for four weeks. At this point, you could reach out to local attorneys who handle defamation matters. However, it's worth keeping in mind that even if a situation meets a textbook definition of libel or slander, many law firms do not usually handle defamation matters on a contingency basis. That could mean hourly legal fees on something whose outcome is not necessarily clear. Good luck

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