Services Provided

Abuse/Neglect Petitions

When DCF files a petition in the Juvenile Court alleging that your children have been abused or neglected, you will have to appear in Court. These Court proceedings can result in very serious consequences for your family, and could lead to the removal of your children. Additionally, Court involvement often extends the period of time that DCF is involved in your family’s lives.

When a petition is filed, a lawyer will be appointed to represent your children.  You do not have the right to hire the lawyer for your children in Juvenile Court.  DCF will be represented by an Assistant Attorney General. Although you have the right to represent yourself, this is not usually a wise decision, given the serious implications of proceedings in Juvenile Court. 

Your chances of effectively resolving matters in the Juvenile Court are greatly increased when you are represented by a qualified and aggressive lawyer. Our goal is to help your family get your lives back in order and end DCF and Juvenile Court involvement as soon as reasonably possible.  However, it is not possible to give exact predictions.  The Juvenile court world can be very confusing, and has never been adequately portrayed in the mass media.  See FAQs for more information.

In addition to representing parents in Juvenile Court matters, our office also has extensive experience representing other family members with an interest in the case. In many cases, the children’s relatives can play an important role providing support to the family, and even serving as placement resources for the children.
 

In all cases, please do NOT take legal advice from DCF or from friends.  Juvenile Court is like no other Court, and is no place for amateurs.

See Cases.