Cases involving Child Protective Services (CPS) can obviously be very stressful and overwhelming. They are usually initiated because someone questions the safety of a child or children while around the parent named in the case, and the end result can be that parent losing the fundamental right to raise his or her child. Because of that, it can potentially be helpful for a parent involved in a CPS case to bring in an attorney to help resolve the case.
The first thing an attorney can do for you, if you find yourself in the midst of a CPS case, is help you determine what options are available. The CPS system is an imperfect one, and cases can be confusing given that many different people can be involved, including people working for CPS who might end up creating more questions than answers. An attorney who has experience working with CPS is more likely to cut through the clutter and find out what’s going on than someone dealing with CPS for the first time.
The attorney can also ask the right questions at the initial hearing. There are really two tracks a good CPS attorney will go down at the outset – the first being to make sure that CPS has done its’ due diligence and to hold them accountable for their investigation. If they’ve skipped a step or done something incompletely, it could potentially help your case. The second track is simply finding out where they’re going with the case – an attorney may not be able to find everything out, but could certainly get further than the person who is the subject of an investigation.
The attorney can also help you to get what you want in the interim. If there are certain people that you do and do not want to look after your children while the case moves toward resolution, the attorney can help you secure that. If the parenting time with your children is more limited than you would like, your attorney can advocate for you that you deserve more.
Ultimately, the attorney will help you determine how best to resolve the case. If there are relatively small steps for you to take, like taking parenting classes, it could be in you and your child’s best interest for you to take those, even if the charges against you are trumped up and you feel you shouldn’t have to do anything. But if the court is asking you to do things that could put your job in jeopardy, or could otherwise impinge upon your future ability to parent your children well, then it very well could be worth the fight.
Your lawyer will be able to determine with you when it’s best to stick to a proposed CPS plan and when best to fight it. If you’re facing a CPS case and believe an attorney can help you – and even if you’re not sure- the Law Office of Lisa Vance can review your case with you and determine the best plan of action.