My job is to defend families in Child in Need of Services (CHINS) and Termination of Parental Rights (TPR) proceedings and against Department of Child Services (DCS)/Child Protective Services (CPS) allegations. If you are being investigated by DCS or CPS, you must call my office so you can protect your rights.
If DCS or CPS is investigating you or your family, your world can get turned upside down in an instant. Fighting back against DCS and CPS allegations can be infuriating, drawn out, emotionally draining, and exhausting. They have an army of lawyers, investigators, and a massive budget.
Depending on the nature of your case, if the juvenile court agrees with DCS or CPS, the consequences for you or your family can be severe.
One type of case known as “CHINS.” If the juvenile court agrees with DCS or CPS, the court can order your child and family to receive various services. These services can include individual and family counseling, behavioral and health monitoring, placing your child or children with outside relatives, or other interventions as deemed necessary by the court.
In certain types of cases, the court may terminate parental rights (“TPR”) and end the parent/child relationship. If this happens, you no longer have any rights as a parent.
Dealing with the juvenile court system and laws is a very unique and challenging area of the law, and you should make sure your lawyer has significant experience practicing in these areas. I have defended families against DCS and CPS allegations for more than four decades in Indianapolis and the surrounding counties.
- Indiana Code 31-34-1-1 et seq provides a starting point for gathering information.
*See complete Indiana Code for full description of all statutes. This is a partial listing only.