As a parent, you have the legal protection of making decisions about your child’s upbringing which includes their education, health care, and general well-being. Your parental rights mean that you as a parent are looking out for what is best for your child.
The State recognizes these rights, but they can be taken away if Child Protective Services (CPS) insert themselves into the family issue at hand.
In today’s world, more and more parents are facing the horrifying experience of undergoing investigations, court sessions, and governmental procedures that might lead to losing custody of their child. None of these are matters that parents can take lightly. They can start due to a school report, a medical billing error, or even a well-meaning neighbor. Parents can suddenly find themselves in a race to protect their family from very intrusive measures.
Parental Rights Issues in Orange County
Child welfare issues in Orange County, California, are notoriously intricate and heavy-handed. The investigative authority of CPS is so broad that they are able to remove children from their homes at a moment’s notice if they believe the child is in danger. Though this is sometimes crucial for the safety of a child, the system still has a multitude of flaws. Parents, at times, can be innocently baselined on over-the-top legal assumptions, which can be, more often than not, completely deemed as unsubstantiated or loopy prophesies that can morph into overwhelming lawsuits.
A few of the most common challenges regarding parental rights in Orange County are:
- Abused or neglected children: The blundering of children with a disability can lead to misconceptions, family squabbles, or anonymous tips which fuel a CPS investigation despite not having any evidence of abuse.
- Misinterpretation in medicine: Doctors tend to go the extra mile in reporting abuse cases thus bringing forth unsubstantiated CPS cases when parents look for alternative healthcare for their children.
- Domestic feuds: Fights among parents and other relatives can culminate into allegations that lead to interference by CPS.
- Cross-agency coordination issues: Blurred lines of communications between CPS, police, and any other governmental body can result in parents facing conflicting demands, vague relations, overlapping investigations, and other forms of engrossing ways of fresh forms of multi-dimensional red tape.
In Orange County, the involvement of CPS can expedite a juvenile dependency case. Emergency removal hearings may take place as soon as a report is made. However, if a petition under Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) 300 is filed, it can become very court procedural, and cumbersome, and one will most likely be unable to operate without a lawyer.
Why You Need A Defense Attorney For CPS In Orange County
Operating the juvenile dependency procedure without a specialist can be compared to flying an airplane without a pilot; it’s game over for everyone involved. As previously stated, there’s a high risk for both personal and legal damage, and there is no forgiveness. To mitigate the risk, a seasoned CPS lawyer is recommended.
Attorney Abuershaid is the preeminent parental rights lawyer in Orange County. He has defended parents in the juvenile dependency courts for years, and has worked on quite a few sensitive and difficult CPS operations in the county. He has one goal — assist parents in countering a warped and powerful system that seeks to tear familial bonds apart, defending their right to maintain family unity.
In juvenile dependency court, it’s not enough to be a good parent. You need a strong legal advocate who knows the process, understands the laws, and has the experience to take on the system. Attorney Abuershaid does exactly that.
Complicated CPS Matters Need Specialized Knowledge
Attorney Abuershaid has successfully managed parents’ legal issues such as:
• Families who have been wrongfully accused of child abuse or neglect.
• Custodial parents embroiled in multi-agency conflicting obligation investigations.
• Emergency removal hearings where there is a time constraint.
• Cases with cultural misinterpretations or different styles of child-rearing.
• Accusations of medical neglect for rare incurable diseases and controversial diagnostic illness.
No matter how intricate each CPS matter is, there is always a common factor: a well formulated, informed, decisive, and prompt legal action. Even what appears to be a trivial error can be blown out of proportion in court and used as a rationale to prolong foster care or involuntarily place children with relatives contrary to the parents’ desires.
Defense strategies based on meticulous case analyses, advocacy, evidence procurement, and expert testimony articulate advocacy within the adjudicatory arena. Abuershaid aims for parents to be defended, but more importantly, to be understood. He assists families in crafting persuasive arguments to challenge the reports social workers prepare that are often devoid of context.
Tasks of a Defense Lawyer for CPS
An adept CPS defense lawyer does more than represent you in courtroom battles. They stand next to you and protect you as a strategist throughout all the steps in the process. Abuershaid takes on each case personally and considers.
• Case Evaluation: Reviewing the facts and the evidence for any gaps that can be exploited as a weakness in the CPS accusation, and also formulating a counteraction strategy.
• Informing the Client: Describing each of their rights, the proceeding steps, and options available at every step of the process.
• Client Advocacy: Personally represented you at the hearings, Advocate for reunification or dismissal of the primary allegations.
• Negotiations with CPS: Attempt to resolve disputes through mediation, service, or subsistence agreements if feasible.
• Appeals and Other Motions After the Hearing: Abuershaid positions himself to defend you by filing the necessary motions or appeal deliberate decisions contrary to you.
• Your Family Protection Needs a Consultation First
The first guiding step in understanding the complexities of parental rights is grasping the complexities of the situation at hand. And that is why Attorney Abuershaid extends secluded consultations for families that are experiencing the involvement of CPS. He aims to assist you by:
• Earning your trust so he can hear your side of the story.
• Going through any notices or documents that you may possess.
• Elucidate the rights and duties bestowed upon you.
• Explain the possible lines of legal action that can be taken based on your situation.
No doubt, CPS investigations can be daunting, especially in cases where parents are presumed to have erred until innocence is proven. But with the right legal guidance, many parents are able to successfully contest the CPS findings, thwart foster placements, and restore their custodial rights. Remember, you do not have to deal with this type of scenario on your own.
Act Fast Now or You Might Regret It Later
Acting swiftly is essential in CPS cases. In CPS scenarios, delays can lead to missed deadlines, opportunities, irrevocable decisions, and more. If you find yourself in a situation where you have been approached by CPS, received a petition, or are concerned that a call will be made, it is best to reach out right away. Situations like these are better managed when dealt with early.
Having spent years defending parents and families in need as well as fighting and securing justice in court, Attorney Mohammad Abuershaid utilizes every resource at his disposal including his extensive legal expertise and experience to defend every family’s future.
You don’t have to go to CPS by yourself. Make an appointment now and take the first step towards safeguarding your rights as a parent in Orange County.
For an appointment in Orange County related to CPS Legal issues, call Lawyer Mohammad Abuershaid today to plan your private appointment.