Parental Rights

We have a knowledge and understanding of these matters beyond criminal defense lawyers, who are really not equipped to handle the types of cases brought before the court. The services we provide for our clients goes above and beyond what typical expectations are from a Michigan attorney practicing Parental Rights Law.

Parental Rights - Dual Matters Lawyer: Criminal Charge plus Child Neglect

If you live in the Eaton County area, it is an advantage to have the same lawyer handle any criminal charges and child neglect charges at the same time. One is Civil and one is Criminal. The evidence presented in the local court will be very close to the same. The child abuse case can prepare an attorney for their criminal case and vice versa. You'll need a proven Michigan criminal trial attorney to protect your rights and your freedom. Keeping your children in your home is a fundamental right, we can help you keep them.

Appeals For Parental Rights

We have also successfully appealed parental right terminations, returning the children to their parents instead of a life in foster care. Twenty plus years of criminal defense and abuse and neglect trial work. We can handle these cases individually or both of them together, if necessary.

Parental Law Learning Center - Juvenile Defense

Having a child involved in Michigan's juvenile justice system can be confusing, frustrating, and time consuming. The decisions you and your child make could have a lasting impact upon your child's future. Making the right decisions requires thorough legal analysis, knowledge of the caseworkers and support staff and experience practicing before the referees and judges of the Family Court. We can help you. 

The Family Court division of the Circuit Court handles all juvenile delinquency and status offenses (except in cases where the juvenile is tried as an adult in Circuit Court). Delinquency proceedings involve juveniles under age 17 charged with a violation of a criminal law or ordinance or with a status offense. If the juvenile is found responsible for the offense, the court may order a wide range of dispositions ranging from probation to state custody. The Family Courts disposition can include orders that relate to you as the parent of the juvenile.

Before the court can exercise jurisdiction over a child, the child must have committed some type of offense. If your child's case is defensible, we can provide the best possible parental rights legal defense. In those cases where a juvenile disposition is likely,we have a network of professional contacts that can provide your child with the counseling and services they need. By pro actively addressing any concerns the court may have at disposition, we improve the odds of your child avoiding placement in state custody (i.e. incarceration) and/or burdened with onerous probation conditions.