A lawyer cannot guarantee results
A client recently called me and indicated that another lawyer they spoke with was charging 5 times what I was charging but he could guarantee that he could get the child back. Luckily the client didn’t fall for that and she hired us. However, I’m sure many clients do fall for that. After all, if someone can guarantee something like that, wouldn’t you pay anything? (Notice how the guarantee cost so much more) We always tell clients that we can’t guarantee the sun will come up tomorrow so thus, we can’t guarantee results. What we can guarantee is that we will fight for you as if we were fighting for our own case. Our passion for our clients is the reasons why we get such good results. You case will always be our top priority.
Child Abuse, DYFS and CPS Consultants
Child Abuse, DYFS and CPS Consultants
If your criminal or family matter involves allegations of child abuse or neglect, you need a team that can stand behind you and fight against every threat to your freedom and your family. These threats can come from law enforcement, CPS workers and agencies, the other parent’s lawyer and the judge. Our team of tough, smart lawyers back down to no one.
However, not everyone has a team of attorneys behind them. Either they chose the wrong lawyer from the start or they didn’t realize that the case would get complicated. Our team of lawyers are available to consult with no matter where you live in the country. Our consulting practice is very flexible. We can work with just you, your lawyer or both of you. We can come to court with you or just review documents remotely. No matter what you are looking for, our team of consultants can work with you to help you achieve the results that you want. As you can see from our Big Wins, we know how to get results.
To see how we can help you, call us today. Let us know what your concerns are and we will tailor a strategy that conforms to your desires, your case and your budget. If we have to come to you, please be advised that we do not charge travel time in most cases.
False Sex Abuse Allegations
False Sex Abuse Allegations
Conventional Wisdom says that children don’t lie. Thus, if a child makes a sex abuse allegation against a parent, it has to be true, right? This could not be farther from the truth. A number of studies and famous cases have clearly shown that children can and do lie. The reasons are endless and some are just unknown. However, one of the more common reasons children lie is because they are coached, often by the other parent. Children are great mimics and will often repeat anything. Often times, law enforcement doesn’t care about how obvious this coaching may be. As a result, people have been brought to trial and many have been convicted for false sex abuse allegations.
Our team of tough, aggressive false sex abuse defense lawyers don’t have to rely upon books or studies to know that this is the case. Consider just two of our recent examples. In the case of D.L., DYFS received an allegation that he was molesting his daughter. When interviewed, the child denied all allegations. An hour later, the child changed her story without explanation. You would think that the detective from the Prosecutor’s Office would want to know what happened in that last hour, who the child spoke with and why she changed her story. Of course, none of that was done. They were just happy that the child was now accusing dad. It took us over a year, but all charges and cases against the client were dismisse when the Court granted Jef Henninger’s motion to dismiss.
In the case of F.A., the client just finished a four month visitation battle with the mother of the child. Exactly a week after the court denied the mother’s motion to deny the father parenting time, the child made accusations that the father molested her. After a year of battling back, we finally got DYFS to realize that it was the mother who engaged in emotional abuse by coaching the child to say that she was molested. Mom was represented by an attorney that is ranked in the top 100 in the country.
Of course, we have had many other cases as well. Thus, if you are facing false sex abuse allegations, call our team of tough, smart defense lawyers and let us fight for you.
NJ Divorce Cases involving Child Abuse Allegations
Divorce Cases involving Child Abuse Allegations
Most people don’t realize that their divorce lawyer may not know anything about DYFS or child abuse. Thus, when the other parent makes an allegation that gets DYFS involved, you may be left unprotected if you don’t have the right lawyer. Some lawyers are honest and they have told their clients to find another lawyer to help them. However, others have made a mess of the case and it was only later did the client realize that they needed to make a switch. If your New Jersey divorce case involves DYFS, make sure you have the right lawyer backing you.
When the other parent makes a child abuse or neglect allegation against you, you must act fast! Thus our team of tough, smart divorce attorneys are available 24/7
As we indicated elsewhere on this blog, this law firm is set up so that we can handle all of your DYFS related matters. Thus, we don’t just understand how to handle divorce cases, we have the experience of hundreds of divorce cases over many years to back us up. Thus, you do not have to sacrifice performance. Furthermore, we strive to get our divorce cases done faster and cheaper than other law firms. Our initial retainers are often lower and do everything we can to make sure our final bills are lower too.
Thus, if your divorce case involves DFYS allegations and you want to do everything you can to make sure that you have the right New Jersey Divorce Attorneys backing you, call us today to see how we can fight for you.
Child Abuse Criminal Charges in New Jersey
Child Abuse Criminal Charges in New Jersey
Unfortunately for some, they don’t hire a good child abuse defense attorney before they are arrested. While there are a number of crimes that can fall under child abuse, they are all serious. Our team of tough, smart criminal defense attorneys have seen smaller cases such as simple assault to very serious cases such as aggravated sexual assault. No matter how small or how complex your case is, our team of attorneys is ready to fight for you. By using the team approach, we can cover your case quicker and we can attack it from a number of different angles at the same time. This allows us to work to not only get you a better result, but to get this result as soon as possible.
Just some of the charges you could be facing include the following:
- Simple Assault
- Aggravated Assault
- Criminal Sexual Contact
- Sexual Assault
- Aggravated Sexual Assault
- Endangering the Welfare of a Child
- Child Endangerment
- Domestic Violence
As we have indicated elsewhere on this blog, there are number of things that make this firm unique. First, we have a state-wide practice. Thus, you don’t have to ask if we go to one court or another, we do and we have been there. We can also handle every single aspect of your DYFS case including criminal charges and family court issues such as custody. Thus, you don’t have to hire a number of attorneys. We are the one firm that can do it all.
If you are facing any child abuse charges, call our team of tough, smart New Jersey criminal defense lawyers now to find out how we can fight for you.
New Jersey Child Abuse Investigations
New Jersey Child Abuse Investigations
Allegations of child abuse can be investigated by both DYFS and the local police. Most people don’t realize that anything they say to DYFS can be used against them. Make no mistake about it, DYFS and law enforcement work very closely together. Thus, you cannot assume that just because you are speaking with a DYFS case worker means that you will not face criminal prosecution. You have the right to remain silent but saying nothing may also lead to problem. Only an experienced child abuse attorney can advise you as to how to proceed. Since every case is different, our team of tough, smart child abuse defense lawyers will craft a strategy that is unique to each case.
Another issue people don’t realize is that hospitals also work closely with DYFS and law enforcement. Thus, anything you say to hospital staff, doctors and social workers can also be used against you. They will often call DYFS and police right away and before you know it, you are sitting down in a room being interviewed by detectives from the Prosecutor’s Office. Most people don’t go into there expecting to admit to anything but many leave in handcuffs as they get buried by their own statements.
Don’t make any assumption about needing a lawyer. Before you do anything, call our team of tough, smart child abuse defense lawyer to discuss your options and how we can protect you and your family.
New Jersey Child Custody Cases involving DYFS
New Jersey Child Custody Cases involving DYFS
A few years ago, it seemed like most DYFS court cases were in DYFS court where they were the Plaintiff. However, our New Jersey child custody lawyers have noticed a disturbing trend has been increasing. when parents are separated and DYFS receives a report of abuse or neglect, they are not filing a court case against one of the parents. Instead, they are advising the other parent to file an Order to Show Cause to seek custody of the child. In other words, DYFS backs the other parent and provides them with advice. Even worse is that they will write reports and provide them to the court. However, they are not a party to the case and may not even show up to court. This leads to a number of problems.
One major problem is that because this isn’t a “DYFS Case” the parent who is fighting to protect their rights does not hire an attorney that knows how to handle DYFS cases. This can lead to huge problems when DYFS and other parents pushes them around the court room. Our lawyers have seen it way too many times when people fire their previous lawyer and then hire us to take control of the case.
Another problem is that although this custody case will function a lot like a DYFS case, there are important procedural safe guards that you will not have. For example, you will have to fight to get access to the DYFS file whereas in a regular DYFS case, you will automatically get access to the entire file. Furthermore, with the case worker not present in court, it may be difficult to challenge the report that is forwarded to the court. Also, attorney are usually given court reports before court but with these cases, reports may only be given to you after you arrive at court given the attorney no time to prepare.
Our team of tough, smart New Jersey custody lawyers know how to handle these difficult cases. We know how to both defend a custody case and a DYFS case. Thus, when the two are put together in these hybrid cases, we know how to fight for you. We will hold the entire system accountable so that DYFS and the other parent do not push you around. Call us now to discuss your case.
DYFS / DCPP OAL Appeals following receipt of substantiation letter
DYFS / DCPP OAL Appeals following receipt of substantiation letter
Most DYFS / DCPP cases are brought to court in the Superior Court of New Jersey in the county where the parents live. However, some cases do not proceed to court for a number of reasons. Nevertheless, DYFS / DCPP will still complete an investigation and provide you with a letter indicating their findings. If the letter says that the case is unfounded, this means that they did not find that abuse or neglect occurred.
However, the letter may indicate that the Division’s investigation determined that abuse or neglect is substantiated. It will then indicate who they believe abused or neglected the child. The letter will then indicate that:
“If you want to appeal this decision, you must contact the Administrative Review Officer within twenty (20) days of the date of this letter to request a Regional Dispositional Conference”.
If you don’t appeal this finding, it will remain on your record forever. You don’t need this following you around. Besides possibly impacting your employment, it may also cause further problems from DYFS or from the other parent if they seek to take action against your custody or parenting time rights. Too many people have done nothing only to find out years later that their failure to act has had a big impact on their rights.
The Office of Administrative Law or OAL court is a completely separate court facility than the superior court. The rules are also different. Your DYFS OAL lawyer will know how to handle this matter, but if you don’t hire a lawyer, you may never see the inside of a court room. That is because DYFS will likely file a motion for summary disposition against you. If successful, you’ll never see a judge. Thus, it is important to hire a lawyer right away. Waiting can cost you!
Once your court dates comes around, your case will proceed to a bench trial which is a trial without a jury. Testimony will be taken from a number of DYFS’ witnesses and you will also get to testify as well. Again, your DYFS OAL attorney will handle all of this for you.
Our team of tough, smart lawyers know how to handle DYFS OAL appeals. Our lawyers have handled some very tough cases including one case where our client was accused of molesting his child 100’s of times. Instead of seeing the case as impossible, out team of DYFS defense lawyers fought hard and we won the case! Thus, we back down to no one. Call us today and let us fight for you!
Out of Court DYFS / DCPP Investigations in New Jersey – What are your rights?
DYFS Investigations
Most DYFS / DCPP cases do not start with DYFS removing your children and taking you right to court. Instead, many people get a knock on the door by a DYFS case worker. This is called an out of court DYFS case or a DYFS (DCPP) investigation. The case worker may want to look around the house, speak to the children, interview the parents and/or ask you to sign a number of forms. Before you know it, you have already made a number of admissions that could harm your case and you have signed a number of documents that could be used to gather evidence against you. Of course, ignoring DYFS is not going to just make everything go away. Thus, parents facing this situation are in a real catch 22. However, you do have rights when DYFS knocks on your door. The primary right you have is to hire a lawyer ASAP. That is why our lawyers are available 24 hours a day because DYFS is 24 hours a day. What many people don’t realize is that they are setting themselves up for the DYFS trap and by failing to take action immediately, they could wind up in court even if the case worker says its no big deal. Before you know it, you are locked into evaluations and treatment and months have gone by and DYFS will just not go away. Eventually, your children could wind up in foster care while you fight to get them back.
That’s why our team of tough, smart New Jersey DYFS lawyers will help you fight back! we will help you end the harassment! We have helped many clients quickly get DYFS out of their lives. You do not need to be pushed around. Even better is that you can hire a great team of DYFS attorneys without spending a lot of money because there is no court case yet. Lawyers bill based upon time spent on a case. Court cases, especially DYFS court cases, take a lot of time to handle. Since there is no court appearances, there is much less for the lawyer to do. As a result, you save money and you can still get great, quality representation. While we make a lot more money if your case goes to court, we are a busy law firm. We are no desperate for money and we cannot stand to see a great family go through the heartache of a DYFS court case when it could have been easily avoided if they would have called us early on. Countless numbers of clients have told us “I wish I would have called you sooner”. Don’t be that client.
For more information, check out our DYFS Investigations F.A.Q.
DYFS Cases in Superior Court
DYFS Cases in Superior Court
When most people think of DYFS cases in New Jersey, they think of DYFS cases in Superior Court. Each county in New Jersey has one Superior Court where a number of matters are heard including DYFS matters. There are three types of cases that people usually call our lawyers about. They are:
These cases are brought under an FN docket number. Even if DYFS did not take custody of your child, it doesn’t mean that they won’t at some point in the case. They can amend the complaint any time to move for custody of your child. All DYFS matters both in court and out of court should be treated seriously. With custody cases, the parents generally have one year to get the children back. If they fail to do so and if DYFS wins the permanency hearing, they will change the plan and move for termination of parental rights. The case then turns into a guardianship action under an FG docket number.
There are two types of guardianship actions in New Jersey: Kinship Legal Guardianship and Termination of Parental Rights. Kinship Legal Guardianship (otherwise known as “KLG”) is an option that is somewhere between temporary custody and adoption. A person who has KLG of a child has more rights to the child than if he just had temporary custody of the child, and less rights than if he adopted the child. Thus, a KLG arrangement allows the parent to some parental rights. For example, you may have visits with your child and have the right to refuse to allow your child to be adopted or to change his name. With termination of parental rights, you lose all rights. You will essentially be a stranger to the child.
If you are facing any DYFS matter in any court in New Jersey, call us right away.
Hudson County DYFS Lawyers Help Client Avoid Termination of Parental Rights Trial
Our NJ DYFS Lawyers scored a huge victory in Hudson County this week. This was a case that should have been easily won. In fact, we were just weeks away from winning it earlier this year. The case was almost over. However, the client really screwed up the case by getting back involved with the child’s father after previously saying she would stay away from him. In fact, it was more than just interacting with him, she actually wound up allegedly assaulting him with a car. She then lied to the DYFS case worker on numerous occasions. As a result, we went from almost winning the case to losing the permanency hearing. DYFS filed an FG complaint and they were moving to terminate her parental rights.
Even when it looks like the case is hopeless, our team of tough and aggressive DYFS lawyers never give up. We fought hard to get the client back on track and advocate for her in court. As a result, DYFS dismissed the FG complaint against her. If everything goes well, she should be reunified with her child shortly and the case will be dismissed shortly after that. If you have a DYFS matter in Jersey City, call us anytime.
Dealing with DYFS involved custody cases in New Jersey
Dealing with DYFS involved custody cases in New Jersey
Our lawyers have noticed a disturbing trend in New Jersey over the last few years. Instead of DYFS filing a Title 9 complaint against one of the parents where there are accusations of abuse and neglect, DYFS helps one of the parents fight against the other. This presents a whole host of problems. The first problem is when there is a divorce or custody case already in progress or at least contemplated. In those cases, the parent at issue may already have a lawyer involved. However, it is unlikely that that lawyer will have any experience in DYFS matters since most family court lawyers rarely handle such cases. We know because we have seen this issue many, many times. Without the ability to make key moves early on in the case, the parent’s rights suffer greatly.
Another big problem is that DYFS is like the unseen enemy. They are causing a lot of problems, they are writing reports and they are communicating with the other side but they may never be in the court room! Thus, trying to fight this unseen enemy can be very tough. In a normal DYFS case, the lawyer for the parent has access to the entire DYFS file. In a case where DYFS is just involved, you have access to nothing unless your attorney files a motion. In addition, DYFS cases allow you to have trials where in a DYFS involved case, the judge has the power to create their own rules. Its a very tough situation to be in and as a result, a lawyer will little to no experience in such matters can cause a lot of problems.
That is why our team of tough and aggressive DYFS / DCPP lawyers know how to handle all aspects of a DYFS case from DYFS investigations, divorces with DYFS allegations or custody trials where DYFS is involved. We can also handle any and all criminal allegations related to the DYFS allegations. Call us today to discuss your case for free.
Dealing with false DYFS allegations in New Jersey
Dealing with false DYFS allegations in New Jersey
Most people that call us about DYFS / DCPP matters in New Jersey are very upset that DYFS is bothering them about false allegations. What most people don’t understand is that their innocence is irrelevant. Many innocent people have lost their children because they didn’t handle the case the right way. Likewise, many innocent people are sitting in prison right now because they didn’t have quality legal representation. Just look at the Innocence Project and how many people have been freed by DNA evidence. Just imagine how many more people are in the same situation but cannot be helped since DNA is not a factor in their case?
Another way to look at is would you want your lawyer to put in less than full effort because you are in fact guilty? Of course not. We get paid to do a job and we don’t judge our clients. Thus, guilt or innocence in and of itself is not the key issue in the case. The issue is evidence. You could be the most innocent person in the world but if you can’t deal with the evidence against you, you will likely lose your case. The converse is also true. If you are the most guilty person in the world and the State does not have enough evidence to prove it, you will likely win your case.
Whenever I tell someone this, the response is often the same: well they don’t have any evidence against me. Is that possible? Sure. Is that likely? Almost never. Your idea of what evidence is and DYFS’ idea of what evidence is are two different things. If they are bringing a case against you, they likely have evidence against you no matter how false or flimsy it may be. It doesn’t mean that you will lose your case but it also doesn’t mean that it will go away instantly. We have shut down many cases very quickly but the vast majority of all DYFS cases take at least six months to handle with a good portion of those taking up to twelve months.
Finally, there is a difference between evidence of guilt and evidence of personal issues that require services. We have been very successful in getting the abuse and neglect charges dismissed but even in that case, the Court can keep the case open for services under Title 30. Usually, the case can get shut down shortly after that. Thus, don’t get too concerned or emotional about guilt vs. innocence.. Let your lawyer handle the case for what it is and trust that he or she will shut it down as soon as possible regardless of how guilty or innocent you may be.
What to do when DYFS / DCPP requests a substance abuse evaluation
What to do when DYFS / DCPP requests a substance abuse evaluation
DYFS loves nothing more than to request substance abuse evaluations. Most people, thinking they have nothing to hide, agree to participate in the evaluation. This is often where cases go down hill. See, you probably won’t get a choice and where to go for the evaluation. The DYFS case worker will likely force you to go to one of their places such as Preferred. Often times, the evaluator works in DYFS’ office. Thus, while they claim that their agencies are separate, it seems rather odd that they are in the same exact office.
The other odd thing here is how different the results of their evaluations are from anyone else that I use. I work with some of the top evaluators in the state and they are not “hired guns”. They will call it like they see it. DYFS’ people may send someone to drug treatment for smoking one joint over 10 years ago. I know because I helped a former neighbor get out of long term drug treatment for that exact issue. DYFS and their providers seem hell bent on getting people in the system for long periods of time. While their exact motive is unclear, DYFS’ motivation may be to keep you involved as long as possible to see if you screw up. Even people that don’t use drugs often or have been sober for a while use drugs due to the stress of dealing with DYFS. I’ve seen it countless times. People that had 10 years sober have cracked under the pressure. The result is a DYFS complaint being filed against them. For the provider doing the treatment, they obviously get money for keeping the person there as long as possible.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that all evaluations are biased, but it certainly seems that many are for one reason or another. It could also just be a prejudice against people with DYFS cases since personal opinion may play a big factor in the ultimate decision even though it shouldn’t. As I have said in other posts, outright refusing to go through with the substance abuse evaluation could land you in court and your children in foster care. The best way to handle a request by DYFS / DCPP to undergo a substance abuse evaluation is to call an attorney before you even respond to the request. Let the attorney talk for you and guide you as to how to handle this. If your case worker is asking you or your family members to participate in a substance abuse evaluation, call our team of tough, smart defense attorneys right away before you do or say anything.
Dealing with a divorce in New Jersey with DYFS allegations and investigations
Dealing with a divorce in New Jersey with DYFS allegations and investigations
During the course of a divorce case, one spouse may decide to make DYFS / DCPP allegations in an effort to gain an advantage. The problem here is that many New Jersey divorce lawyers have little to no experience with DYFS. Quite often, these lawyers either make the wrong moves or make no moves at all. This can lead to disastrous results in both the divorce case and the DYFS case or investigation. The moves made at the early start of the case can have a lasting impact on the rest of the case.
Thankfully, most attorneys are honest enough to admit that they have no ability to help you with the DYFS aspect of the divorce case. At that point, you have to find another attorney to help you with the DYFS case or the DYFS aspect of the case. While you can have two attorneys or even ten attorneys, you could have use handle all of your family court matters. Our team of tough, smart DYFS / DCPP can handle your divorce case along with any DYFS allegations or cases that go along with it. If you want one law firm calling all the shots, our team will do that for you. Call us anytime.
FAQ – do I need a lawyer to help me with my DYFS / DCPP case or investigation?
FAQ – do I need a lawyer to help me with my DYFS / DCPP case or investigation?
This is another question that gets asked all the time when people call me. My answer is always yes. I make it a point to emphasize that I’m not trying to twist their arm and tell them that they need to hire us but I always say they need to hire someone. Dealing with any legal situation on your own is crazy. Of course, many people have handled a wide variety of situations on their own and everything turned out great. Thus, some people think that they can handle everything without an attorney. This is like a game of Russian roulette. While some people may win, some people will lose and they will lose big. There is no reason to risk it. If all you have is an out of court DYFS investigation, the cost for the attorney will be minimal. Call us anytime, day or night to speak with one of our NJ DYFS defense lawyers.
FAQ – what are my rights with DYFS / DCPP?
FAQ – what are my rights with DYFS / DCPP?
One of the most asked questions I get is what are my rights when dealing with DYFS / DCPP? This is a tough question to answer since I don’t think that is the exact question the people are actually asking. If I answer the question directly, the answer is basically that you have the right to hire a lawyer or not hire a lawyer. I really don’t see any other “rights” that you have. Again, I think the actually question here is what are my options or how do I handle this case? The answer though is really the same. That is because it is crazy to handle a DYFS situation on your own, at least in my opinion. Anything you say can be used against you in a DYFS / DCPP complaint. Even if you don’t actually say something, the fact that you are talking to them allows the case worker to twist your words or put words in your mouth. In almost every DYFS case we have handled, we’ve had a client complain that DYFS is lying. I find it impossible to believe that every single client is making that up.
When you deal with DYFS by yourself, you are really in a catch-22 situation. If you don’t comply, DYFS could bring you to court for non-compliance. If you do comply, you may be giving DYFS all the information they need to build a case against you. Its a really tough position to be in. A tough and aggressive DYFS lawyer can come in and resolve the case for you. The lawyer is there to get information and give information without exposing you to danger. Our team of tough, smart lawyers can help you do that. We can work with DYFS’ lawyer to shut the case down and stop them from bullying you.
Dealing with DYFS in New Jersey when you have a child with autism
Dealing with DYFS in New Jersey when you have a child with autism
Our lawyers have represented many clients who had DYFS / DCPP cases or investigations with a child that has autism (or a another ASD such as Aspergers). For some reason, this issue touches a big nerve with DYFS. DYFS seems to take the position that the parents do not know how to handle a child with autism even if there is no such allegation in the case. I’ve literally been in a case involving another issue like drug abuse and as soon as DYFS finds out that the child has autism, they automatically want the parent to get involved in a large number of services because they assume that the parents cannot handle the child or don’t know how to parent a special needs child. Luckily, we were there to shut this down as our clients were good parents. Just because a child has special needs doesn’t mean that a child is out of control and/or that the parents have no idea what they are doing. Don’t let DYFS / DCPP bully you and your family. Call our team of tough and aggressive DYFS defense lawyers today.
Responding to a DODD removal in a NJ DYFS court case
Responding to a DODD removal in a NJ DYFS court case
In New Jersey, when DYFS / DCPP takes your kids, you have a court appearance within a few days. Thus, DYFS has the ability to take your children without prior court approval. This is called a DODD removal. If you resist, they will call the police to help them. In fact, they may call the police ahead of time just to make sure there are no issues. After your children are removed from your house, they may be placed in foster care. While you are waiting for your court date, you may have no ability to contact your children.
The first court appearance is called a DODD hearing. At this hearing, you will be presented with the DYFS complaint against you which will include all of the allegations. Generally, this is not a time for a trial. That comes much later. Instead, the Court will focus its attention on whether or not the removal was proper or whether the children should be returned to you. Unfortunately, many people just show up to court without an attorney. This is one of the most important court dates and handling it without an attorney can lead to disaster. Our team of tough, smart DYFS / DCPP lawyers have a long track record of helping people get their children back at DODD hearings. Call us anytime for help with your DODD hearing.
Cheap NJ DYFS attorneys are cheap for a reason
Cheap NJ DYFS attorneys are cheap for a reason
As I have said in another post, selecting the right NJ DYFS / DCPP attorney can be tough. There are only a handful of us that handle these cases on a regular basis but most of us charge a fair price. That’s a problem for many people because they cannot afford a fair price for an attorney since DYFS has a war on the poor. Not wanting to settle for a public defender, many people unfortunately turn to cheap DYFS attorneys that will take almost anything upfront just to get the money. People hiring these attorneys don’t often realize that there is a reason why attorneys charge what they charge. As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. At some point, some of these people do realize that they made the wrong choice and they eventually hire the right attorney. However, not everyone is so fortunate.
Some people have very little money and once they realize that they chose the wrong attorney, they don’t have any other funds to switch attorneys. Most of these people would have probably been better with a DYFS / DCPP public defender. Of course, if you hire a DYFS lawyer early enough, you may be able to save money by closing out the case sooner. In our experience, when people leave a cheap attorney for us, the previous attorney has usually done next to nothing. As a result, months were wasted which prolongs the case unnecessarily. This is especially difficult when the children were removed from the house. Thus, be sure that you select the right New Jersey DYFS lawyer early on.
Does your lawyer know what they are doing with a New Jersey DYFS / DCPP case?
Does your lawyer know what they are doing with a New Jersey DYFS / DCPP case?
Unfortunately, many people involved with a DYFS / DCPP case in New Jersey cannot afford to hire a good defense attorney. As a result, they will be represented by a public defender. Furthermore, most attorneys are local attorneys which means that they only practice in a limited area in New Jersey. Since they would only get at most, a few calls about a DYFS case, they don’t bother to learn the very different rules associated with NJ DYFS cases. Thus, there are only a limited number of attorneys in New Jersey that handle DYFS / DCPP cases on a regular basis. Most of the attorneys are good and they charge what they are worth. However, it seems that some NJ attorneys will take any case that walks in the door. As a result, I have seen some horrible moves made my lawyers that have no idea what they are doing.
This also happens because many people don’t realize that attorneys usually only practice a handful of areas of law. Think about it this way, you wouldn’t go to a podiatrist for brain surgery right? But the difference there is the podiatrist would refuse to help you where some attorneys will be happy to take your money and screw up your DYFS case for you.
When you are looking for a DYFS / DCPP attorney, may sure you find one that actually knows what they are doing, has a good track record of winning cases and will charge you a fair price. I cannot stress looking into the attorney’s track record enough. Some attorneys say they have handled a lot of DYFS cases which in fact, they have not; or if they have, they don’t get good results.
DYFS (DCPP) and domestic violence allegations in New Jersey
DYFS and domestic violence allegations in New Jersey
Plenty of people have domestic violence issues in New Jersey but not everyone has to deal with DYFS (DCPP). The police seem to size people up based upon a number of factors as to whether to call DYFS (DCPP). Some of these factors may be people that are on disability, prior drug issues, prior criminal history and people that don’t have a lot of money. Regardless of why the police decided to get DYFS involved in your case, the fact is that you have to deal with it and deal with it ASAP. Our team of tough, smart New Jersey DYFS lawyers can not only help you defeat the DYFS allegations, but we can also help you with the domestic violence charges.
In many cases, DYFS has taken the position that the couple must break up. This causes great strain on a couple that wants to stay together. However, I have also been in cases where DYFS wants the couple to stay together when at least one side doesn’t want to. Thus, there is no one way DYFS handles these matters except that in any case, DYFS often recommends counseling and other services.
As always, the decision as to whether or not to engage in services is not an easy decision. From a practical standpoint, many people have work and other responsibilities that may make it difficult if not impossible to engage in DYFS services. Even more importantly, anything you say during domestic violence counseling (i.e. GEM counseling) can be used against you. Even if you don’t say anything bad, words can be put in your mouth or your words can be twisted and later used against you.
All of this can land you in DYFS court with your children being removed. To avoid all of this, you should hire a lawyer at the first sign of any DYFS investigation or involvement. Our team of tough, smart DYFS (DCPP) lawyers can help you resolve your DYFS investigation. No matter where you live in New Jersey, we can help you.
Lawyer helps client get unsupervised parenting time in Middlesex County DYFS Case
S.M.
Middlesex County
This client brought us a tough case. She had: 1) a prior DYFS case which she won, 2) a bad drug test, 3) she was arrested for having drugs in her car and 4) she called a hotline and indicated that she had overdosed on drugs. As part of our strategy, our team of tough, smart NJ DYFS defense lawyers pushed for a quick fact finding hearing. Despite the difficult facts, we were confident in our position and we wanted to show DYFS that we were ready for a fight. Thus, at the 3rd court appearance we were ready for a fact finding hearing. Instead of going forward with a fact finding hearing, we were able to get our client unsupervised parenting time along with a promise that the case would be dismissed at the next court appearance.
If you have a court appearance in New Brunswick for a DYFS / DCPP case, call our team of DYFS defense attorneys today and let us help you.
Monmouth County DYFS case dismissed before fact finding hearing
S.H.
Monmouth County
Client was accused of abusing prescription drugs, specifically Oxycodone. The DYFS /DCPP case worker wanted her to attend inpatient treatment but the client refused. As a result, they filed a complaint against her. Luckily, we were able to go to the first court appearance. We made sure that DYFS did not move to take the children. Furthermore, we were able to prevent the Court from ordering that the client attend inpatient treatment. At the second court appearance, we were able to get the supervised visitation requirement lifted. At the third court appearance, we were able to get the entire case dismissed without having to go through a fact finding hearing.
This case is a good example of what happens when you hire a lawyer right away and you follow that lawyer’s advice. Instead of having about a dozen court appearances over a years time, this matter was resolved in a few months with just three court appearances. If you are facing DYFS charges in Monmouth County or any other court, call the team of tough, smart DCPP layers today to discuss your case and how we could help you.
Passaic County DYFS Lawyer shuts down DYFS investigation
T.P. And C.P.
Passaic County
This was one of the stranger cases we had been involved in. DYFS wanted to interview the clients but they never returned our calls. Months went by and it seemed like the case was closed. Without any explanation, DYFS filed a complaint against our clients filled with lies not only about our clients but about our firms. As a result, the case got personal. At the first court appearance, one of tough and aggressive Passaic County DYFS lawyers got into a big fight with the attorney for DYFS as well as the judge. We showed everyone that we back down to no one. DYFS wanted to not only interview our clients but interrogate them for a long period of time. We advised everyone that we would advise our clients to take the 5th amendment and the Court actually indicated that same might not apply to a DYFS case! However, by the time DYFS came out to the house that week, what was originally planned to be a huge battle turned out to be a 90 second appearance at the house where the case worker came in and left almost immediately. See, we had one of our attorneys are the house to shut down the interrogation when it started getting ugly. Between that and our performance in court, it became clear that DYFS had backed down. It quickly informed the Court that they would be dismissing their complaint against our clients.
If you are facing a DYFS / DCPP case in Passaic County, call the team of tough smart Passaic County DYFS lawyers today to discuss your case.
Union County DYFS Defense Lawyer helps client get her infant back after DODD removal
K.M.
Union County
Client was facing accusations of abuse and neglect for abusing her infant. As if that weren’t bad enough, the client had skipped most of the required prenatal care. Although our client didn’t know what happened to the baby, our team of tough, smart Union County DYFS lawyers knew that the suspect was the client’s teenage child. Although DYFS didn’t agree, our lawyers had the client discuss the issue with the child. After several conversations, the child admitted to dropping the baby thus clearing the client of the abuse charges. Because the client hired us so early on, we were able to put a plan in place from the start which led to a quick reunification with the baby. Shortly after, the case was closed out.
If you are facing a DYFS / DCPP case in Union County, call the team of tough smart Union County DYFS lawyers today to discuss your case.
Mercer County DYFS Attorneys help clients shut down DYFS investigation
P.W.
Mercer County
Client was accused of abusing his children to the point where his one son was covered in bruises. Following a brutal custody battle in another state, all parties moved to the New Jersey area. Not content with leaving the custody battle behind her, the ex-wife continued making accusations against the client. However, these accusations were difficult to deal with because the child was picked up after school and was then brought to the police station covered in bruises less than an hour later. The police wanted to interview the client so one of our Mercer County DCPP lawyers went down to the police station to have the client interviewed. The case worker was also present but she was not in the room while the interview was taking place. This is just one of those examples of how close the police are with DYFS. We were able to shut down the police interview in our client’s favor and no charges were ever filed. Our attorneys then turned their attention to DYFS. With the police case shut down, it was only a matter of weeks until the DYFS case was shut down as well.
If you are facing a DYFS / DCPP case in Mercer County, call the team of tough smart Mercer County DYFS lawyers today to discuss your case.
Camden County DYFS Lawyers help get client’s case dismissed quickly
C.F.
Camden County
Client was brought into DYFS court for a host of drug problems in addition to his criminal record. Client had a previous attorney but he fired that attorney to hire our team of tough, smart Camden County DYFS lawyers. Within two court appearances, we were able to get the case dismissed against our client. Needless to say, he was very happy to get the case shut down so quickly and in his favor.
If you are facing a DYFS / DCPP case in Camden County, call the team of tough smart Camden County DYFS lawyers today to discuss your case.
Bergen County DYFS Attorney helps client gain custody of his children
A.L.
Bergen County
Client was a non-offending parent in a Bergen County DYFS case. He hired a cheap lawyer that advertises for DYFS work but quickly found that he made the wrong choice. We have taken a number of cases from this firm and all of our clients have the same complaints. This proves that cheaper is never always better; in fact, it may never be better. Once we got into the case, we were able to quickly resolve the case in our client’s favor. He was awarded custody of the children and the ex-wife was only able to have supervised parenting time.
If you are facing a DYFS / DCPP case in Bergen County, call the team of tough smart Bergen County DYFS lawyers today to discuss your case.
Monmouth County DYFS Custody Attorneys help client get his parenting time back
R.K.
Monmouth County
Client was accused of abusing alcohol and prescription drugs which led his ex-wife to involve DYFS. Although DYFS was not a party to the case, they were certainly backing his ex-wife. As a result, he was forced to have supervised parenting time by the court. Within a matter of weeks, we were able to shut down the DYFS case be demonstrating that the client did not have a substance abuse problem. As a result, we were then able to shut down the court case with his ex-wife and restore his parenting time to normal. This great result was achieved despite the fact that the ex-wife had a large and powerful law firm behind her. Clearly, our team of tough, aggressive Monmouth County DCPP attorneys are not afraid of anyone.
If you are facing a DYFS / DCPP case in Monmouth County, call the team of tough smart Monmouth County Custody lawyers today to discuss your case.
Monmouth County DYFS Attorneys help client get parenting time
M.G.
Monmouth County
Client had filed a number of false restraining orders against the father of the child. She then violated the safety plan. As a result, DYFS removed the child from her and gave her very limited and supervised parenting time. We were able to fight back against DYFS / DCPP who resisted any change in the current parenting time set up. Our Monmouth County DYFS Lawyers filed a motion for a trial but before one was heard, we were able to resolve the issue with DYFS. This shows that when you fight back with a lawyer that is not afraid of DYFS, good results are certainly possible.
If you are facing a DYFS / DCPP case in Monmouth County, call the team of tough smart Monmouth County DYFS lawyers today to discuss your case.
Cumberland County DYFS Lawyers help clients avoid abuse and neglect charges
C.A.
Cumberland County
This was an incredibly tough case because our client had spent some time in prison and the mother of his child had a prior DYFS / DCPP case where she had lost her parental rights. As a result, these cases are almost certain to wind up in court and get ugly in a hurry. Of course, our team of tough, smart Cumberland County DYFS attorneys had other plans. We jumped on the case in a hurry and worked with the client to convince DYFS that the parents would put their past behind them and parent the new baby in a safe manner. The plan worked and the case was quickly shut down with no court involvement.
If you are facing a DYFS / DCPP case in Cumberland County, call the team of tough smart Cumberland County DYFS lawyers today to discuss your case.
Somerset County DCPP Lawyers help client reunite with his family
Somerset County
Client had a very severe alcohol problem. This eventually led to the client getting into a physcial altercation with his son. As a result, DYFS was called and the client was removed from his house. At first, the client was very defensive and as a result, it was very difficult to make any traction in the case. However, our team of tough, smart Somerset County DYFS Lawyers are like drill sargetns with our clients. We get paid too much money to allow our clients to screw up their cases. As a result, we finally go through to the client who really buckled down to make good progress. With a tough attorney behind him, the client was able to get more and more parenting time eventually leading to full reunification with his family.
If you are facing a DYFS / DCPP case in Somerset County, call the team of tough smart Somerset County DYFS defense lawyers today to discuss your case.
Somerset County DYFS Attorney gets abuse and neglect charges dismissed for client
K.B.
Somerset County
Client had an adopted child with a number of problems. As the child got older, he became more difficult to control. As a result, DYFS eventually became involved. They took the position that she abused and neglected her child by having her boyfriend discipline him too harshly. Due to the unique circumstances of the case, the case was tough to deal with. However, we repeatedly fought against DYFS and eventually got DYFS to dismiss all of the abuse and neglect allegations against the client and her boyfriend.
If you are facing a DYFS / DCPP case in Somerset County, call the team of tough smart Somerset County DYFS attorneys today to discuss your case.
Ocean County DCPP Attorneys help client avoid sex crimes charges
M.P.
Ocean County
Our client in this case was actually a child. He was accused of molesting a fellow family member. In addition, the Prosecutor’s Office was also looking to interview him. Because we got into the case so early, we were able to shut the case down quickly. As a result, the DYFS was closed and the client was never arrested by the Prosecutor’s Office.
If you are facing a DYFS / DCPP case in Ocean County, call the team of tough smart Ocean County molestation defense lawyers today to discuss your case.
Ocean County DYFS Attorney helps client avoid a DYFS case
F.T.
Ocean County
Client and his family were facing a number of accusations stemming from a domestic violence incident with regard ton one of his adult children. Essentially, the entire family was at war with this older child and in retaliation, this adult child was making a number of accusations. We were able to successfully close the case out in just a few weeks.
If you are facing a DYFS / DCPP case in Ocean County, call the team of tough smart Ocean County DYFS defense lawyers today to discuss your case.
New Jersey DYFS OAL Court Lawyers help client fight child molestation charges
W.P.
OAL Court
Client was accused of having sex with his daughter hundreds of times. These cases are always tough as it is but this one was even tougher because of the incredible amount of allegations. Furthermore, the primary witness against the client was his own daughter. Cross examining a child witness takes great skill. Luckily, our team of tough, smart DYFS OAL lawyers know how to get the job done. We were able to get the judge to find that, as a result of our cross examination, the child was not credible with regard to her allegations. Thus, the Court found in our client’s favor.
If you are facing a DYFS / DCPP case in OAL Court, call the team of tough smart DYFS OAL appeal lawyers today to discuss your case.
Bergen County DYFS Lawyers help client win fact finding hearing
A.C.
Bergen County
This was a very interesting and complicated case. Client was taking her children to a therapist to help them deal with the father who was very abusive and controlling. However, this therapist took the position that the client was exaggerating her claims and instead, projecting her old childhood problems onto to the children. He then alerted DYFS / DCPP who of course, adopted the therapist’s position. Further complicating the case was that the client did not have the money to hire her own expert. Thus, our Bergen County DYFS lawyers had little ammunition against the expert. Nevertheless, we fought hard and took the case to trial. Though tough cross examination, we were able to bury this therapist and show the judge that DYFS had nothing. As a result, we won the trial.
If you are facing a DYFS / DCPP case in Bergen County, call the team of tough smart Bergen County DYFS lawyers today to discuss your case.
Middlesex County DCPP Lawyers help clients win DODD hearing to get children returned
N.T.
Middlesex County
This client had her children taken from her because her husband had a lengthy criminal record. Thus, DYFS / DCPP took the position that the children would be harmed if they stayed in the house. The client our tough DYFS defense attorneys for the DODD hearing which we won. As a result, the children were able to come home right away.
If you are facing a DYFS / DCPP case in Middlesex County, call the team of tough smart Middlesex County DYFS attorneys today to discuss your case.
DYFS cannot stop parents from home schooling their children thanks to Ocean County DYFS Lawyers
M.O and A.O.
Ocean County
In this case, our team of aggressive Ocean County DYFS lawyers represented a couple that was being investigated for abuse and neglect of their children. The school had called with regard to one of the children and the case had the potential of getting very ugly, very quickly. In addition to repeated problems with the school, one child had autism and another child was being home schooled. Further complicating the case was that there was a big paddle used to scare the children. DYFS wanted to perform a number of evaluations on the entire family but we were able to shut them down. At the second court appearance, we got the case dismissed.
If you are facing a DYFS / DCPP case in Ocean County, call the team of tough smart Ocean County DYFS attorneys today to discuss your case.
Burlington County DYFS Attorney helps client avoid abuse and neglect charges
L.S.
Burlington County
This was a very tough case because the client was transient due to her religion, had a criminal history and pending charges, a natural father who was almost never involved with the child, a husband who had domestic violence issues with the client and a child who was not in school. Once again, the client luckily hired us early enough so that we were able to make big moves early on in the case. Within a short period of time, we able to get her child returned to her. Shortly after that, we were able to get the case dismissed without any abuse and neglect finding against the client.
If you are facing a DYFS / DCPP case in Burlington County, call the team of tough smart Burlington County DYFS attorneys today to discuss your case.
Salem County DYFS Lawyer helps client regain visitation
A.S.
Salem County
Client had a long history of DYFS involvement and drug use. This was a tough case as the client had a different attorney for the first half of the case. Like many of these cases, the first lawyer did next to nothing forcing us to play catch up. Further complicating this matter is that there were two mothers involved in the case which meant that we had to deal with an extra lawyer. Thus, in once case, there were four other lawyers in the case which is not good if they are against you. Nevertheless, our team of tough, smart Southern New Jersey DYFS attorneys geared up for trial. Right before trial, we were able to work out a resolution that dismissed the case and got our client a great parenting time schedule.
If you are facing a DYFS / DCPP case in Salem County, call the team of tough smart Salem County DYFS lawyers today to discuss your case.
Burlington County DYFS Attorneys get abuse and neglect charges dismissed
L.N.
Burlington County
Client and her husband had almost 20 domestic violence incidents between them including well over 12 restraining orders. Eventually, DYFS decided that they had enough. Luckily, the client hired our team of tough, smart Burlington County DYFS lawyers right away. We were able to get the abuse and neglect charges against the client dismissed right away. At that point, DYFS would only be going after the husband. After a few more court appearances, the entire case was dismissed with our client keeping custody of the children.
If you are facing a DYFS / DCPP case in Burlington County, call the team of tough smart Burlington County DYFS lawyers today to discuss your case.
Middlesex County DYFS Lawyers help clients avoid child abuse charges
L.T.
Middlesex County
Client was charged with beating her child to the point where his arm was broken. However, the client claimed that her child fell off his bike. Like most of these cases, the decision as to whether or not the client is credible was made by the hospital and then carried forth by other agencies such as DYFS / DCPP. In this case, the doctor at the hospital did not believe the client’s story. Luckily, our team of Middlesex County child abuse lawyers were able to get one of the top experts in this field to help us. He agreed to that DYFS had no case and that their doctor’s report was flawed. The day before the case was to go to trial, DYFS called us to let us know that the case would be dismissed.
If you are facing a DYFS / DCPP case in Middlesex County, call the team of tough smart Middlesex County DYFS lawyers today to discuss your case.
Morris County DYFS Lawyer helps client shut down case before fact finding trial
M.C.
Morris County
Client was brought into court for having repeated domestic violence incidents with her boyfriend. The police were called to her house repeatedly and DYFS had enough. Luckily, the client hired our team of tough, smart Morris County DYFS lawyers right away. We were able to get there at the first court appearance to make big moves early. At a subsequent court appearance, we made a motion to dismiss the case and we were able to get the Law Guardian to join in with us. The DAG for DYFS / DCPP objected as we didn’t even have a fact finding hearing yet. Over the objections of DYFS, the Court granted our motion.
If you are facing a DYFS / DCPP case in Morris County, call the team of tough smart Morris County DYFS lawyers today to discuss your case.
Somerset County DYFS Attorney helps client defeat child molestation accusations
D.L.
Somerset County
Client was accused of molesting his daughter and was under investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office and DYFS. His wife fled New Jersey with the child so we filed an Order to Show Cause to force her to return. The response from DYFS was to file a complaint against the client. We were able to prevent him from being charged with aggravated sexual assault but the DYFS complaint continued. We tried to get the evidence from the Prosecutor’s Office but DYFS would not help us out. It took us several months to get the evidence we requested. When we finally got the evidence, we found that the child initially said nothing happened and then an hour later, she changed her entire story without explanation. Thus, it was clear that the child was coached. At this point, the case was well over six months old. We then hired a great expert who indicated that the child was coached. We then filed a motion to dismiss the complaint and it was granted by the Court thus ending a year long odyssey for the client who had no contact with his daughter throughout the entire case.
If you are facing a DYFS / DCPP case in Somerset County, call the team of tough smart Somerset County DYFS lawyers today to discuss your case.
Ocean County DYFS Lawyers help client avoid sexual assault charges
L.G.
Ocean County
Client, a fellow attorney, was accused of molesting his young daughter after she went to school and made allegations against him. We had to deal with both DYFS and the Prosecutor’s Office. The Prosecutor’s Office wanted him to take a lie detector test but after performing our own due diligence, our team of New Jersey sex crimes attorneys decided that it would not be in his best interests to do so. After further discussions with the Prosecutor’s Office, we confirmed that no charges would be filed against him. That still left DYFS to deal with. After a few more weeks of working with them, they dropped the case against him and closed the case. The client was very happy to get his family back together.
If you are facing a DYFS / DCPP case in Ocean County, call the team of tough smart Ocean County DYFS lawyers today to discuss your case.
Middlesex County DYFS Lawyers win fact finding hearing
A.W.
Middlesex County
Client was accused of being intoxicated while caring for her children. When the police came, she was arrested and DYFS was called. We took the case to trial and made numerous objections which allowed us to keep out testimony that DYFS was looking to get in. By doing this, DYFS was handcuffed in the evidence they could present. In the end, the Court found in our favor and the case was eventually dismissed soon after.
If you are facing a DYFS / DCPP case in Middlesex County, call the team of tough, smart lawyers Middlesex County DYFS attorneys today to discuss your case.
Hudson County DYFS Attorney helps client avoid molestation accusations
F.A.
Hudson County
This was a very tough case. Our client was accused of molesting his young daughter. Complicating the matter was that DYFS was involved but not a party to the case. Furthermore, the mother of the child had a very popular and talented attorney. As a result, this case would test everything our office had as everything was stacked against us. However, we don’t back down against anyone. This case was a real team approach as it went on for almost a year and a half. Luckily, the client never lost his resolve to fight and we kept the pressure on the Court, DYFS and the mother. In the end, we were able to show that this accusation was garbage. DYFS’ expert reversed their finding which is almost unheard of. After well over a year of not being able to see his child, visitation started and the client was well on his way to putting these horrible allegations behind him.
If you are facing a DYFS / DCPP case in Hudson County, call the team of tough, smart Hudson County DYFS lawyers today to discuss your case.
NJ DYFS Lawyers 