HELP WITH RELATED MATTERS

In many cases, if you have DCF involvement, you may also have family court involvement (divorce, custody, or post-judgment). Many persons involved with DCF also have criminal court involvement. Some have all three.

It may make sense to have the same lawyer handle the DCF/Juvenile Court matter and the family and/or criminal matter. But not always.

We will discuss the case with you thoroughly. If you need a different lawyer in family or criminal, we will work with that lawyer. It is important to understand that family and criminal court have different standards than Juvenile Court. Sometimes, a routine plea in criminal court, to avoid jail time, may have unexpected consequences in Juvenile Court.

As a rule, it is better to be in Juvenile Court than in family court, as the State absorbs more of the costs. Nevertheless, it is sometimes impossible to avoid family court.

We generally advise clients if they need wills and living wills. A surprising number of adults do not have these, and open the door to severe unintended consequences for their families.

In short, we will do all that we can for you; and if you need an additional lawyer, we will gladly work with that lawyer.