Legal Help With Child Abuse In Texas Family Court
Is DFPS Involved In Your Family?
Child abuse happens in homes all across Texas– in homes with stressed single parents, in homes with parents who have drug and alcohol problems, and in seemingly “normal” homes with two parents present. The effects of child abuse are devastating for the child and the family as a whole.
At the law offices of Johnson McNulty, our family law attorneys work with families trying to resolve the crises that child abuse – or charges of child abuse – have caused. We work closely with child therapists and with forensic counselors who can investigate child sexual abuse allegations.
We’ve represented parents who are trying to remove an abusive parent from the home; parents who have been falsely accused of abuse as part of a divorce or custody case; and families whose children have been removed from their care or are under investigation by Texas Child Protective Services (CPS).
When Child Abuse Has Occurred
Once someone has made a charge of child abuse, something needs to be done. Separating the abusive parent from the child is usually what the non-offending parent wants. That can happen with a restraining order, a protective order, or in extreme cases, with the termination of parental rights.
If you are currently involved in a divorce and child custody case, a child abuse charge will strongly influence the judge’s decision. If you are divorced or never married and have a child custody agreement in place, we can help you seek a modification of your court order.
The court is not likely to end contact between a parent and child altogether. It’s more common to order supervised visitation through family court services or with a third party that both parents approve of, such as a grandmother.
When Child Abuse Charges Are False
Some people use false charges of child abuse as a way to get what they want in court. This is a terrible abuse of the court system and can have tragic effects on their child and the other parent. We do not support it.
If you’ve been falsely charged with child abuse, we will defend you. Our experts will work with your child to unearth the possible cause of the charges or to find evidence that abuse did not occur. In one of our cases, we represented a father falsely accused of abuse who had been kept from his child for more than two years before we got involved. We won his case at trial, and he now has full custody.
Child Protective Services
We also represent families who have been accused of abuse or neglect by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). If someone reported your family for abuse or neglect, DFPS may have taken your children away or they may have opened a file and are now visiting you and telling you that you need to do certain things.
Talk with one of our family lawyers to understand what your rights are under Texas law. You DO have rights, and we work to protect them and to reunite your family. Call and talk to a child custody lawyer at Johnson McNulty: 817-576-6537
