Challenging Accusations of Child Abuse & Neglect – (517) 881-4643

Parents and caregivers accused of child abuse or various forms of child neglect may find Children’s Protective Services (CPS) agents and police officers pounding on the door. In some cases, they are looking to take a child from the home with an emergency pick up order. Any time CPS is investigating your family, you should take the situation seriously. The first step should be to secure a competent Eaton County CPS defense lawyer to assist you. Cronkright Law and our Eaton County Child Protective Services defense team have focused our practice on the defense of parents in situations like yours. We tenaciously work to defend against CPS allegations. We will work closely with you and your family; doing everything we can to keep your name, reputation, and parental rights intact.

Defending Parental Rights in Eaton County Courts

Parents often find themselves fighting to preserve their parental rights. This can happen very quickly. When parents are informed that a petition is being filed against them, they may have little or no notice. Michigan law requires notice to parents but it does not require any significant amount of advance notice. In fact, it is unusual for parents to have more than 24 hours notice before the first court hearing and it is common to have only a few hours. This leaves many parents scrambling and bewildered. In Eaton County, many of the initial hearings are held with the Youth Services Building, which is just north of the main courthouse. This is where the Juvenile Court referee presides.

You have the right to have your hearing in front of a judge rather than a referee. The judge that you have on your case will be from the Family Division. This division draws its judges from both the Circuit Court and the Probate Court. You also have the right to have your case tried before a jury. Only judges can preside over jury trials, so if you make a jury demand (usually preferred) you will be in front of the Judge assigned to your case. All Eaton County judges have courtrooms in the Eaton County Courthouse and Administrative Offices Building. There is parking immediately in front of the courthouse and overflow parking is across the boulevard to the east, where the CPS offices are located along with other state and county offices.

We help families from anywhere in Eaton County and nearby areas including:

• Lansing
• Charlotte
• Eaton Rapids
• Potterville
• Olivet
• Marshall
• Hastings

Eaton County Termination of Parental Rights Appeals

If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation that your case has not gone well and your parental rights have been terminated by an Eaton County Court, you must act quickly if you want to appeal. It is unfair to parents to impose strict time requirements on someone who just lost their parental rights and is suffering from the disappointment, shock and depression. Nonetheless, that is the law and you need to move quickly to claim an appeal. Many parents in Eaton County and elsewhere in Michigan have lost their parental rights in what seems like a hostile and unfair environment. We hear many complaints about the underperformance of Neglect/ Abuse trial lawyers. In the Court of Appeals, claims of ineffective assistance of counsel, lack of due process, violation of rights and the Court’s failure to follow the law can be brought. Do not delay. Contact Cronkright Law immediately if you want our assistance.

Eaton County CPS Investigations

When CPS investigators come to the school that your child attends or to your home, it can come as a total surprise. Many parents co-operate with the case worker because they “have nothing to hide.” Many parents regret that decision later when they find themselves defending a Petition in court which attacks their parental rights. CPS workers often appear kind, compassionate and even empathetic. Some appear that way because they really are kind, compassionate and empathetic people who are motivated to help families. Unfortunately, many Eaton County parents come to regret the manner in which they assisted a CPS worker gather information designed to support a case against the very parents that provided the information.

The reality is that if CPS is investigating you, you and your family are at risk no matter how kind the investigator is or no matter what her motive is. You need to have the case evaluated by a skilled CPS defense attorney before you make any costly mistakes.

The sooner you act in your defense, the better your chances of stopping the removal of your child, or pursuing a successful appeal if your child has already been taken away. Get professional Eaton County Child Protective Service lawyers on your side by calling our firm at (517) 881-4643.

Make Our Legal Prowess Your Own

When you retain the services of our Eaton County CPS defense attorneys, you obtain an ally and an advocate for your family and your parental rights. Unlike many court appointed attorneys throughout Michigan who practice in the field of child protection law, we come to the court with a single focus: We help parents. Focusing on parents allows us to bring the best possible representation for our clients. It also allows us to do what we are most passionate about: keeping families together. We consider it an honor when parents trust us to advocate for them and we work hard to live up to the task. One of the worst situations imaginable is a parent losing his or her child due to false accusations, exaggerations, and misunderstandings. It is equally bad when parents lose their children because they were poorly represented. Our decades of experience in and out of court has benefitted many families. We are confident that if we work closely together, we can maxim your chances of success.

Begin working on your defense TODAY with our skilled Eaton County CPS defense attorneys. Call (517) 881-4643 or use this online contact form to begin. Your initial consultation is free.