Protecting Your Parental Rights Is Our Number One Priority – Call (517) 881-4643

At Cronkright Law, our attorneys are family advocates. We work with parents to keep families together, to keep parents and children together, and to empower parents to excel at parenting. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Children’s Protective Services (CPS) division in Lansing are often opposed to our efforts. They often try to remove children from households; sometimes placing them in far worse situations and even causing harm to the very children they are tasked with protecting. You may find that many attorneys seem intimidated by CPS officials. We are not. We zealously and unapologetically advocate for parents. We do this because we firmly believe that, with few exceptions, kids need their parents. Except in very limited circumstances, removal of children is very destructive to family relationships.

CPS investigators often act overzealously against concerned and loving parents. They sometimes take children away because of exaggerated claims or fabricated stories of abuse or neglect. Our Lansing CPS attorneys have made it our mission to do everything we can to keep child custody rights in the hands of loving, fit parents who deserve to be with their kids.

If your parental rights are threatened by CPS, there is no time to lose.
Act right away by dialing (517) 881-4643 or using an online contact form now.

Preparing for Your Battle with CPS

The Lansing Department of Health and Human Services office, near the corner of Jolly and Cedar, is where you will find Children’s Protective Services headquarters. If you are being investigated by CPS, we do not recommend going there alone for an interview or to aid in the investigation. There are aspects of dealing with CPS that will seem straightforward, but many parents who find their parental rights challenged by CPS are caught off-guard by the accusations and the legal procedures that follow. Retaining our Lansing CPS defense lawyers is a wise first step when it comes to protecting yourself and your child from unjust separation. Most parents have difficulty dealing with CPS and, without the benefit of a good attorney, they make costly mistakes. When we are on your side, we will put our years of legal experience handling CPS defense cases to work for you.

We have successfully defended clients against accusations involving:

• Child abuse
• Failure to protect from harm
• General child endangerment
• Medical neglect
• Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy
• Educational Neglect
• Shaken baby syndrome

Defending Parents in Lansing Courts

In Lansing, Children’s Protective Services Petitions are filed in the Family Division of the Ingham County Circuit Court. It can be a little confusing, but the Family Division draws its judges from both the Circuit Court and the Probate Court bench. So, your case may be brought before either a Circuit Court judge or a Probate Court judge. It is common practice for many court-appointed attorneys to accept a bench trial. A bench trial is one where the judge decides the case.

At Cronkright Law, our standard practice is to demand a jury trial in every case. When we represent you, we are likely to recommend requesting a jury trial. There are deadlines for requesting a jury trial. From time to time, we are retained to replace a court-appointed attorney after the deadline. A court still has discretion to accept a late request, but many judges will deny a late request.

Hiring an attorney who does not regularly practice in the area of child protective proceedings can cause problems. In Michigan, this area of law comes with a special set of court rules that are different from other civil litigation rules. It is important to hire an attorney who knows the law and the rules of practice. Our Lansing family protection team has been successful at defending parents. Michael Cronkright, our founder, has been defending parents for over two decades and has successfully defended many difficult and complicated cases. When you meet him, ask him about his photo gallery of reunified families.

Michigan Child Protective Service Attorneys in Lansing

Parents in Lansing, Ingham County, Eaton County, Kalamazoo, Livingston County, and all around Michigan know that Cronkright Law is a trusted legal ally when it comes to fighting for parental rights after accusations and allegations of child abuse, neglect or endangerment arise. We are serious when we say we want to keep your child with you and in your home. In cases where Children’s Protective Services has already collected and displaced your child, our Lansing CPs lawyers will work with you to bring them home.

Time is not on your side in a CPS case. Call our law firm at (517) 881-4643 as soon as you can.