If you are being investigated by DCF for suspected child abuse or neglect, you don’t need to face it alone. When it comes to cooperating with agents, advocating for and protecting your rights, and working to resolve the investigation, hiring a Stamford DCF investigation lawyer can be the first step in a successful outcome.
DCF can get involved in a number of situations. A number of professionals, like doctors, teachers, and police officers are known as mandated reporters in the State of Connecticut. It is a crime for a mandated reporter to not call in suspected child abuse or neglect. Therefore, oftentimes, people will make an anonymous call to DCF even if there is little evidence of abuse or neglect. Additionally, everyday people can call the DCF hotline and make a report.
Yes. When DCF receives a call of allegations, they have to initiate an investigation very soon thereafter. Often DCF will show up at your door, unannounced, and looking to talk. It is important to know your rights when this happens. When DCF comes, you can ask them to come back at a later time so that you have the opportunity to talk to a lawyer. While cooperating may seem in your best interest, nothing you say is confidential and therefore can be later used against you. Working with a Stamford DCF investigation attorney is the best way to protect your rights.
The best Stamford DCF investigation attorneys see DCF getting involved after a domestic violence arrest. Domestic violence is no single crime, it is any crime between family or household members. If the police arrive to a call of domestic violence and find children in the house, or if they learn there are children who live there, they may call DCF. If the call directly involves the children or if for another reason police think that a child is abused or neglected, they must report their suspicions to DCF.
A top attorney can be there to protect your rights not only in relation to DCF’s investigation, but in relation to your criminal case too.
There are many categories of abuse and neglect that DCF can investigate, some being more obvious than others. Neglect can be a very broad range of conduct and conditions, and therefore what one person may see as neglect might not actually be.
After an investigation, DCF will decide whether to substantiate or dismiss the claims made against you. During this investigation window, a Stamford DCF lawyer can help you gather evidence, understand the allegations made against you, and put forth evidence to DCF to show that the allegations should be dismissed. As our attorneys know, the bar for substantiating allegations is low, but don’t fret, after a substantiation a lawyer can help you appeal the substantiation and clear your name.
If DCF has shown up at your door to investigate, or if you have had allegations substantiated against you, calling a Stamford DCF investigation lawyer may be the first step to successfully resolving your case. Your rights and the safety of your family are too important to risk. Read our 5-star certified former client reviews.
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