The conference provides an opportunity for you and your child, the probation officer, a representative from your child’s school, clinicians, Department of Children and Families (DCF), (if involved with your family), and other identified people to provide the court with information regarding the best way to help your child. Everyone named above will receive notice […]

If the court decides to schedule a fact-finding hearing, the person who filed the CRA application will be responsible for presenting enough evidence for the judge to find beyond a reasonable doubt that the child requires assistance. At the end of the fact-finding hearing, the judge will either:  Dismiss the case if the evidence presented doesn’t prove beyond […]

The court may decide that the best way to help your child is to order informal assistance with a probation officer. You and your child must agree to informal assistance. The probation officer may refer your child to a public or private organization or a person for psychiatric, psychological, educational, occupational, medical, dental or social […]

A CRA is a child requiring assistance. It used to be called a CHINS case. At the preliminary hearing there can be a decision that the case be dismissed for a lack of probable cause that the court refer the child and parent with their agreement to the probation department for what is called an […]

If there is an emergency you can file a Motion for Emergency Orders; including on a Complaint for Modification if there is not an active case going on.  If it is not an emergency you can file a Motion for Temporary Orders; which does take some time to get into place.  It is important to […]

You have to look carefully to determine whether it is an emergency or not an emergency.   If there is not an active case going on, it is called a Complaint for Modification,  an Emergency Order is if it needs to be addressed right away.  The court would make a determination about whether it is an […]

This class had previously been a requirement for in person Parenting Education.  Now with COVID-19 it is until further Order that parents still are required to do but can do it virtually or on-line.

The only way this can occur is if the parent files a Petition to change the child’s last name and the court will determine whether it is in the child’s best interest to determine whether that name change should occur or not.

The Judge does have the discretion to either order no visits or supervised visits. It is very rare that there be an order of no visitation that would generally, but not always be involved if DCF or Child Protective Services is involved with a case or criminal case with some significant issues that are being […]

There is answer is normally no.  The older the child is and the more mature and rationale their decision making is the more weight the court will likely to give the child’s perspective, but it determines in part their age, maturity and rationale.  So, for example, if a child wants to live where the parent […]