Will I Lose My Parental Rights If I Have Been Accused of, or Charged With, Child Abuse or a Sex Crime?

When you are accused of a sex crime, not only are serious criminal penalties including jail time and fines possible, but you could have your children taken out of your home by Child Protective Services. If convicted of child abuse, you could have your parental rights terminated, and lose the ability to live with your children. Michigan Child Protective Services will conduct a swift investigation if you have been accused of child abuse and upon determining that children were neglected or abused, may take them out of your home and hand them off to another parent, or foster parents. Grabel & Associates fights to protect to rights of parents throughout Michigan, and our sex crimes lawyers will aggressively defend you throughout your case.

Sex Crimes Attorney Against CSC, Child Sexually Abusive Materials, Sexual Assault, and Other Criminal Charges in Ann Arbor, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Detroit and Throughout Michigan

Work with an attorney as soon as you are accused of a sex offense or charged with child abuse in Michigan. While police and prosecutors work to build a case against you, Child Protective Services can be fighting to take away your parental rights, and the combined stress can be overwhelming. Our lawyers will guide you through the criminal justice process and answer any questions you may have about legal issues affecting your case, and we will develop an effective defense strategy based on your unique case. Contact our Michigan sex crime defense law firm now for aggressive defense in any of Michigan’s 83 counties, and protect your children and family from CPS.

Criminal Sex Abuse and Parental Rights in Michigan

If you have been charged with child abuse in Michigan, your parental rights are most definitely in danger, and it is crucial that you hire the best possible attorney as soon as you can to help you throughout your case. Sexual abuse or sexual exploitation accusations will lead to a CPS investigation, which will aim to determine if there was abuse or neglect of children in the household, severe or chronic neglect, abandonment, or other issues. However, these investigations are often conducted quickly, and investigators will already believe you are guilty, which can lead to wrongful termination of parental rights, or unnecessary restrictions on your family.

In addition, CPS does not need to witness or prove any actual abuse, but can establish that there is a threat of harm to a child based on the sex crime accusations you face, and move to terminate your parental rights. If you don’t cooperate, CPS will take you to court, and even if you win your case, you could face restrictions and requirements which could still have damaging effects on your family.

Contact Grabel & Associates right now if police, detectives, or CPS agents have been inquiring about child abuse, or if you have been charged with a sex offense in Michigan. Our lawyers will work with you throughout investigation to ensure your rights are protected, and will fight for you in a potential trial, working to help you avoid jail and fines while fighting to keep your family together.

Michigan Child Protective Services Investigation

If you are accused of child abuse, a CPS investigation will be completed within 30 days in most cases, and usually begins within one day. Investigators will interview children, the accused, other potential witnesses, and will look through your home, any documents available, and other details that will help them assess the risk to children in the home and the family’s weaknesses. CPS investigators are supposed to look at alternative explanations to criminal accusations, injuries, the condition of the home, condition of the child, and other aspects of the family situation.

If it is determined that there is low risk of child abuse in your home, you will be referred to community services, which could include classes, meetings, or other requirements. If there is a high risk of abuse, CPS will provide services, which could include taking away your children. If the investigation determines there to be evidence of abuse, CPS or foster care will move to take your parental rights.

If you have already been charged with a sex crime, investigators most likely have evidence against you that could be used to pursue the termination of your parental rights. Contact Grabel & Associates now to protect against conviction and losing your children.

Our attorneys will conduct an objective investigation that will expose evidence to support your innocence, in contrast to the CPS and Michigan police investigation designed to prove your guilt. We will review every detail of your case and work with you to help you prove your children are not at risk. Although it is always best to contact a lawyer early on in your case, no matter how far along in the legal process you are, our team is available to begin working with you to fight conviction.

Our lawyers combine for over 100 years of legal experience, and have proven our effective strategies in cases statewide. For over a decade, our lawyers have been working to establish a reputation as one of Michigan’s top firms, and we truly care about your family and your case outcome.

Call our sex crimes defense team now at 800-342-7896 and speak with an experienced analyst about your case. You can also contact us online and set up a free consultation with trial lawyer Scott Grabel. Fight for your rights and do everything you can to keep your family together after a criminal charge, contact the defense team at Grabel & Associates now.