Family Defense Legal Program
Areas of Help
- Family Defense Law Webinars and workshop:
- This program offers information on what physical custody vs. legal custody means, who is eligible to seek child support and how to establish paternity, what the Child Protection Register is, how to check if your name is on the Register, what a safety plan is, and why a safety plan is needed.
- We represent parents in the post-disposition phase of cases in DC Superior Court, focusing on Child Protection Register expungement. We do not currently represent parents in underlying petitions for removal in DC Superior Court, however, we provide CFSA-involved parents holistic legal services in related civil legal issues, such as CPO, housing conditions, and certain custody matters.
Brief Services Provided
- Our brief services include helping our clients with specific legal problems, such as drafting a “family defense safety plan” for prevention of CFSA involvement, reviewing and providing brief advice on existing “agency safety plans,” and drafting a custody complaint and other pleadings based on your needs, referrals for extended representation by MON, and referrals to outside organizations.
- We offer navigation services for claiming the child tax credit
Family Defense Legal Workshop
- At this workshop, we offer free advice or legal counsel and help clients with specific legal problems.
- Our brief advice and counsel services include answering questions about legal screenings, also called a “Family Defense Legal Checkup,” safety plan advice, advice regarding the CFSA investigation process, custody planning (includes advice if your family is experiencing CPS investigation or has open CFSA Community/In-Home Case), low-income tax screening for child tax credit or earned income tax credit assistance, child protection register expungement advice, discuss the need for a retainer for extended representation, and obtain brief services appointment (drafting a custody complaint).
- More specifically, we offer advice and counsel, as well as representation, in navigating the Child Protective Services investigation process.
Representation
- We accept matters of representation depending on our priority areas and our caseload at the time. For example, we represent clients in these areas:
- Child Protection Register expungement
- Housing conditions cases
- And other matters pertaining to navigating CFSA involvement
Contact Information
- If you have any questions, please feel free to call 202-818-8649 or email INTAKE@MOTHERSOUTREACHNETWORK.ORG.
