Criminal Child Abuse Lawyers | Alexander City Office
131 Main Street, Alexander City, AL 35010
Lead Counsel independently verifies Criminal Child Abuse attorneys in Alexander City and checks their standing with Alabama bar associations.
Our Verification Process and CriteriaIf you are being investigated for child abuse, you may be facing some intimidating consequences such as criminal charges, losing custody of your child, significant fines, and even jail time. There are a number of factors that can affect the severity of your situation like the type of alleged abuse and the evidence against you. Alexander City criminal child abuse attorneys can help you navigate the court system and help protect your rights during this difficult time.
Criminal child abuse comes in several forms, but ultimately this offense may can result from any action that results in hurting or harming a child. Typically, actions like spanking or hitting a child comes to mind when thinking of what constitutes child abuse but that is not always the case. Though it is not well known, not all child abuse has to be intentional in the eyes of the law. Any type of physical or psychological abuse may constitute child abuse in your state, as well as neglect and other negligent conduct.
It is fairly common for most criminal child abuse cases to have some interaction with a state agency like Child Protective Services (CPS) or a similar organization. Typically, child services becomes involved after receiving a report from police or a mandated reporter like an educator or medical professional. From there, they may conduct an investigation into the allegations of abuse. In more serious situations, they may temporarily or even permanently take custody of your child until the agency determines the child is not being abused.
Alabama criminal child abuse attorneys understand the criminal justice system and how best to approach criminal defense cases of this nature. An experienced defense lawyer should be able to communicate a basic “road map” on how to proceed when dealing with the criminal justice system. Since child abuse charges are unique from other criminal offenses, your lawyer should be able to walk you through the anticipated process, key considerations, and potential pitfalls to avoid as you move forward. Once you’ve laid out all the facts of your situation, the attorney can better frame their expectations for the resolution of the case and explain likely scenarios to help you understand what to expect.
Specialized legal help is available for most legal issues. Each case is unique; seeking legal help is a smart first step toward understanding your legal situation and seeking the best path toward resolution for your case. An experienced lawyer understands the local laws surrounding your case and what your best legal options might be. More importantly, there are certain situations and circumstances – such as being charged with a crime – where you should always seek experienced legal help.
An experienced lawyer should be able to communicate a basic “road map” on how to proceed. The lawyer should be able to walk you through the anticipated process, key considerations, and potential pitfalls to avoid. Once you’ve laid out the facts of your situation to the lawyer, he/she should be able to frame expectations and likely scenarios to help you understand your legal issue.
Pro se – This Latin term refers to representing yourself in court instead of hiring professional legal counsel. Pro se representation can occur in either criminal or civil cases.
Statute – Refers to a law created by a legislative body. For example, the laws enacted by Congress are statutes.
Subject matter jurisdiction – Requirement that a particular court have authority to hear the claim based on the specific type of issue brought to the court. For example, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court only has subject matter jurisdiction over bankruptcy filings, therefore it does not have the authority to render binding judgment over other types of cases, such as divorce.