Top Moundville, AL Criminal Child Abuse Lawyers Near You
Criminal Child Abuse Lawyers | Tuscaloosa Office | Serving Moundville, AL
2216 14th St, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
Criminal Child Abuse Lawyers | Tuscaloosa Office | Serving Moundville, AL
PO Box 71945, Tuscaloosa, AL 35407-1945
Criminal Child Abuse Lawyers | Tuscaloosa Office | Serving Moundville, AL
2210 8th Street, Suite B, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
Criminal Child Abuse Lawyers | Tuscaloosa Office | Serving Moundville, AL
2312 University Blvd, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
Criminal Child Abuse Lawyers | Tuscaloosa Office | Serving Moundville, AL
811 21st Avenue, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
Moundville Criminal Child Abuse Information
Lead Counsel Verified Attorneys In Moundville
Lead Counsel independently verifies Criminal Child Abuse attorneys in Moundville and checks their standing with Alabama bar associations.
Our Verification Process and Criteria
Ample Experience Attorneys must meet stringent qualifications and prove they practice in the area of law they’re verified in.
Good Standing Be in good standing with their bar associations and maintain a clean disciplinary record.
Annual Review Submit to an annual review to retain their Lead Counsel Verified status.
Client Commitment Pledge to follow the highest quality client service and ethical standards.
Find a Criminal Child Abuse Attorney near Moundville
Are You Under Investigation For Criminal Child Abuse?
If 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. Moundville criminal child abuse attorneys can help you navigate the court system and help protect your rights during this difficult time.
Types of Criminal Child Abuse
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.
What Is The Role of Child Protective Services?
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.
What Does A Criminal Child Abuse Attorney Do?
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.
Top Questions to Ask When Hiring an Attorney
- How many years have you been practicing law? How long have you practiced law in the local area?
- How many cases similar to mine have you handled in the past?
- What is the likely outcome for my case?
In legal practice, experience matters. An experienced attorney will likely have handled issues similar to yours many, many times. Therefore, after listening to your situation, the attorney should have a reasonable idea of the time line for a case like yours and the likely resolution.
The Importance of a Good Consultation
The goal of an initial consultation is to find an attorney you are comfortable working with and someone who can help you understand your options under the law. Seek to understand the relevant legal experience the attorney brings to your case. While it is not realistic to expect an attorney to resolve your legal issue during an initial consultation, you should gain a level of comfort with his/her ability to do so. A good consultation can clarify issues, raise pertinent questions and considerations for your case, and help you make an informed decision towards resolving your legal issue.
Types of legal fees:
Bill by the hour: Many attorneys bill by the hour. How much an attorney bills you per hour will vary based on a number of factors. For instance, an attorney’s hourly fee may fluctuate based on whether that hour is spent representing you in court or doing research on your case. Attorneys in one practice area may bill you more than attorneys in a different practice area.
Contingent fee: Some lawyers will accept payment via contingent fee. In this arrangement, the lawyer receives a percentage of the total monetary recovery if you win your lawsuit. In sum, the lawyer only gets paid if you win. Contingent fee agreements are limited to specific practice areas in civil law.
Flat fee: For “routine” legal work where the attorney generally knows the amount of time and resources necessary to complete the task, he/she may be willing to bill you a flat fee for services performed.
Common legal terms explained
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.