Top Oak Harbor, WA Criminal Child Abuse Lawyers Near You

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. Oak Harbor 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?

Washington 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.