Child Welfare and Child in Need of Assistance Cases
Juvenile Law require's a lawyer with experience and knowledge of the workings of the juvenile court. Don’t trust your children’s future to a lawyer whose not truly experience in juvenile court. Tom Graves has practiced in Iowa’s juvenile courts for many years, been a featured speaker on issues in juvenile court and as an adjunct faculty member, taught juvenile law at Drake University School of Law. No one wants to see child abuse and neglect occur; even parents who find themselves facing child abuse charges. Sometimes it was a sudden, thoughtless action that caused a child harm. Sometimes a child is suffering neglect because the family lacks the means to care for him or her better. Sometimes there has been no abuse or neglect but a suspicious neighbor filed a report and a bureaucrat who isn't a parent decided to take the child away from his or her family.
However you ended up in the child welfare system, if you want your child back you will need legal help to work within the system. The rules in this system are very different from other courts and they must be followed exactly.
At Graves Law Firm, we take parents through the child welfare maze so they get the help they need to eventually reunite with their child. We want you to succeed and will help you find the right services to get your life back together. We are here for you.
Des Moines Underage Drinking Defense Attorney
Graves Law Firm, P.C., represents juveniles in family court as well as in criminal cases in juvenile court and adult criminal court. We also represent parents and guardians in cases involving child abuse and neglect (Child in Need of Services) to help families stay together or reunite.
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If your young person needs a strong defense or if you have been charged with child endangerment, get immediate legal help. Contact a Polk County attorney at Graves Law Firm for a free consultation. Attorney Tom Graves has many years of experience working with young people and families. He serves as a guardian ad litem for the courts, protecting the interests of children. He understands the needs of children and how children are hurt — or helped — by the court system.
You can count on attorney Tom Graves to protect your child's interests.
Juvenile Delinquency and Juvenile Criminal Defense
In the vast majority of criminal cases — from drug possession to underage driving — a suspect under the age of 18 will first be charged in the juvenile system. (In specific, serious criminal cases such as homicide, a child will first be charged in adult court and then may be reversed back to juvenile court.)
The purpose of the juvenile law system is to help young people get back on track with their lives. Rehabilitation is the goal; not punishment.
For a first offense, a young person will most often get probation (depending on the seriousness of the crime). With good legal counsel, we may be able to avoid the court system entirely by getting charges reduced, getting the child into a program or getting the charges dismissed. This is clearly in the best interest of the child because he or she will not have a juvenile record.
For a more serious criminal charge, our goal is to keep the young person in the juvenile system rather than let his or her case be turned over to adult criminal court. For example, a 16 year old who goes for a joyride and ends up killing someone (vehicular homicide), can work to turn his or her life around in a juvenile facility for two years. If the juvenile goes to adult criminal court, he or she may get 25 years in prison. That is a young life lost.
Attorney Graves is an experienced criminal defense lawyer with extensive knowledge of both the adult and juvenile criminal system, as well as family courts. He knows the programs and services available in the greater Des Moines area to help young people move forward with their lives.
Contact an Iowa child neglect attorney at Graves Law Firm for a free consultation, call 877-571-2870 today..
