Why You Need A Juvenile Dependency Attorney

Many people mistakenly believe that all family law attorneys are also equipped to handle juvenile dependency cases. However, juvenile dependency law is written to make it easier for the social workers to prove their case against you. Parents and relatives have to follow the rules of evidence to defend themselves but the social workers can legally avoid the hearsay problem by simply repeating what someone else said or stapling someone else’s report to the social workers’ reports. Unlike child custody disputes where each side is given the opportunity to present evidence of why he or she should receive custody, parents involved in juvenile dependency cases have the burden of proving their case against each piece of evidence obtained by a social worker and stapled to his or her report. It is what our attorneys like to call the “Staple Rule.”