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Practice Area: Juvenile Law

One practice area of the Law Office of Natalie Green is in the area of juvenile law. Juvenile law encompasses the following areas:

1) DELINQUENCY: child under the age of 17 commits an offense

2) DEPRIVATION: a concerned family member or neighbor suspects abuse in the form of medical neglect, physical and sexual abuse

3) PARENT REPRESENTATION: representing a child's parent, when the child is removed from the home due to abuse or neglect

Please contact the office for more information or a consultation with an attorney. Read below for an explanation of this area of the law.

Delinquency

When a person under the age of 17 commits either a status offense (one that only a person under age can commit, such as curfew violations or runaway) or an offense that would be a crime if committed by an adult. A child is never "found guilty" in Georgia, rather he or she is "adjudicated delinquent" and receives consequences for that adjudication. A child alleged to have committed a delinquent act is entitled to an attorney for his or her offense. When the child cannot afford an attorney, he or she may ask for a public defender for his or her defense. In any case, the child can also have his or her parents hire an attorney to represent the child.

Deprivation

In Georgia, a child can be found to be deprived when he or she has been neglected, abused, left unattended without supervision, or allowed to miss excessive days of school. A deprivation action can be filed by a private person who has knowledge of the conditions giving rise to the deprivation. A deprivation action can also be filed by the Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) upon receiving a notice, report, or referral from someone claiming that a child has been abused. During deprivation cases, DFCS will have a Special Assistant Attorney General (SAAG) presenting the case before the court. The children are also entitled to an attorney to represent them. Further, the parents to a deprivation action also need legal representation.

The proceeding in a deprivation matter is wholly different from other matters that come before a court. The Juvenile Court is a closed court in Georgia, meaning that only those persons who are relevant to the case are allowed to be in the courtroom. The nature of having a closed court makes it a difficult area of the law for attorneys to become proficient. The Law Office of Natalie Green has served dozens of children in deprivation matters in juvenile court.

Parent Representation

A deprivation matter is not a criminal matter, but because the Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) has an attorney to represent it, it is a wise choice for a parent to obtain counsel from an attorney when DFCS removes one's children. When DFCS obtains custody of a child, before the parent can have that child returned to their home, the parent will have to complete a case plan. It is important to have an attorney work with a parent to ensure that the items within the case plan are reasonable, given the situation or reasons a child was removed from the home. A parent also has the right to object to the things DFCS will require of them in the case plan. Parents also have the right to move their case along by asking the court for reunification when the parent has completed their case plan. While the completion of the case plan usually means the child is ready to be reunified with his or her family, it is not uncommon for the case to keep going as it were, and unless the parent files a motion with the court, usually the case could go on until the next hearing date. The Law Office of Natalie Green has represented parents in deprivation matters.