What We Do
Lawyers in CPCS’s Children and Family Law Division (CAFL) represent children and parents in cases in which the Department of Children and Families (DCF) removes children from their homes because of claims of neglect or abuse. These cases are called care and protection (C&P) cases or termination of parental rights cases. CAFL also provides lawyers to children and parents in child requiring assistance (CRA) cases. Some CRA cases involve parents asking the Juvenile Court for help with challenges at home; others involve children who are truant from school or who run away from home. We also represent children and parents in contested guardianship cases.
Most CAFL lawyers are private attorneys. Others are CPCS staff members, who work in partnership with CPCS staff social workers. Our staff offices include ten “public division” trial offices, a “public division” appellate office, and a “conflicts” trial office (which is wholly separate for conflict-of-interest purposes). Whether private or staff, our lawyers protect the rights of parents and children to remain together whenever possible and their right to be reunited quickly when children are removed from their homes. We also work to ensure that DCF and other agencies provide our parent and child clients the support and services they need and to which they are entitled under the law.
CAFL’s legal advocacy plays a critical role in cases that affect families. For a parent involved in a C&P case, having a skilled CAFL lawyer may mean the difference between the family’s reunification and the termination of parental rights – the “death penalty of family law.” For a teenager who is the subject of a truancy case, CAFL’s advocacy may secure the special education services that enable the client to succeed in school and avoid being placed in a foster home. For siblings looking for stability after the court has freed them for adoption, CAFL will fight to ensure that they are provided a permanent home – one that allows them to stay together.
Image Credit: freedigitalphotos.netJOIN THE FIGHT!
GROW YOUR LEGAL PRACTICE AND HELP CHILDREN AND PARENTS IN NEED! APPLY FOR OUR CAFL TRAINING AND BECOME CERTIFIED TO HELP THESE FAMILIES!
We need zealous, effective attorneys who want to protect the rights of parents and children in Care and Protection and Child Requiring Assistance (CRA) cases.
ATTORNEYS ACCEPTED INTO THIS TRAINING WILL RECEIVE A “CERTIFICATION PAYMENT” OF $5032 upon the following: 1) successful completion of the CAFL Trial Panel Certification Training; and 2) within eighteen months of completing the training the attorney (a) receives appointments on 12 care and protection cases, and (b) submits 500 hours of billing on care and protection cases.
READ BELOW AND APPLY BY AUGUST 4
Application Form Link: Fall 2024 Children and Family Law (CAFL) Trial Panel Certification Training (cognitoforms.com)
Preference will be given to applications received by August 4, 2024. Joining this panel ensures due process and effective representation for parents and children. Thank you for your interest in this essential litigation practice.
IMPORTANT DETAILS FOR INTERESTED ATTORNEYS:
CERTIFICATION TRAINING: The training will include a brief orientation on Zoom on September 4, followed by hybrid training sessions from September 9 through October 18, 2024. Sessions consist of in-person and live Zoom sessions, as well as self-directed learning. Successful completion enables certification for care and protection and child requiring assistance (CRA) cases.
ASSIGNMENT: Attorneys will be assigned to cases, which often start with an ex parte petition filed by the Department of Children and Families. Immediate responsibilities include preparing for potential emergency custody hearings within 72 hours of an ex parte order. These cases can last 15 months or longer.
COMPENSATION: Private attorneys will be paid $85/hour for Care and Protection/Termination of Parental Rights cases and $65/hour for CRA matters.
PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS: Attorneys must adhere to CAFL’s performance standards and meet other requirements outlined in CPCS’s Assigned Counsel Manual.
SUPPORT: New panel members will be assigned a mentor who provides support, introduces them to court personnel, helps them learn local practices, attends initial court hearings, and offers assistance.
Full Fall 2024 CAFL Certification Announcement Flyer: CAFL Trial Panel Training Announcement Fall 2024