Child Custody

Allocation of Parental Rights and Responsibilities for Children born to unmarried parents:  Parents of children born outside of marriage face many of the same challenges as divorcing parents.  In addition, unmarried parents face challenges of establishing paternity and the absence of one court to turn to in order to settle all outstanding issues between them such as division of property and debt.

The Juvenile Court hears the paternity, custody, child support, and visitation portions of the issues facing these families.  By and large, the law is the same for resolving these so-called children’s issues in the Juvenile Division as it is in the Domestic Relations Division.  However, there are some eccentricities to be aware of in advance and which vary wildly from county to county.  Please contact Armstrong Law Offices to schedule a consultation.

The Juvenile Division also hears matters of Abuse, Dependency, and Neglect.  In these cases, the parents or the legal custodian of a minor child is alleged to have caused a situation either proactively or through inaction that caused a minor child to be abused, dependent, or neglected.  These cases do not involve jail consequences for the parent but can result in removal of the child from the home and ultimately in termination of parental rights if the parent or custodian fails to remedy the situation.  If you are involved in one of these cases, you should seek counsel immediately.  Please contact Armstrong Law Offices to discuss representation or the Public Defenders office in your county if you believe that you may be financially eligible for their services.

The Juvenile Division also hears cases of misdemeanors and felonies committed by minor children.  The Armstrong Law Offices do not handle this type of matter except in rare circumstances.