Criminal Defense/Juvenile Delinquency
Criminal cases and juvenile delinquency cases both involve the same sets of criminal laws. The police or other government agencies conduct investigations and often work in conjunction with the State’s Attorney’s Office to charge either adults or juveniles with alleged crimes. Whether you have been charged as a juvenile, or with either a misdemeanor or a felony as an adult, you have the right to have an attorney to represent you, and securing that representation as early as possible in the case is important. By getting an attorney early, you will be better able to ensure that your rights are protected in the proceedings. The Law Office of Phillip Brigham, LLC is available to provide representation for defendants in these cases.
Abuse and Neglect: Another possible effect of a DCFS investigation is that a court case may be opened which may result in the children involved becoming wards of the court. Multiple people are involved in this process including the State’s Attorney, DCFS, a Guardian ad Litem, a caseworker, and the process itself can be overwhelming and confusing. Having an attorney to help you navigate this system is important, and it is best to get an attorney early on in the proceedings. The Law Office of Phillip Brigham, LLC is available to provide representation in these cases.
Family Law
The area of Family Law includes a wide variety of legal matters. Some of these are matters between two private parties trying to resolve their differences, as in divorce or child custody, visitation, and support. Sometimes, even after a divorce has been finalized or child support has been established, the situations may change or one of the parties may refuse to obey the courts’ orders. The parties may then go back to court to try and fix such problems. The Law Office of Phillip Brigham, LLC is available to provide representation at any stage of these proceedings.
Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Cases
“Indicated” findings: One of the functions of DCFS is to investigate allegations of abuse or neglect of children. After beginning an investigation, DCFS will make a determination of whether the allegations of abuse or neglect are “unfounded” or “indicated.” An “indicated” finding means that there is some credible evidence of the abuse or neglect, and the person DCFS determines is the perpetrator may be listed on the State Child Abuse and Neglect registry. You have the right to appeal such a finding, and to present evidence. Having an attorney to represent you in these proceedings, and to help you through the process is exceedingly important. The Law Office of Phillip Brigham, LLC is available to provide representation in these cases.
International Child Abduction
International abduction occurs when a child under 16 is taken from his or her country of residence by or on behalf of one of the child's parents to another country. If this happened without the consent of the other parent or if the child is kept in the other country longer than time agreed upon, that other parent has the right to seek the child’s return. Necessary custodial decisions must be made in the child’s original country of residence. The Law Office of Phillip Brigham, LLC has represented people on both sides of these arguments, and handled disputes which raised the well-settled defense, the grave risk defense, and other defenses under the Hague Convention and the International Child Abduction Remedies Act.