On June 5, 2008 the Minnesota Board of Public Defense, announced that Public Defenders outside of Hennepin County would no longer be handling child protection matters. However, custodial parents and sometimes the children and guardians ad litem in child protection matters are still entitled to representation at the public expense. In essence, this means that there will be an increase in court appointed attorneys on child protection matters, and more of a demand for attorneys to volunteer in these matters. This article provides an overview of child protection cases. Due to the complicated nature of these cases, this article is merely an overview of the subject, providing practitioners with a roadmap to the complicated child protection statutes. This article also includes suggestions for attorneys new to this area of practice. While VLN typically does not represent clients in CHIPS proceedings, VLN clients often have had interaction with juvenile court. The following overview will help family law attorneys as they advise clients at clinics or represent their clients in family court. [More…]
