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Child Abuse

Child Abuse Lawyers Knoxville, Tennessee

Advocating for the Rights of Children & Parents in Tennessee

At Held Law Firm, we know that anyone who thinks that a child has been abused, including your child’s relative, doctor, teacher, daycare staff, or even your neighbor, can make a report to the Department of Children’s Services’ hotline. On the other hand, some parents will make a report to gain an advantage in a child custody case. No matter who makes the report, the Department of Children’s Services (DCS) will investigate and potentially remove your children from your home.

Whether you are worried about a child you know or a parent facing child abuse allegations, nothing is more important than that child. Held Law Firm has over 50 years of combined experience in child abuse cases. Our firm is passionate about protecting the rights of children and the people who love them.

Understanding DCS Investigations in Tennessee

If you be reported for abuse, the Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services (DCS) will investigate. The investigation may include:

  • Medical or forensic exam of the child, especially if the allegation is for child sexual abuse or physical abuse.
  • Separate interviews with the child, parents, and any witnesses. Often the investigator will interview the child at each parent’s home or at the school or detail.

If a parent refuses to cooperate, a DCS worker will likely petition the court to remove the child from your home. If the parent cooperates, DCS may draft an “immediate protection agreement” for the parent to sign, where the parent promises to do or refrain from doing certain things in exchange for DCS leaving the child in the home. Alternatively, DCS may determine that no less drastic measure will protect that child than removal. In that circumstance, DCS will petition the court to remove the child.

Once DCS removes a child, DCS must “place” the child in a foster home. DCS must give a preference to the other parent if the parties are separated. If DCS decides that parent is not available and appropriate, then DCS should place the child with a relative. Only if no relative is available and appropriate should DCS place the child in a foster home.

Unfortunately, when DCS removes a child, things happen fast. Often, DCS does not immediately find the available and appropriate other parent or relative. Sometimes, a parent who has a child removed bad mouths a family member out of anger. When these things happen, the child typically goes to a “neutral” foster care home – i.e. to a stranger. In those circumstances, family members have an extremely difficult time getting the child moved from the stranger’s home to their home. They will need an aggressive attorney to get that child back.

Once a child is removed, the law requires DCS to draft a “permanency plan” within 30 days, describing specifically what a parent must do to regain custody and what DCS is doing to make sure the child’s needs are met while s/he is in foster care. Almost always, the permanency plan will require a parent to maintain stable housing, transportation, and stable income, as well as additional requirements intended to address why the child came into foster care, such as treatment for drugs, mental health issues, or removing a parent who is guilty of domestic violence from the home permanently. If the parent fails to follow this plan, a judge may terminate parental rights and make the child available for adoption.

Why Choose Held Law Firm for Your Child's Safety?

When it comes to children, everything is on the line. These matters are complex, emotionally charged and highly personal. Your attorney should make a complete review of the proof, especially if you are the target of false or mistaken accusations. If there is at least some truth to the accusations, Held Law Firm will support and guide you on what steps to take to get your children back as quickly as possible.

Contact us today at (865) 685-4780 to learn how we can assist you.

Testimonials

Hear About Former Clients' Experiences

At Held Law Firm, your satisfaction is our priority! See for yourself what our clients have to say about working with us.

    After being married for over 40 years, I was at a point in my life that I no longer wanted to take care of every aspect of being in that situation. I felt it was time for me to start thinking more about my life and how I wanted to spend my remaining time that I have left. It was time for me to take care of ME. Thru a friend, I talked to a lady that works in family court and knows a lot about these matters. She gave me a list of 3 lawyers and Melanie's was the first on her list. I did talk to all 3 of them and Melanie was the one I felt the most comfortable with. She was very understanding of my situation and was easy to talk to. She explained things and answered my questions in ways that were easy to understand. My husband tried his best to talk me out of the divorce and tried to ignore the situation all together. With Melanie's help, I kept things moving along and was able to the divorce. Since he didn't contest any aspects of the divorce, Melanie made sure all my desires and needs were met and granted by the judge. She is very professional and responds in a timely manner. She also is a very nice person with a good sense of humor. I highly recommend Melanie and the staff of Held Law Firm. C. White
    - C. White
    We live in California and needed a law firm to help us get custody of our 2 young (9 and 12 yo) grand nephews after their mother passed away. Held Law Firm, Chelsea and Abigail, in particular were our warriors! They did not give us false hope and kept things in perspective though out the entire process. We had to fight for those boys and that's where the warrior part comes into play. The attorneys and support staff are really amazing! Keeping us informed and helping us to stay on task. It was difficult to be so far away but we finally went to court and we have been granted custody. WARRIORS! I highly recommend Held Law Firm! TB Northern California
    - TB Northern California
    Held law firm went above and beyond to help me with a case they don't normally do. I appreciate how dedicated they are to helping make sure the case goes well. I couldn't have had a better attorney helping me close my mom's estate. Thank you for all your hard work.
    - J.A.
    Newer to the Knoxville area and looking for a law firm to help us set up our will. Melanie Hogg, with Held Law Firm, came highly recommended and have to say the reviews were right. Melanie was responsive, patent with all our questions, and expertly walked us through getting all the documents we needed in order. Felt like we were in great hands with someone with lots of experience in this area of law. Would definitely recommend you reach out to Held Law Firm for all your legal needs and if you have the pleasure of working with Melanie you won't be disappointed.
    - A. Witte
    Margaret and her staff make you feel very welcome from the beginning. Everyone in the office makes a difficult process a lot easier to go through. She and her staff are kind, thoughtful, patient, brilliant, and incredibly good at what you hire them to do! I highly recommend Held Law Firm!
    - J.W.
    After interviewing almost every attorney in downtown Knoxville and finding them to minimize and plan to use a cookie cutter approach to my case I was deeply relieved to find Held Law Firm. They are the only legal team in the entire East Tennessee area that is attuned to the dire circumstances that are unique to divorcing a person with unresolved mental health issues. Trust me, I looked really hard. The team has been unfailingly supportive as they were dragged into the DCS allegations and custody drama that is too common when a diagnosed narcissist is a factor. Margaret Held and Chelsea Price even personally came to the scene of a mid divorce homicide attempt to speak directly with officers. I wouldn’t have gotten a badly needed Order of Protection without Held Law Firm being aggressive and taking my defense personally. Honestly, you cannot defend yourself from a narcissist without help. You cannot defend yourself against agencies without help. Held Law is local, women-owned, experienced, diverse, and supportive of your civil rights to their last breath. They are the team you need.
    - L. F.
    Margaret Held was excellent help with obtaining information on my divorce. She knew exactly what she was talking about and I feel confident that they are one of the best lawyer offices in Knoxville!
    - K. M.
    Short Version: Melanie and Chelsea are a force to be reckoned with and thank God they were on my side. Do yourself a favor and go with them. **Worth the read if you are searching for a Lawyer** Long Version: Melanie: I usually dread dealing with lawyers because of some bad experiences that I have had in the past. We have been taken advantage of, judged, and left with incomplete service before, and it is enough to leave a bad taste in anyone mouth when it concerns the legal system and lawyers in general. Then one day I had a trusted friend tell me about how they (and their friends) had great luck out of Held Law Firm. As much as I was nervous, I reached out to them, and to my surprise, a lovely, kind voice picked up the phone and listened to all my questions and got a consultation scheduled. I had dealt with a bunch of lawyers and never once did i see anything near the level of professionalism I experienced with Melanie. She was polite, kind, sympathetic, and made me feel welcome. We decided to go through with her, and she guided us each step of the way and the pricing was reasonable and we didn't feel any pressure at all. Melanie was so professional and organized that it was a landslide victory. -Melanie. You are awesome! Thank you so much! Chelsea: We had a 2 kid step-parent-adoption that needed to be done and we obviously were going back to Held because of the 10/10 service. Melanie suggested (Not forced, she said she could take the case if we really wanted to stay with her. They are NEVER pushy) that we go through Chelsea because she was very experienced and literally just got done with a very similar case. I took her advice, because I trust her. We got the pleasure to sit down and talk with Chelsea who was eager to work with us and help us get our problem fixed. She (like Melanie) was so wonderful to work with. She was so sweet to us and our children. She is very well spoken and gave us very clear instructions and worked with us every step of the way. I was so scared that the adoption wouldn't go through, and my kids wouldn't be safe, even though she was reassuring us the entire time. The entire thing went just like she said it would from day one. My gosh I have never seen a court case so one sided. She was so insanely organized that she had papers and forms ready to go 5 steps ahead of time. The judge was even impressed and complimented her for "really being on top of everything." Her foresight saved us from 2 more court appointments and 6 months of waiting. To beat it all this entire court session only lasted for about 10 minuted after we went up. I thank GOD that I have had Held Law Firm in my time of need. Who knows what would have happened with my kids if I didn't. My kids have been bragging to everyone that will listed about their new names. -Chelsea, thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
    - R. F.

Why Hire Held Law Firm?

"There isn't a better group in Knoxville"
  • When You Hire One Attorney, You Hire the Entire Firm
  • A True Passion for Standing Up for What's Right
  • Our Goal Is for Every Client to Leave on Cloud 9
  • Actively Involved in Improving Our Local Community
  • A Team of Fearless Trial Attorneys
  • Over 50 Years of Experience in Family Law