NEW YORK CITY ACS DEFENSE LAWYER

This is a common question asked by parents. New York law allows you to record your own telephone conversation as long as both parties are in New York. You can also record in person conversations in most states. We find this to be an effective tool in dealing with ACS workers. It is also effective if you tell the ACS worker that you are recording her. Most ACS workers will demand that you turn off the recorder. Stand up for your rights and do not speak to an ACS worker without an attorney. 

ACS workers will always ask parents to sign a HIPPA form. This allows the ACS worker to obtain your child's medical records. We are often asked by parents if they should sign one. We always advise parents not to sign the HIPPA form. The reason ACS workers want to access the medical records is to dig through them and try to blame the parents for a child's medical condition. This is a common tactic in ACS investigations. If an ACS worker asks you to sign the form, politely decline and advise you will be seeking the advice of an attorney.

The dismal truth is that ACS workers receive virtually no training in doing what can be argued is the most important job the state can do- the protection of children. ACS has a long and horrific history of children dying under their supervision. The city of New York is so desperate to have ACS staffed that they will hire almost anyone that can meet the most minimal credentials. As a whole ACS workers are abusive arrogant and very poorly trained. The main concern of an ACS worker is to check the boxes and make it appear as though they are helping families in need. However, to truly help a struggling family requires very difficult work. This is not work that ACS workers are willing to engage in. They have failed the children of New York many times. One need to just look at the Nixmarry Brown case as an example of how dysfunctional this agency is.  So if ACS contacts you, stand up for your right and fight back against their lies and manipulation.

Many parents often ask why are the children assigned their own lawyer in court. New York State law allows the judge to appoint a lawyer to protect the child's interest. It is important as the parent to form a good relationship with your child's lawyer. The judge will ask the judge the law guardian what their opinion is before making a ruling. While the ACS lawyers are in court to simply attack the parents as much as possible, the child's lawyer will often be more fair and will often side with the parent against ACS. The dysfunction if ACS does not usually affect the law guardians. The only agenda the ACS lawyers have is to attack the parents as much as possible and use every legal issue to make sure the parents are punished as much as possibl

ACS files what is called a petition. it is basically a complaint telling the court that a parent has neglected or abused their child in some way. Most parents are often shocked at the allegations that an ACS worker will throw at them. These petitions are often at odds with the truth.Thus, the vast majority of ACS investigations are quick interviews of the parent that are not recorded in any way, and are done in a way for the ACS worker to try and find something wrong with the family. This speaks to the great dysfunction that has a hold of this agency. Until, ACS properly pays, trains and supports its workers, children in need will continue to die and innocent parents will be hauled before judges to prove themselves innocent. The entire ACS system is designed to protect the jobs and livelihood of the ACS workers and their bosses. The health of the children of New York City is a distant second.

ACS workers will often demand that parents attend a family safety conference. This is where the ACS worker and their supervisor try to convince the parents that they need ACS classes and programs to be better parents. If the parents refuse, the ACS worker will threaten them with the removal of the children and court action. The most important point of a family safety conference is that attorneys are NOT  allowed. This allows the ACS worker to bully the parents into taking the ACS services.  It is a stressful trap that ACS workers set up for parents into beating them into submission. Stand up for your rights and demand an attorney.

ACS workers demand that parents enter preventative services. These are usually parenting classes that are useless other than to pad the ACS budget. What parents are not told about these programs is that they are often over a year long and are not in control of ACS . They are third party contracts that are paid by ACS or the parent and no one has any control over them. Once a parent enters the program they are locked in and risk being accused of non-compliance.

To the causal observer, a hearing at the Offices of Children and Family Services yo place a parent on the maltreatment list would be shocking. Hearsay is allowed, baseless allegations thrown around and "judges" who issue verdicts based on thin evidence. The OCFS does hundreds of hearings a year and parents who work in medical of child care fields risk losing their jobs. This is an unnecessary office that should be dismantled. These hearings determine if a charge of child negelect will remain in the state registry for outside agencies to view in the future. It is very dangerous to have your name listed with this agency. Potential employers may view this registry and decide against hiring someone who's name is in it. There are certain government positions that do not allow for job applicants to have prior charges of child abuse.

ACS workers abuse the families they investigate in many ways. The include: - Lie about the conditions of the child - Lie about the condition of the home - Attack the parents by being rude and bullying parents into parenting programs. - Base theis petition to the court on false evidence. - Make surprise visits to the hom late at night - Pull children out of the class to speak to them - Place chidlren in several different foster homes because of their mismanagement. - Allow chidlren to be abused. If you have been abused by ACS, contact us at 917-519-8417 and we will end the abuse.

We are often asked if ACS will take our clients to court. This depends on several factors. The most important one is how long the parents have cooperated with ACS. The longer parents have cooperated with ACS, the higher the probability is that ACS will file w case agains the parents. Once a case is filed, ACS will ask the judge to do certain things. This can include the removal of the children. It is very important to have legal advice at this point. Otherwise ACS will simply force the parents into doing things they do not legally have to do.

In the words of one ACS workers " There is no penalty for wrongfully removing a child from the home". If you are an ACS worker and receive a complaint about a child being abused you have two options. First, you could conduct a full investigation and actually determine if a child is being abused or you can speak to the parent for 10 minutes, determine that the child is abused and demand that the parent enter parenting classes. The second option is obviously easier. It is much easier for an ACS worker to explain to their supervisors that they have found an abused child than it is to document and explain why the child is not abused. It is also less risky. If an ACS worker reports that a child is not abused, they are essentially stating that the family is a healthy unit. This simply takes too much work. Thus, the vast majority of ACS investigations are quick interviews of the parent that are not recorded in any way, and are done in a way for the ACS worker to try and find

The answer to this question appears to be very little. ACS workers receive very little training once they are hired. Many of them are recent college graduates and have no real work experience. They are also extremely difficult to deal with and accuse parents without any evidence.