Termination of Parental Rights from a Metairie Lawyer

In Louisiana, parental rights may be terminated upon cause. Parental rights may be terminated when there is a showing of neglect and inability to care and to provide for their child. When the office of social services seeks to terminate your parental rights, it can be a very tumultuous time for that parent. Before acting alone out of emotion, it is best for you to contact a lawyer. While courts vigorously scrutinize the proceedings to assure termination is warranted, going in alone could very well be detrimental.
In one specific Louisiana case, a child was placed in the temporary custody of the office of social services.  The proposed treatment for a parent required her to attend mental health treatment and parenting skills classes.  The trial court terminated parental rights for this particular parent based upon her failure to fully comply with the case plan developed by the office of social services.
Parents have a natural, essential obligating interest in the ongoing camaraderie, care, custody, and management of their children, which demands great deference and cautious protection under the law. Therefore, when a lawyer at the Office of Social Services seeks to terminate parental rights, Court’s will look at the record very vigorously. We will give you several examples from which the office of social services may seek to terminate parental rights.
Matilda is a single mother. She does not work nor is she educated. Her five-year-old child does not attend school and accompanies her aimlessly wandering in the streets. Additionally, cocaine was found to be in the child's system. This is a perfect example for the OCS to step in and seek to terminate the parental rights of the mother. Again, the OCS bears the burden of proving that parental right should be terminated.
The court will not tolerate frivolous complaints from a former spouse. For example, Joe and Jill are divorced. Jill has sole custody of the children. She seeks to terminate Joe’s parental rights because she does not like him. The office of social services will not step in for something like that. If it could be proven that he abused the children, then the office of social services could step in.
The office of social services seeks to protect the interest of the child from derelict parents. While many people may often disagree with the function of the office of social services, they are needed to protect children from parents who completely neglect of children such as the aforementioned example.
However, there are instances that do not rise to the level that warrant the termination of parental rights. That's where a lawyer comes in. If you genuinely believe that you are not neglected children in the offices of child services are wrongfully seeking to terminate your parental rights, then give a lawyer a call or go to their office for a consultation. We hope you found this blog helpful and insightful.
Will Beaumont is a lawyer in Metairie & New Orleans.  This article is strictly informational and not legal advice.