Child Abuse/Neglect

Read about where to file your lawsuit or case. Information on jurisdiction and venue.

If you cannot afford the filing fee or other court costs, you may qualify to have these fees and costs waived by the court.

This section will give you general guidelines for how to best prepare yourself for court.

Child Protective Services (CPS) serves abused and neglected children and their families. For more information about CPS, their referral process, and resources, please visit this site.

Whatever the reason, you have the right to represent yourself, to be your own lawyer in all cases in California.

The California Courts' website offers detailed information about who can become legal guardians, guardians" rights and responsibilities, and how to become a guardian for a child in juvenile dependency court.

If you have a problem or just want to talk with another teen who understands, then this is the right place for you! Call, Text, or Email. Check out "Ask TEEN LINE", find resources in Youth Yellow Pages, or join conversations with other teens on message boards.

The juvenile court gets involved in the lives of children when there are concerns that a parent is not able to keep his or her child safe from abuse or neglect (and the court starts a juvenile dependency case), or minors are accused of breaking the law.

If you have been taking care of a child who has been declared a dependent of the juvenile court, you may want to be more involved in the child"s court case and consider becoming a de facto parent.

A comprehensive and practical guide for everyday people on how to end interpersonal violence in their community. The C.I. Toolkit gives in depth how-tos on supporting survivors of sexualized/gendered violence, organizing community accountability processes and interventions, and working together to build a future without violence.

There are laws that deal with custody and visitation rights of parents in cases of domestic violence.

Guardianships, dependency proceedings, getting a child out of a shelter, visitation rights of grandparents, when permanent custody is necessary, adoption, foster care, public benefits, relative caregiver options chart, and school issues.

As a battered spouse, child or parent, you may file an immigrant visa petition under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), as amended by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).