No, not immediately. While you may eventually want to speak with Connecticut DCF investigators, you usually have the right to tell them that you first want to talk to a top Connecticut DCF investigation attorney to fully understand your rights.
DCF just doesn’t go away if you keep putting off your appointment with them. In fact, they will sometimes double up their efforts if they think your children are at risk of being abused or neglected, or if you are trying to delay the meeting to cover up a recent drug, alcohol or domestic violence issue.
Best thing to do is take the DCF investigator’s name and number, and tell them you or your lawyer will call them within 24 hours to schedule an interview and inspection of your home. And if they push back on you, or tell you that you don’t need an attorney (or ask you “why would you need an attorney?”), tell them that because they are a division of law enforcement, that you’d like to speak to an attorney first out of an abundance of caution.
While you may not need a lawyer for the entirety of your DCF investigation, you definitely will want to consult with any of best Connecticut DCF lawyers or attorneys before your DCF interview. An experienced DCF lawyer can walk you through each stage of a typical DCF investigation, whether it be a high risk “full investigation” or a “family assessment response” investigation (also called a “FAR”).
A top Connecticut DCF investigation lawyer attorney can also provide you with a full set of the questions that a DCF worker will ask—essentially a “cheat sheet” for your Connecticut DCF investigation. A lawyer can also be by your side—and your children’s side—during each DCF visit and interview. That’s the value a lawyer brings to an investigation—putting you and your family at ease during a stressful time.
Follow this link to learn more about the DCF investigation process.
Sometimes people try to handle DCF investigations on their own, without the assistance of a Connecticut DCF attorney, and it goes horribly wrong. They then receive a substantiation letter in the mail which substantiates the allegations made against them for physical or emotion abuse or neglect. Even worse, they can be notified in this letter that they are being placed on the DCF Central Registry.
Once you receive this letter, you have a short time window to file an appeal of your DCF investigation. As many of the best Connecticut DCF appeal lawyers would agree, the appeal process is actually the fairest process available to you, as you can present evidence, cross-examine witnesses, and have your case heard by an impartial DCF hearing officer.
For more on how to file a DCF appeal in Connecticut, click here.
So if a DCF investigator shows up at your door in Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan or anywhere else in Connecticut, give the DCF lawyers at Mark Sherman Law a call today. Take a look at certified client reviews from our former DCF investigation clients, and then give the Mark Sherman Law Firm a call today. We’re available at (203) 358-4700.
