Dealing With A DYFS Case.

Most people who have ever had to be involved in a DYFS case will tell you how hard it was. Most of
the time the DYFS will come to your residence to ask you a few questions, following a report or
allegation made against you. More often than not, the caseworkers will start off being incredibly
friendly and helpful and will seem like they have your best interests at heart. Before long however,
they will be asking a lot of you, demanding certain services including evaluations of your mental
competence, parenting classes and even urine samples. Most people end up wondering whether
they have to comply with all these demands as it can all add up to quite a lot. There are two sides to
this coin – there are generally no court orders that legally require you to do anything but if you
refuse, the department can take you to court and they have the power to remove your children from
your home if this happens.

If the DYFS decide to take you to court, it can become a much more drawn out and expensive
process. The best course of action is to try and keep the case out of court if at all possible. A good
way to go about this is by complying with any and all requests that the DYFS have, even though it
may cause you distress and upset the balance of your home life. Bear in mind that while this process
may seem really upsetting, the DYFS has the power to make your life much more unbearable than
attending a few parenting classes. The end goal here is obviously to get the department to go away
and leave your family intact, with as little disturbance as possible.

The best way to deal with a DYFS case is to make sure you lawyer up as soon as the case begins. This
will allow you to deal with the case under the advice and guidance of an unbiased professional. DYFS
caseworkers have been known to coerce or make threats of litigation. If there is no evidence for
child abuse or neglect, complying with their requests will hopefully result in a swift and efficient
closing of the case. Having a lawyer is the best way to deal with them, as they can often provide back
up when or if you are feeling under pressure to comply with certain acts. Lawyers can also provide
you with alternative agencies or services, if you are asked to complete evaluation for any reason.
Often people have concerns about the legitimacy of DYFS-approved agencies, as they can sometimes
be swayed by the department. Using a third-party agency can assuage these worries as you know
they will be impartial and non-biased. The most important thing to remember when dealing with a
DYFS case is to remain calm, collected and comply with their requests. If you have nothing to worry
about, you will want them to go away as soon as possible and they are more likely to do this if you
are cooperative.