Neglect and Abuse in Child Custody Cases

We Can Help Protect Your Rights!

Even under the most normal circumstances, child custody is never the favorite subject for divorcing parents. Factor in additional concerns, like neglect and abuse, and custody arrangements suddenly become a whole different ball game. The court’s job is to uphold the best interests of the child and if one parent has a history of abuse, this can seriously impact the final orders.

This can also make it difficult on you. More than anything, you deserve to know that your child will be taken care of and protected. Our firm is here to represent you and fight for what is best for your family. As Torrance & South Bay child custody lawyers with 70 years of shared experience, you can trust our expertise in handling your case.

Recognizing the Various Forms of Child Abuse

Child abuse manifests itself in a number of different ways, but the most common are physical, sexual, and verbal. The victimized child often doesn’t say anything because they don’t want to cause problems or make the situation worse. Unfortunately, this allows the abuse to perpetuate and may even go unnoticed by the court when it comes time to create custody orders.

Child abuse can become apparent in all of the following areas:

• Physical abuse: occurs when one parent physically harms or injures the child; generally involves unpredictability, anger, and intimidation to force the child to obey
• Sexual abuse: occurs when one parent takes advantage of the child sexually; can cause the child to feel guilty or embarrassed, therefore preventing them from voicing their feelings
• Verbal abuse: impacts the child emotionally, due to humiliation, bullying, and belittling; verbal abuse can damage a child permanently

Retaining a lawyer can help ensure that the abusive parent is not given custody of your child, no matter what kind of a front they put up in court. Abuse is serious and should be handled as such.

Family-Oriented Child Custody Attorneys in Torrance

We understand that child custody decisions can be emotionally draining. At Patricia Barberis, A Law Corporation, we make every effort to simplify the process as much as possible for you. We can carefully review the circumstances of your case and represent you with determination in court.