The most tragic aspect of unfounded allegations of child neglect is that individuals who made the complaint probably had your child’s best interests in mind. Although it’s possible that they had your child’s best interests in mind, their false accusations might now seriously destroy your image, land you in jail, and even have an impact on your child’s wellbeing.

We at Simmons Wagner, LLP are aware of how upsetting these accusations are. We are here to help with criminal defense because of this. Call (949) 439-5857 right away to schedule your free legal consultation. You can read on to learn more about allegations of child neglect while you wait.

What does it mean to neglect a child?

In accordance with California law, parents are required to give their kids access to food, shelter, clothing, and medical treatment. Many individuals are unaware that this obligation extends to non-custodial parents as well. A parent may be accused of child neglect if they are aware of the child’s existence, are aware of their needs, and are in a position to take action yet decide not to.

Options for fighting allegations of child neglect

People are frequently erroneously accused of neglecting their children, especially in cases of divorce or other situations when the parents do not get along well. The good news is that you can fight these charges if you hire the correct criminal defense lawyer. We’ll start by examining the evidence and determining how to best defend you from the accusations. This might incorporate a few of the following:

• Demonstrating that you’re not the parent. A paternity test may exempt you from any legal obligations if paternity has not been confirmed.
• Neglect existed, but it wasn’t on purpose. If there was neglect but you don’t spend much time with the child and are unaware of their needs, you did not purposefully ignore them. In other situations, parents may attempt to provide the child’s custodial parent with food, clothing, money, etc. but be rejected.
• A legal reason existed. A parent may refuse to support their children for legitimate reasons under the law. You did not engage in neglect if the alleged inattention was brought on by a lack of cash or resources. Keep in mind that in order to prove this, your attorney will need access to all of your financial records. Why? Because this defense won’t hold up if you actually have extra money but spent it on yourself.

It’s important to speak with an attorney if you intend to contest the charges you are up against. Our goal at Simmons Wagner, LLP is to assist you. Simply give us a call at (949) 439-5857 to arrange a free legal consultation.