No matter the claims that spurred it, an Illinois Department of Children & Family Services (DCFS) investigation is very serious. Depending on the outcome of this investigation, your children could be taken away from you, among other equally serious possibilities.
By going over the length of a DCFS investigation and speaking with a Chicago criminal defense lawyer, you can protect your family.
Watch Attorney Thomas T. Glasgow discuss your options if DCFS investigates your family on YouTube and TikTok.
What Is The Length Of A DCFS Investigation?
Every report that DCFS receives must be investigated. More importantly, it must be investigated within 24 hours of receiving the initial report.
If a report is made regarding your family, then that report will be investigated within 24 hours. Once this investigation begins, DCFS has sixty days to complete it.
As an example, if a DCFS investigator shows up at your door on October 1, they have until December 1 – when sixty days will have passed – to conduct this investigation.
Even though the above is true, there is one exception: if there is a good cause, then DCFS can extend the investigation by thirty days. This is only true if there is a valid reason for the extension to be granted.
What Happens After A DCFS Investigation?
The exact outcome of a DCFS investigation is dependent on many factors. No matter the exact outcome of an investigation, though, the overall process ends with a final administrative decision.
You will receive your final administrative decision within sixty days. Or, as mentioned earlier, ninety days, assuming that an extension period was granted.
On the other hand, if the findings of your DCFS investigation led to prosecution, then this period will likely be extended. This is only possible, though, if the DCFS investigation and prosecution are centered on similar claims.
What Should You Do If DCFS Investigates You?
No matter the claims made against you, within the report that DCFS has received, it is always wise to work with an experienced attorney.
By working with an attorney, you can protect your rights. This means making use of your rights – including those that you didn’t know you had – as well as your privacy.
Outside of protecting your rights, working with an attorney when DCFS investigates you can prevent you from making mistakes.
Many of the mistakes you can make during a DCFS investigation may seem minor – saying something occurred on a particular date and then saying it occurred on another date – but they can be used against you.
To prevent yourself from making mistakes and to protect your rights, working with an attorney is often the best choice.
Outside of what has been clarified above, you can click here to learn more about what you should do if DCFS is investigating you.
Get Qualified Legal Help Today
If you need representation for a DCFS investigation, Glasgow & Olsson is uniquely qualified to help you.
Our team has helped thousands of people who have been charged with crimes in Illinois. When we take cases, we do so to win. This means we take cases to trial. We don’t arrange plea bargains unless it is in the best interest of our clients. As proactive lawyers, we fight aggressively and support our clients throughout their entire case up to and including appeals. Protecting your life and freedom is always the goal, and with our decades of experience practicing law, we know how to get results. This is why we are regularly invited to appear as a legal contributor on popular radio and news outlets, including ABC, CNN, NBC, CBS, and Fox NEWS.
When you need an attorney, experience matters. Speak with a Chicago defense attorney today to learn how our experience can get you the results you deserve.