Florida DCF Attorney

St. Petersburg Parental Rights Defense Lawyer

Few events can be more devastating to parents than having their child taken from them. Yet this is exactly what can happen when the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF), begins a legal process known as a dependency action. At the law firm of Christina L. Sandvoss P.A. in St. Petersburg, I represent parents in dependency actions and in cases involving termination of parental rights.

Before I became an attorney, I was an investigator for the DCF. Later, I became a Florida state attorney working for the child welfare divisions of the Pinellas County State Attorneys Office. I believe I'm the only attorney in the St. Petersburg area who has worked for the state as a child welfare investigator, a state prosecutor and as a defense attorney for parents in child welfare cases. I know how DCF investigators think, how the state prosecutes these cases, and the case law used by judges to make decisions.

What Is a Dependency Action?

Anyone − a school teacher, a neighbor or a relative − can report a parent for child neglect or child abuse. Once a report is made, the Florida Department of Children and Families will send an investigator to the home. The investigator has the authority to remove the child from the home and temporarily place him or her in foster care or with a relative. The DCF can also begin a court action to terminate your parental rights.

If your children were taken wrongly, I can assist you in negotiating the complicated legal system. The most important time to contact an attorney is at the removal of the children from the home.

Attorney Consultation

To discuss your dependency case with me, attorney Christina Sandvoss, call 727-498-4418, 813-699-5442 or fill out my simple contact form.