A View from the Parent's Attorney. Tim Cotton, Esq., a parent's attorney from Casper, Wyoming, will present an overview of his advocacy on behalf of parents when appointed to represent them in child abuse/neglect and termination of parental rights cases in Wyoming. He will talk about what a parent attorney does from the time of appointment through the various stages of the case to its conclusion. The outcomes range from the child’s reunification with his/her parents to termination of parental rights. He will address his various approaches, alternating between an adversarial role to team building role depending on the stage of the case: Shelter Care hearing, Review hearings, Permanency hearings and the Termination of Parental Rights hearing. The audience will learn about 1) the ethical and legal responsibilities of the attorney representing the parents in these cases; 2) what to expect at the various stages; 3) the reasons for the various strategies; and 4) approaches and how they impact the course of the case and strive to achieve the best outcomes for the family.
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