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Get Help With Your Case

If you have an active Child Protective Investigation, you have the right to talk with the Child Protective Services (CPS) team assigned to your case, at any time.

ACS Office of Advocacy

The ACS Office of Advocacy remains available to assist you by phone and e-mail. (We are currently limiting in-person contact in the interests of slowing the spread of COVID-19.)

Send a message to the Office

The Office of Advocacy provides information and responds to the concerns of parents, youth, foster parents, and others affected by the child welfare system, juvenile justice system, and other ACS services. We also answer questions from the general public. All contact with the Office of Advocacy is confidential unless there are safety issues, especially those safety issues concerning a child.

Learn more about the Office of Advocacy

Legal Assistance 

A parent or caretaker who is alleged to have abused or neglected their child has a right to legal representation. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. The following organizations can provide legal assistance to families with Family Court cases. ACS is not affiliated with these organizations. This is not legal advice and is strictly for informational purposes only.

Assistance for Families

Center for Family Representation
Brooklyn Defender Services
The Bronx Defenders
Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem
The Legal Aid Juvenile Rights Practice
Family Legal Care

Assistance for Children

New York State Court System Attorneys for Children Program
The Attorneys for Children Program is the governmental office responsible for maintaining a list of attorneys qualified to represent children, and as such, seeks to provide the highest quality legal services to children involved in the judicial system.

Find a Lawyer

These attorneys are in private practice and their services incur fees. ACS does not endorse and is not affiliated with any of the attorneys that are listed on these links. This is not legal advice and is strictly for informational purposes only.

New York Court Help
New York City Bar Referral Service
NY Attorney Directory

New York State Family Court System

NYC Family Court

  • General information about the five NYC Family Courts, including contact information, maps, transit and driving directions, and hours of operation.
  • Links to all New York State Family Court Forms. 
  • Information about court procedures. 
  • Answers to frequently asked questions about Family Court services.

eFamily Court

  • Free online access to information about Family Court cases with future appearances in all Family Courts and Integrated Domestic Violence Courts in New York State. 
  • Search for cases by docket number, file number, or by attorney or law firm name.
  • View Court calendars.

e-Filing

Forms

Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) Legal Forms
Access OCFS forms used during child welfare investigations. Forms are available in multiple languages.