Please visit our website for more information. The Child’s Advocate is a project of Legal Aid of North Carolina. Our core service is to provide attorneys to children in contentious family court cases. We are appointed by judges in Wake County Family Court to represent children in cases which usually involve one or more of the following: chronic conflict between the parents, neglect, substance abus
e, child abuse, domestic violence, continuing litigation, mental illness, or children with special needs. Decisions relating to custody and visitation have a critical impact on the lives of the children we serve. Once appointed by the Court, we are attorneys for our child clients, protecting their interests and ensuring their voices are heard. Attorneys at The Child’s Advocate work with private lawyers and mental health professionals in Wake County to represent every child identified by the Court as needing an independent and zealous advocate. In the majority of our cases, the Child’s Advocate helps the parents to resolve the custody dispute without the need for a trial. This greatly reduces stress on both the child and the parents, and saves the Court the time and expense of a custody trial. When a trial is necessary, we give the child a strong and effective voice so that the child’s expressed wishes are considered by the Court. We also increase the ability of the Court to obtain timely and reliable information about the child, the parties and the facts of the case. This allows the Court to make the best decision possible to safeguard the child’s interests.
