Deprived Child Case: Father Regains Custody After DHS Removes Children from Mother's Care

A father who had lost custody of his children during his original divorce and who had only minimal visitation because of past mistakes (multiple DUIs) came to us for help after the Oklahoma Department of Human Services removed his children from their mother's home. DHS stepped in and removed the children after a violent, alcohol-fueled incident between the mother and her spouse at a campground.

Legal Strategy

We moved quickly to intervene in this deprived-child case on our client's behalf, presenting evidence of the progress he had made since the divorce and demonstrating that he could now provide a safe, stable home. Our team worked to have the children removed from state custody and placed with him, while also building in protections addressing the mother and her spouse's history of alcohol abuse and domestic violence.

Challenges

Our client's past DUIs and the fact that he had previously lost custody worked against him from the start. We had to overcome the court's initial skepticism and show that his history did not reflect who he was today, all while the case carried the added weight and urgency of active DHS involvement.