Until you come across a grave family issue, you may never come to terms with the fact that your pre-verbal infants who haven’t yet learned to speak might have a lawyer appointed who can represent them at the court. Such lawyers are regularly appointed via the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate for both youth and children and even for infants who are involved in protection of child matters. There are times when the consent of the parents is not really taken into account. Such prime lawyers are located in Parramatta and you can appoint them if you’re involved in family law or divorce proceedings. This can be done if the judge orders it or their parents agree to it.
Why should your baby require a lawyer?
Canada is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on Rights of the Child and among different other thing, Canada has agreed that children have right:
- To be treated with respect and fairness
- To health, life, development and education
- To have adults take good care of them and act in their favor and
- To respect all the above mentioned views
How are the rights ensured to a child who still can’t speak in any matter of family law?
The interests and rights of parents aren’t always the same as the interests and rights of their infants. With the rapid pace of development in early years and due to the fact that early development shapes the stage for life-long well-being and health, the infant will have urgent needs. Infants will always require the opportunity to form a relationship with a caregiver who is sensitive enough and it needs to be protected from all kinds of stress. A lawyer is hired to represent the infant’s rights and make sure the needs are considered carefully during resolution of disputes.
The role that a lawyer plays for toddlers and infants varies, depending on different factors. For a pre-verbal client who is either a toddler or a baby, the court will appoint an attorney to be ‘friend of the court’ or the lawyer might choose to play such a role. The job of the lawyer will be to present different information to let the judge to rely decisions on the best interests of the baby.
In maximum situations, you can expect the lawyer of the baby to do few things for you:
- They will meet your baby, generally at the home of the baby
- They will remain independent of the wishes of their parents and
- They will present evidence which could help the judge in deciding what will affect the best interests of the baby
During the proceedings of child protection, the lawyer will advocate on behalf of the toddler to make sure there are no unaffordable delays.
Therefore, if you’re wondering about the different ways in which you can take care of your family law proceedings, you can take into account the above mentioned facts.