CPS Defense
When CPS Comes to Your Door
A visit from Child Protective Services -- the investigation arm of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) -- is one of the most frightening experiences a parent can face. Whether the allegations involve physical abuse, neglect, drug use, or unsafe living conditions, the consequences can be severe: your children may be removed from your home, and the state may ultimately seek to terminate your parental rights. Natalie Fowler represents parents and families throughout Georgetown and Central Texas in CPS cases at every stage of the process.
Your Rights During a CPS Investigation
Many parents do not realize they have rights when a CPS caseworker shows up. You are not required to let the caseworker into your home without a court order. You are not required to submit to drug testing without a court order. You have the right to have an attorney present during interviews. You have the right to know the specific allegations against you.
That said, being uncooperative can work against you. The key is knowing which requests you must comply with and which ones you can decline -- and making those decisions with legal guidance. If CPS has contacted you or if you believe an investigation is coming, speak with an attorney before you say or do anything that could be used against you later.
Common Triggers for CPS Investigations
- Reports of physical discipline that may cross the line into abuse
- Allegations of drug or alcohol use in the home
- Concerns about inadequate supervision or neglect
- Domestic violence in the household
- Reports from schools, hospitals, or other mandatory reporters
- Custody disputes where one parent files a report against the other
The Adversary Hearing
If DFPS removes your children from your home on an emergency basis, the agency must hold an adversary hearing within 14 days. This hearing is your first opportunity to appear before a judge and argue that your children should be returned. The adversary hearing is critically important -- the outcome often sets the tone for the entire case. Having an attorney at this hearing can make a significant difference.
Service Plans and Court Reviews
In most CPS cases, the court will order a service plan that requires the parent to complete specific steps, such as parenting classes, substance abuse treatment, counseling, or stable housing. Compliance with your service plan is one of the most important things you can do to get your children back. The court will hold periodic status hearings and permanency hearings to review your progress.
Natalie helps parents understand what is expected of them under their service plan, monitors deadlines, and advocates on their behalf at every hearing. She also holds DFPS accountable when the agency fails to provide the services or visitation it has promised.
Termination of Parental Rights
If the state determines that reunification is not in the child's best interest, DFPS may file a petition to terminate your parental rights. Termination is permanent -- once your rights are terminated, you lose all legal relationship with your child. Texas law requires the state to prove its case by clear and convincing evidence, a higher standard than most civil cases, but these proceedings are complex and the stakes could not be higher.
Natalie has experience handling termination cases and understands the evidentiary standards, procedural requirements, and defense strategies that can make the difference between keeping your family together and losing your parental rights.
Court-Appointed and Retained Representation
Natalie Fowler has extensive experience as both a court-appointed attorney and retained counsel in CPS cases. She has represented parents in DFPS matters in Williamson County, Travis County, and surrounding jurisdictions. Whether you have been appointed an attorney or want to hire your own, you deserve someone who will fight for your family and guide you through a process that can feel overwhelming.
If CPS has contacted you, removed your children, or if you are facing a termination proceeding, call Fowler Legal PLLC at 512-765-5811 right away. Early legal representation can change the outcome of your case.
When a Doctor's Opinion Becomes a Removal Order
Some of the most devastating CPS cases begin not with evidence of abuse, but with a disagreement — between a parent and a doctor, between a hospital's initial assessment and the full medical picture. A physician reports suspected abuse. DFPS responds within hours. Children are removed before a second opinion is ever sought, before the medical evidence is fully examined, before anyone asks whether another explanation is possible.
This happens more often than most people realize. And it is among the most difficult situations a family can face — because the accusation is coming from a trusted medical institution, DFPS arrives with authority and urgency, and parents are left trying to prove a negative while their children are in state custody.
Natalie Fowler has successfully represented parents in these cases. She works with independent medical experts to obtain second opinions, challenge inadequate differential diagnoses, and present the full evidentiary picture to the court — including alternative medical explanations that were never properly investigated before removal.
Disputed Injury Diagnosis
A child presents at the ER with an injury. A physician reports suspected non-accidental trauma. DFPS removes the child before a second opinion is obtained or alternative explanations — metabolic conditions, accidental injury, birth trauma, or bleeding disorders — are properly ruled out. Natalie works with independent physicians to conduct the differential diagnosis that should have happened before removal.
Medical Treatment Disagreements
Parents have the right to make medical decisions for their children, including the right to seek second opinions and decline recommended treatments in favor of alternatives. CPS sometimes intervenes when parents exercise this right — treating parental disagreement with a physician as evidence of neglect or endangerment. Natalie represents parents whose children have been removed because they questioned a diagnosis, sought care elsewhere, or declined a recommended procedure.
How Natalie Builds These Cases
Every medical CPS case begins with the records. Natalie obtains complete medical documentation, retains qualified independent medical experts to review the evidence, and identifies where the original assessment failed to consider all reasonable causes. She has obtained dismissals in cases where the medical evidence, properly examined, did not support the abuse allegation that triggered removal.
If your child was removed following a medical report and you believe the diagnosis is wrong or incomplete, you need an attorney with experience in medically contested CPS cases — not just CPS procedure. The window to challenge the medical basis for removal is narrow. Call before the adversary hearing.
Frequently Asked
What if CPS removed my child based on a doctor's report I think is wrong?
If your child was removed following a medical report and you believe the diagnosis is incomplete or incorrect, call immediately — before the adversary hearing. Natalie Fowler works with independent medical experts to review the evidence and challenge inadequate differential diagnoses. She has obtained dismissals in medically contested CPS cases. 512-765-5811.
Need help with your case?
Call Fowler Legal PLLC at 512-765-5811 or fill out our contact form.
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