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Children and Family Law Division - CPCS

Children and Family Law

Our Mission

The Children and Family Law Division (CAFL) represents children and indigent parents in many kinds of family law cases, including:

  • Cases in which the Department of Children and Families (DCF) removes children from their homes because of claims of neglect or abuse. These cases are called “care and protection” (C&P) cases or “termination of parental rights” cases.
  • Cases in which parents ask the Juvenile Court for help with child-related challenges at home. These cases, called “child requiring assistance” (CRA) cases, also involve children who are truant from school or who run away from home.
  • Cases in which parents contest guardianship petitions and adoption petitions filed by relatives and others.
  • Other types of cases involving DCF.

Standing Up For Families

Our attorneys protect the rights of parents and children to stay together whenever possible – and when courts free siblings for adoption, we fight to find them a stable, permanent home that allows them to stay together.

We ensure that DCF provides the services and support that parents and children need and are entitled to under the law.

Every family’s situation is different – and our advocacy reflects that. For a parent in a care and protection case, a skilled CAFL lawyer can be the difference between reunification and losing parental rights – known as the “death penalty of family law.” For a teenager in a truancy case, our efforts can unlock access to special education services and help them stay in school. And when courts free siblings for adoption, we fight to find them a stable, permanent home that allows them to stay together.

Find a CAFL Attorney or Staff Member

Most CAFL lawyers are private attorneys. Others are CPCS staff members who work in partnership with CPCS staff social workers.

CAFL has a ten trial offices, an appellate office, and two conflict offices called the Family Justice Advocates. Find contact information for each office and its staff in our directory.

Search the directory

Family Justice Advocates (CAFL Conflicts Office)

Family Justice Advocates (CAFL Conflicts Office) The multidisciplinary teams in CAFL’s Family Justice Advocates (FJA) represent children and indigent parents in state intervention/family regulation cases in the Juvenile Courts and Probate and Family Courts. FJA was established in 2022 in Springfield, Massachusetts, and in 2024 expanded to Worcester County. The FJA has separate physical offices, management, computer systems, and other mechanisms in place to ensure its independence and separation from all other CPCS offices for conflict-of-interest purposes.

Committee for Public Counsel Services, Family Justice Advocates

1441 Main Street, Suite 200A, Springfield MA 01103

Phone: (413) 707-9700

Fax: (508) 580-3173

Resources for Clients

Explore dedicated resources for children and parents involved in CAFL cases.

Client complaints

Resources for CAFL Private Attorneys

Each county or region has a Resource Attorney who is available to provide guidance to private panel attorneys. Additionally, the CAFL Trial Panel Support Unit has an attorney liaison for each county.

See FY2026 resource attorneys
Visit the CAFL Training Portal

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