Juvenile Law
Juveniles
Juvenile law typically consists of two types of cases; delinquency and dependency. Other types of cases may be handled in juvenile court, however most other types of cases fall under the umbrella of family law rather than juvenile law.
This page specifically focuses on Juvenile Criminal Law (Delinquency).
If you're not seeing the type of case you're interested in on this page, check out the family law or DCS page for more case types.
Common Juvenile Court Issues
Delinquency
Delinquency is often known as criminal law for kids. While this is misleading, it also gives a good picture of what delinquency proceedings entail. Delinquency proceedings are the adult equivalent of a criminal trial. Minors have laws that they have to follow just like adults do.
Dependencey
Dependency is typically an issue that revolves around the parent or guardian of a child either treating the child poorly or ignoring the child's needs. These cases are still heard in juvenile court, however, because they center around the parents' conduct, they are typically heard separately. Most areas of East Tennessee refer to this court as DCS court. To learn more about these cases check out the DCS page.
Guardian Ad Litem
GALs are attorneys that represent a person who can't make decisions for themselves, typically a child, but sometimes a GAL can be appointed for a mentally disabled individual. To learn more about GALs, check out the GAL page.