Kathy Rowell, Attorney at Law
Child Welfare Law Specialist--Certified by the NACC Former DCS Attorney--20 years of Legal Experience Child Custody and Juvenile Law Focus Mediator For Custody and Juvenile Cases 518 Georgia Avenue, Suite 100 Chattanooga, TN 37403 (423) 702-4479; (423) 551-3144 (fax) Business Hours: Monday-Thursday 9AM-5PM Fridays 9AM-Noon attorneyrowell@hotmail.com Experience You Can Trust; Personalized Guidance Through the Legal System
When you are experiencing difficult times with your loved ones, it is important to have someone you can trust on your team. A true Southerner raised in Birmingham, Alabama, I am a Child Welfare law specialist certified by the NACC and have worked as a trial attorney in child welfare for 14 years. After working for 7 years with the Department of Children's Services in Southeast Tennessee, I opened my law practice to help individuals navigate the court system, which can be very confusing. For any relationship, communication is key. I have an office policy regarding returning all client messages within 24 hours, because one of my personal pet peeves is when I leave messages and no one calls me back. If I don't know the answer to one of your questions, I will tell you that I don't know and will find out the answer as quickly as I can. If I can't help you, I will refer you to an attorney or organization who can. I am very aware of the fact that when children are involved in prolonged custody battles, it is easy for them to become victims. Even though I will do everything I can to negotiate the best settlement for you, I will take your case to trial if the situation warrants it. I will zealously advocate your position in court and offer you personalized guidance and counseling every step of the way. Families really need to be encouraged to work together for the best interests of the child. I want to help families heal so they can work together and keep children out of the court system. Some of my community experience includes sitting on the advisory board for SETLAW, the Southeast Tennessee Lawyer's Association for Women, and membership in the Chattanooga Women's Leadership Institute. When I am not working, I love movies, music, yoga, hiking, and travel. DCS Investigations
What do I do if I am being investigated by DCS? Being investigated by DCS is a very intrusive and serious matter. It is common for people to make abuse reports when they are going through custody battles or divorce. If you are being investigated by DCS, I will represent you throughout the investigation and make sure all of your rights are protected. If you get indicated for abuse or neglect, I can help you fight that as well. I have more information on DCS investigations under my Practice Areas page on this website.
I know parents who are abusing prescription drugs and I don't think their children are safe at home--what should I do? Whether you are a loving grandparent, aunt or uncle, godparent, or family friend, if you know that children are not safe at home, I can represent you and help you file a custody petition and present evidence in court. If you have a good relationship with the parent, we may be able to get what is called a consent order. You should also consider calling in an abuse report to DCS. I can also help you find affordable services for the parents that are abusing drugs or who have other issues that are negatively affecting their ability to parent. This website has been designed for informational purposes only. In no way should this information be interpreted as giving out legal advice. If you need legal advice, you need to consult with an attorney in person. No attorney-client relationship is formed by any use of the information provided herein.
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