Joanne Moser recently went to trial for a client that struggled with substance abuse. The client knew that their children would end up in foster care if they continued, so the client reached out to family members for support. The family members agreed to help raise the child and avoid foster care while they recovered. One family member, who later became the opposing party, refused to return the child to the parent. It was evident that the client made an active effort to improve and overcome their addiction, with many of their family members testifying to that. This was a difficult case with family members against each other, forcing them to pick sides. The professionals involved during the client’s rehabilitation efforts stated that the client’s circumstances from when they first started at the shelter, and now were “night and day.” The client is now fully recovered from their addictions and is a successful, high-performing member of the academic community. A trial ensued, and after the client’s efforts to rehabilitate and successfully raise the child were demonstrated, the judge found that the child should be rightfully returned to the parent.
