Overview

The Legal Department of Luzerne County Children and Youth Services is responsible for initiating court proceedings pursuant to the Juvenile Act, the Child Protective Services Act (CPSL), and the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA). The legal department provides direction to all children and youth staff, regarding the legal aspects of child abuse, expungements, dependency, shelter care, termination of parental rights and permanency reviews. The legal department represents the agency in all appeals from the Court of Common Pleas to the Appellate Courts of the jurisdiction of Pennsylvania, which include preparation of all legal pleadings, legal briefs, and all reproduced records and oral arguments.