The State of Florida takes child abuse charges very seriously. Even if you're only facing an accusation, without a conviction or even proof, you may be hit by a restraining order shortly afterward keeping you from seeing your child. If you're convicted, your rights as a parent could be terminated or very strictly monitored, and your case could be seriously harmed if you're involved in a child custody dispute. You could also face career-ending professional consequences if you work with children. Those are in addition to the criminal penalties, which include up to five to 30 years in prison, depending on the accusation. And unfortunately, just an allegation is often enough to show the accused who their true friends are.

The crime of child abuse includes any intentional act that inflicts physical or mental injury on a child; an intentional act that can reasonably be expected to inflict physical or mental injury; or encouraging another person to perform such an act. As you can see, even a light spanking could be punished as child abuse under this statute. Because the law is vague, parents and other caregivers can be swept up in the legal system without warning, accused of serious crimes for behaviors they thought were legal and appropriate. This vagueness can even be used by parents involved in child custody fights to level false accusations at the other side.

Balliro defends Floridians accused of all types of child abuse, including:

• Physical and verbal abuse
• Sexual abuse of a child or molestation
• Aggravated child abuse -- any child abuse involving aggravated battery, great bodily harm, torture or caging of a child
• Neglect of a child, which includes failure to protect a child from abuse
• Defense against restraining order petitions and restraining order violation charges

If you're accused of any of those crimes, it's imperative to call our Fort Lauderdale child abuse defense lawyers as soon as you can -- if possible, before charges are even filed. The sooner we can begin building your defense, the better we can protect you from the life-altering consequences of a conviction. Because child abuse is so appalling, law enforcement and prosecutors sometimes leap to conclusions or fail to investigate both sides of the story. The situation can be complicated if the children are young enough to be "coached" by adults with an agenda, or old enough to have agendas of their own. Our Miami-Dade child abuse defense attorneys will carefully examine the case against you to find flaws that can get the charges dismissed, reduced or penalized with a lighter and more appropriate sentence.

Balliro has years of experience defending Floridians from serious criminal charges, trying literally hundreds of cases to a verdict and successfully representing countless criminal defendants. Because we are experienced West Palm Beach child abuse criminal defense attorneys, we understand exactly how devastating a criminal child abuse charge can be, which is why we are not afraid to go to court when necessary to protect our clients' rights. We also understand that arrests and charges take place at all hours, not just during business hours, so we make ourselves available to clients and potential clients at all times -- 24 hours a day, seven days a week and every day of the year. No matter when you call, you can count on reaching an experienced Fort Lauderdale child abuse defense lawyer.

If you or someone you love is facing child abuse charges in South Florida, you should call Balliro as soon as possible for a free, confidential consultation on your rights and your defense. You can reach us anytime toll-free at 1-866-ARRESTED or contact us via email.