ABSTRACT
The law regarding child maltreatment is complex, as is the U.S. court system. This chapter offers a review of the legal system in the United States with an emphasis on how child maltreatment cases are handled in the various court systems. The chapter begins by considering how to prepare children for participation in the legal system as witnesses. It is clear that even if protecting children is a goal of the courts, the courts were not set up with children in mind. The Court Prep Group and The Child Victim/Witness Program are presented as examples of working with children in this setting. The main portion of the chapter reviews the four types of courts that hear child maltreatment cases (juvenile court, domestic relations court, criminal court, and civil court). The strengths and weaknesses of each court system for dealing with child maltreatment are addressed.
