Special Education Law
If you have a child in special education and everything seems to be running smoothly, you may never need a lawyer. However, it is quite possible that at some point during your child’s education, it will make sense to hire, or at least consult, an attorney to help you advocate for your child. Generally speaking, an attorney can help you in one of two ways. A lawyer can provide advice and assistance as needed throughout the individualized education program (IEP) process while you do most of the work, or a lawyer can be directly involved as your formal representative. You may choose to have a lawyer do everything from beginning to end in the IEP process, or you may have the lawyer handle only certain tasks.
Here are some of the specific tasks a lawyer can help you with:
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securing your child’s school files
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requesting an evaluation or an IEP meeting
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preparing for the IEP eligibility meeting
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preparing for the IEP program meeting -- including drafting parts of the IEP and suggesting what material will be most effective
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attending an IEP meeting
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reviewing evaluations and IEP forms before you sign them
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researching a specific legal issue that applies to your situation
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helping you informally resolve a dispute with the school district
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assessing the strength of your case, if you’re considering filing a complaint
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preparing for and attending hearings
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writing post-hearing briefs
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preparing a complaint for you to file with the appropriate educational agency, and
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representing you in court.