I'm an attorney practicing in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. It's important for people to understand that the procedures and local rules of child protective services vary from state to state. The level of involvement required by courts and other third parties varies dramatically. Massachusetts and New Hampshire are night and day compared to each other, for example. Massachusetts is every bit as procedural and bureaucratic as its reputation suggests, where New Hampshire is very different. Find competent local counsel who you trust; there is no one-size-fits-all national template for dealing with any state protective service or fighting a protective order.