Legal Definitions - preliminary protective hearing

A preliminary protective hearing is a legal proceeding that takes place shortly after a child has been removed from their home due to concerns about their safety or well-being. This hearing is held to determine whether the child should remain in protective custody or be returned to their parents or guardians.

A preliminary statement is the beginning part of a legal document, such as a brief or memorandum, where the writer summarizes the main points of their argument. This is often used in court papers in New York and New Jersey, but is not required in other jurisdictions.

For example, in a brief arguing for a client's innocence in a criminal case, the lawyer may include a preliminary statement outlining the key evidence and legal arguments they will make in the rest of the document. This helps the reader understand the main points of the argument before diving into the details.