Any person facing child abandonment charges will benefit from the expert services of a child abandonment attorney. Child abandonment is a legal term wherein one parent relinquishes all rights associated with the child, never to regain these rights in the future. The causes can range from socio-economic or drugs and alcohol to mental illness. Poverty is the number one reason for abandonment in the United States and most other countries. Child abandonment is malum in se, wrong in itself, and results in serious legal charges because of concerns over the child's welfare. The dangers to the child and the label of malum in se have led to a majority of child abandonment cases resulting in felonies. State and federal law dictates what constitutes a felony or misdemeanor charge in specific cases. In hiring an attorney a person has a much better chance of a positive outcome in court.