Department of Child and Family Services Court of Appeals

Legal Representation

When a case is overseen past the Juvenile Court, your child will be assigned a "pocket-size'south attorney." Y'all besides have the correct to take an attorney propose and represent you at all courtroom hearings, only it is not required.

Los Angeles Dependency Lawyers is a nonprofit organization that represents parents in juvenile dependency proceedings in Los Angeles County. The court can appoint a LADL lawyer at your request, or you may hire your ain attorney.

Children's Law Center of California represents minors in juvenile dependency proceedings in Los Angeles County.

Know Your Rights

Even if your kid is in DCFS custody while your case is open,you are even so their parent in the eyes of the law, and you maintain parental rights.

You have the correct to an interpreter in court if yous do not understand English. Learn more about DCFS Immigration Policy.

If you become incarcerated at any point, always continue in touch with your social worker and attorney. Keep them advised of your housing location and programs you lot are in while incarcerated and your release engagement. Learn more most the Incarcerated Parents Program.

Parental Rights

Courtroom Hearings

Each court hearing has a different purpose. The purpose of the Juvenile Dependency Court is to keep children safety and help families create a safe dwelling house for their children.

i. Initial Petition Hearing

One day after the social worker files the petition, the Initial Petition Hearing is held. This is the first time that the Juvenile Court will consider your child's case.

If you do not attend this or any of the courtroom hearings, the court may get ahead without yous and you will miss the chance to be heard!

Yous will be informed of the date, time and place of the hearing by the DCFS social worker assigned to your case, and the social worker from Court (IDC). Yous volition likewise be asked to provide the court with your permanent mailing accost so that yous may receive observe of the date, time and place of all hereafter courtroom hearings.

Some things to expect at the initial petition hearing:

Earlier the hearing begins, you lot will be given a copy of the petition. You will have an opportunity to read it and ask your chaser questions about its allegations.

During the hearing you volition exist asked if the petition is true or if you deny it. You may admit or deny the allegations of the petition.

Note: Admit is a legal word. If yous acknowledge to the allegations of the petition, y'all are telling the court they are truthful. Deny is a legal word. You are telling the court that the allegations of the petition are non true.

Your child's case worker will have prepared a report recommending where your child should live.

If you concord with the case worker's recommendation, the court volition move forward with that recommendation. If y'all do not concord with the recommendation, your case will be connected for a disposition hearing , to decide appropriate placement.

Notation: Agreeing or disagreeing with the instance worker's recommendation does not necessarily mean that your kid will be placed in out-of-home care.

If you deny the statements in the petition, your instance will exist set for a jurisdiction hearing .

At that place, the court will decide if some or the unabridged petition is truthful. If the court finds the petition not truthful, the case will be dismissed and your child will be returned to yous. If the court finds the petition true, the case volition exist set for a disposition hearing .

2. Disposition Hearing & Ruling

At the disposition hearing, the court volition consider a written report from the instance worker and any other evidence and argument offered by any political party. Yous are entitled to receive and read the written report earlier the hearing is conducted.

The court will and so decide if your child should remain in/render to your home, the domicile of the other parent, or be placed in the home of a relative, a foster dwelling house or a home providing specially needed help.

At that point, your case volition fall into one of two categories:

Family Maintenance

Your child will remain at habitation with one or both parents, however you may be court-mandated to complete required trainings or services. DCFS volition work with you to develop a prevention plan and connect you with support services.

Family Reunification

Your child will be temporarily placed out-of-habitation, away from one or both parents, either in foster intendance or with a relative caregiver. DCFS will then work with y'all to develop a reunification programme and connect you with services then that you may piece of work toward being reunited with your child.

It is important to remember that if you accept an open investigation with DCFS, y'all take the correct to talk with the social worker assigned to your instance, your attorney, or our Parent Partners at whatever time. Navigating this process can be stressful, and confusing, and they tin be a useful resources.

3. Review Hearings

Review hearings will be scheduled every 6 months. Review hearings allow the court the opportunity to acknowledge your difficult work, review your compliance with court orders and decide if children who are in placement can safely render home. If your children are in your home, the court may determine when your dependency case can be airtight.

DCFS volition post you a copy of the report and detect for every review hearing. It is important to always provide the Court and DCFS with your current mailing address.

4. Rehearing/Appellate Rights

Y'all take the right to request a rehearing regarding any orders fabricated past a referee or commissioner. Whether a guess, commissioner, or referee heard your case, yous take the right to have the Court of Entreatment review certain orders. You lot should consult with your chaser regarding this correct.

Case Records

Records related to the corruption or fail of minors generated by DCFS and the Juvenile Court are confidential.

Parents, current and former and foster youth, their attorneys, and others who are eligible may request copies of instance records.

Request Case Records

More than Information

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Source: https://dcfs.lacounty.gov/parents/court-proceedings/