Guides
Guides for Arizona families
Guides on DCS investigations, adoption, parental rights, Central Registry findings, juvenile court, and related family legal questions.
Browse by topic
- Central Registry & PSRT
- Private Severance & Termination
- Adoption
- Grandparents Rights
- Placement Rights
- Juvenile Delinquency Defense
- Dependency & Neglect
- Personal Injury
- Interstate Compact
- Interstate Compact
October 22, 2026
How do I transfer probation or parole to another state under the Interstate Compact?
A transfer under the Interstate Compact is a rules process, not a right. What eligibility, the application, and the wait usually involve.
- Interstate Compact
October 21, 2026
What should I do if a probation retaking starts under the Interstate Compact?
If a sending state starts a probation retaking, you may still have a probable cause hearing in the state where you live. What that hearing is for.
- Interstate Compact
October 20, 2026
What should I do if a parole retaking starts under the Interstate Compact?
Signing a transfer waives formal extradition. It does not, by itself, waive the probable cause hearing before a parole retaking.
- Dependency & Neglect
October 19, 2026
What should I do if DCS leaves a business card at my door in Arizona?
Finding an Arizona DCS investigator's card is not a removal order. What it means, whether you must call back, and first steps.
- Dependency & Neglect
October 18, 2026
What should I do before an Arizona DCS Team Decision Making meeting?
A plain explanation of an Arizona DCS TDM meeting: who attends, what can be decided, and how to prepare before you go.
- Dependency & Neglect
October 17, 2026
Is it a mistake to talk to Arizona DCS without a lawyer?
What an Arizona parent should know before the first talk with a DCS investigator, and how to answer without guessing.
- Placement Rights
September 10, 2026
Foster and kinship placement rights in Arizona dependency court
How Arizona foster and kinship caregivers can seek a court voice, protect placement stability, and keep permanence on the table.
- Central Registry & PSRT
September 9, 2026
Why You Need an Attorney at Your Central Registry Hearing
Why Arizona Central Registry hearings differ from courtroom trials — hearsay rules, evidence weight, cross-examination, and the 20-day deadline to request a hearing.
- Private Severance & Termination
September 9, 2026
Serving an Absent Parent by Publication in an Arizona Private Severance Case
How Arizona private severance cases can use service by publication when a parent cannot be found — due diligence, notice rules, and what publication does not decide.
- Personal Injury
September 7, 2026
When an injury hits your whole household
What to document after a parent or caregiver is hurt — medical bills, missed work, and caregiving gaps — so an injury claim reflects the real cost.
- Juvenile Delinquency Defense
September 6, 2026
Juvenile court vs. adult court when your child is charged
How Arizona juvenile delinquency differs from adult criminal court — goals, hearings, and what parents should know at the first advisory hearing.
- Central Registry & PSRT
September 5, 2026
What a DCS substantiated finding and the Central Registry mean
How Arizona’s Central Registry works, why appeal windows are short, and what a proposed substantiated finding can mean for work, licensing, and caregiving.
- Grandparents Rights
September 4, 2026
Can grandparents intervene in an Arizona dependency case?
How kinship caregivers can seek a voice in juvenile court — visitation, placement, and why grandparents are rarely appointed counsel automatically.
- Private Severance & Termination
September 3, 2026
What a private severance (JS) case means
What an Arizona private severance (JS) case means — how it differs from a DCS severance, and why it often sits in front of adoption.
- Adoption
September 2, 2026
Choosing an Arizona adoption path
Foster-to-adopt, private placement, stepparent, and other Arizona routes — how they differ, what must be clear before finalization, and how to pick the track that can actually finish.
- Dependency & Neglect
September 1, 2026
When DCS first contacts your family
What an Arizona DCS investigation can mean, what rights you have on first contact, and steady first steps before small choices reshape the case.
Talk with a Phoenix juvenile law & child welfare attorney
Share what is going on — DCS involvement, Central Registry, adoption, parental rights, juvenile charges, or an injury claim. Available 24/7 — call anytime for a free consultation.