An Overview of Child Dependency

This lecture will cover the litigation segments of a child dependency case in the juvenile courts, from the inception of a case through the filing of a complaint, to case review hearings,  to termination of parental rights hearings.  The lecture will also guide the attorney on how to conduct their first meeting with the parent-client in light of the current emotional state of the parent in order to gather the most relevant information to form a defensive case strategy for that client.

The lecture also reviews federal case law summaries to advise the client on precedent guiding permanency decisions for children in most juvenile courts.  The lecture will also discuss who the players are in dependency cases so  that the lawyer can immediately speak with them after the parent-client  interview in order to gain a litigation advantage for that client.