How are parents rights severed/terminated in Arizona?
A legal pleading is filed with the juvenile court in Pima County asking the court to sever or terminate parental rights. In addition, a social study must be prepared and filed with the court telling about the reasons for the request that a parent’s rights be ended. The court must be able to find by clear and convincing evidence that one of several grounds exist in order for the court to order that the parent’s rights be ended. The law in Arizona says that possible grounds to end a parent’s rights include abandonment, abuse, neglect, mental illness, chronic drug abuse, or incarceration. Each of these grounds requires Specific types of information be provided to the court in order to be successful in requesting that parental rights be severed or ended. Another ground for ending parental rights is when the parent consents to have those rights ended. This should be in writing. That consent must also include the parent’s statement regarding whether they give permission for the child to obta
