What is a juvenile dependency case?
When the Department of Children and Family Services, or its local equivalent in your area, suspects a child of being mistreated, abused or neglected, the parents or guardians may be faced with having a case in Juvenile Dependency Court. The main court in the county of Los Angeles County is Ed Edelman Children’s Court in Monterey Park, however there is also one court room in Lancaster that also hears dependency cases too. These courts are set up specifically to hear cases in which children are suspected of being harmed. In juvenile dependency courts, all decisions are made by hearing officers (Judges, Commissioners or Referees), not juries. The child can be removed from the home immediately by the social worker even before the first court date. If you hire an attorney when you are first contacted by a social worker, you might prevent a formal case from being filed against the parents or guardians. California dependency courts have the goal for a child to be placed in long-lasting and st
