In the fall of 2024, the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) mailed letters to parents who once had an open dependency and/or severance case.
Did you receive a letter? Visit the DCS letter page for more information.
When do legal decision making and parenting time issues arise?
Most often, disputes about legal decision making and parenting time arise when married parents ask the court for a dissolution of the marriage (divorce) or a legal separation. However, legal decision making issues may also arise between parents who have never been married or who no longer live together. Legal decision making issues may also arise after the dissolution of marriage is final. In these situations, parents sometimes disagree about who makes decisions affecting the welfare of the child, where the child resides, or how much parenting time a parent will have with the child.