DCS | CPS - Child Protective Services Lawyers in Phoenix

If the Department of Child Safety (DCS), formerly known as CPS (Child Protective Services), has taken your children from your care or is threatening to do so, Moshier Law is here to provide assistance. With over a decade of experience, we specialize in representing parents and relatives of children who have become entangled in the DCS system. The Arizona DCS is known for its aggressive approach, and it has a troubling track record of removing children and facing challenges when it comes to reuniting them with their families or, in some cases, intentionally keeping them apart.

Our firm has observed instances where DCS has placed children with strangers rather than considering placement options with their next of kin. While we anticipate that DCS may undergo a comprehensive reevaluation of its methods and tactics, recent years have seen a harsh approach that has led to children being completely separated from their biological families. This situation has been well-documented in recent investigative journalism reports.

https://www.propublica.org/article/a-mother-needed-welfare-instead-the-state-used-welfare-funds-to-take-her-son See More Details. 

https://www.propublica.org/article/for-black-families-in-phoenix-child-welfare-investigations-are-constant-threat.  See More Details. 

We are your trusted DCS and CPS lawyers in Phoenix, also known as child protective services lawyers in Phoenix, and we are helping families facing such situations. Our team of experienced dependency lawyers in Phoenix is here to support you during these challenging times.

DCS doesn’t just impact the rights of parents; it also leaves family members on the sidelines feeling powerless as DCS cuts through the family tree, severing every connection that could link a child to their relatives. If parents are unable to bring their children back home, we often step in to help aunts, uncles, grandparents, siblings, and step-siblings. No matter the unique family situation, we’ve likely found ourselves in a courtroom, wearing smiles on adoption day as we successfully overcome DCS’s persistent and sometimes baseless objections. It’s important to remember that, in the end, a judge has to make the final decision, but you need a lawyer who is ready to guide you through this difficult journey that no family ever wishes to experience.

Our team of experienced DCS and CPS lawyers in Phoenix, also known as child protective services lawyers in Phoenix, is dedicated to assisting families facing these challenging situations. Our skilled dependency lawyers in Phoenix are here to support you in navigating this path that no family ever wants to traverse.

Our firm has handled some of the toughest cases involving child dependency and termination of parental rights, as well as defending the rights and steering the interventions of grandparents and other family members. We have represented clients seeking to terminate rights of other parents, and clients seeking to adopt a child. We have also represented relatives of parents whose children are being taken away by DCS to keep those children with their family and out of foster homes.

Removal of children and termination of parental rights cases are handled by the juvenile courts in cases called “Dependency” cases. These cases feel like a criminal case. They follow their own set of rules – not like criminal court and not like family court. Moshier law has over a decade of experience in this unique area of law. Most family lawyers will not take these cases, but this is where we thrive. In one extreme case, we were even asked to help a parent reinstate their rights after termination. While not all cases may have this outcome, we were able to help that parent re-establish parental and custodial rights.

Typically DCS cases begin when there is a report of a problem in the home affecting the child. Even if the parents do not live together, a DCS report at one home can result in the removal of children from both homes. Once the children are in the system, it will be difficult to get them out. DCS cases move slowly, and it is up to the parent to prove a child is safe with the parent. DCS does not have to prove there is an ongoing problem to continue to keep your child away from you. DCS has a very low threshold to overcome. If you want your children back, you have to prove your case in a difficult and confusing area of law.

DCS has to provide “services” to parents before they can sever a parent’s rights. “Services” is a really important term, and you do not want to miss the chance to have an attorney work with you on the “services” issue. Failure to complete services can allow for the state to terminate parental rights – non-cooperation with the process is enough to lose your children. Knowing the laws and knowing how DCS operates requires expert guidance and skill. We have been in court, representing parents against the Department for a decade, and know what to expect and how to get children back home. We know all the major cases involving DCS and termination or reinstatement of rights. When it comes to DCS, you need excellent legal representation.

If you are in a Dependency, the state will provide you with an attorney. Your attorney has likely been assigned many, many other cases than your case. Consider hiring a private lawyer for the most important aspect of your life, your Constitutional right to raise your children. A private lawyer can apply resources to creative strategies and devote time to really understanding and developing your side of the case. We return telephone calls, we can send you text messages and put our direct attention on our cases. We can choose how many cases we take. There are some cases we do decline to work with, but we carefully consider each case. If you are a family member like a grandparent, aunt or uncle, you will not be assigned an attorney. Your case depends on the best legal representation you can afford. Moshier Law will be tenacious in advocating for your legal rights, every step of the way.