What Is a Disposition Hearing in Juvenile Dependency Court?

If you are in juvenile dependency court, your case will proceed through a set sequence of hearings. At the disposition hearing in juvenile court, the child’s placement will be determined. Afterward, Child Protective Services (CPS) and the juvenile dependency court can decide to place the child back with their loved ones or keep them in foster care.

At a juvenile disposition hearing in California, the court will determine where the child ends up in the juvenile dependency case. The child can be returned to the parents, placed with a family member, put in foster care, or placed in a group home.

However, this doesn’t generally market the end of the case. Unless the court has already determined that the child will never return to their parents, there will also be a case plan in place. This case plan will include all of the family reunification services and requirements needed to regain custody.

The following things are determined during the disposition hearing.

• The location, time, and method of visitation
• Where your child will be placed
• The services your child needs for their well-being
• The reunification services parents need to create a safe, healthy home

During the disposition hearing in juvenile court, the judge can decide to place the child with their parents or in an alternative living situation. If the child does return to their parents, the court will set a family maintenance hearing to review the situation in the future.

A family maintenance hearing is set six months after the disposition hearing in juvenile court. During this hearing, the court will review the status of the child’s living situation and the progress parents are making with their reunification services. If the parents have made adequate progress, the judge can decide to close the case. Alternatively, they may decide to schedule another family maintenance hearing to occur six months later.

After the jurisdictional and disposition hearings occur, the court will generally finalize your CPS service plan. This case plan includes all of the services that you will need to complete in order to get your child back.

There are a few important things to remember about your service plan. First, the court will require the services to be completed to regain custody. Even if the services are unnecessary or unfair, they have to be carried out anyway. Second, the court is under no obligation to return the child to the parent’s custody. If the court still has concerns about the suitability of the parent’s home, they will not allow the child to return.

Because of this, you should talk with your juvenile court attorney in California before all of your hearings. Your attorney will help you understand the likelihood of your case’s success. They can also help you stay on top of court filings and deadlines so that you are ready for each court date.

If you have been targeted by CPS, a good attorney can help you build your case. Once you’ve found a talented CPS lawyer near you, you can begin working on the following steps.

• Review your case notes and documents to get ready for your case.
• Follow all of the reunification plans given to you by the juvenile dependency court.
• Get evidence ready.
• Provide a record of all therapies and family reunification services you have already completed.
• Prepare witness testimony. If you will be testifying, work with your lawyer to prepare your own testimony.
• Talk to your lawyer about the possible outcomes so that you know exactly what to expect.

If you’re trying to figure out how to get a lawyer for dependency court, we can help. We’ll help you prepare for your disposition hearing in juvenile court and review your case notes. To learn more, give us a call today.