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.
Family Law
Glossaries
| Term | Main definition |
|---|---|
| Family Court | A trial court that has jurisdiction over all family cases, including divorce, child support, parentage, domestic abuse and juvenile cases. |
| Family Law Commissioner | A judicial officer appointed in the superior court to establish and enforce support orders in IV-D cases. |
| Federal Parent Locator Service | A national system operated by OCSE for the purpose of searching federal government records to locate parents. |
| Felony | A serious crime, punishable by imprisonment in a state penitentiary. In some cases, the death penalty can be imposed. |
| Filing Fee | Amount of money charged by the court when a case is started. |
| Findings | Rulings by a court as to what facts are true. |
| Follow Regular Schedule | The children follow their regular schedule and celebrate the holiday with the assigned parent who has parenting time on that day or time. |
| Forcible Entry and Detainer | A special proceeding for returning possession of lands, tenements or other real property to a person who has been wrongfully kept off the land or deprived of use of the land. This is a common proceeding used in landlord/tenant disputes, also known as eviction. |
| Full Faith & Credit | The constitutional principle which entitles a judgment of the court of one state to recognition and enforcement in a court in another state. |