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 |
|---|---|
| Misdemeanor | Offense less serious than a felon, punishable by a sentence other than being sent to prison. (A.R.S. Section 13-105) |
| Modification Order | An order of the court that alters, changes, extends, amends, limits, or reduces an earlier order of the court. |
| Modify | To alter; to change; to extend; to amend; to limit; to reduce. |
| Motion | A request to a court for an order granting any kind of relief. |
| Nisi Period | A period of time (usually 90 days) following a final divorce order during which neither person can marry again. |
| Non-Custodial Parent | The parent that has not been granted legal custody of the children. The parent who is not the primary caretaker of the children. |
| Notary Public | A person who is legally authorized to administer oaths and verify that someone has completed an affidavit under oath. |
| Notice of Appearance | A paper filed in court notifying the court and the other people involved, that a person (or their lawyer) is participating in the case. |
| Oath | Swearing or affirming that a statement is true. If someone makes a statement under oath and knows it is false, that person may be subjected to prosecution for perjury. Written documents as well as spoken testimony may be made under oath. |
| Obligee | Commonly refers to the person to whom monthly support is payable. |
| Obligor | Commonly refers to the person ordered to pay support. |
| Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) | The federal office established to oversee the administration of Title IV-D of the Social Security Act. |
| Offset | The reduction of a support indebtedness. (In IV-D, refers to the application of federal or state tax refund monies to child support arrearage.) |
| Opinion | Written statement issued to report the decision of an appellate court. |
| Order to Show Cause | A court order directing a person to appear in court and respond to a legal petition or complaint. |
| Parent Information Program | Each county has adopted and implemented an educational program for the purpose of educating persons about the impacts that divorce, the restructuring of families and judicial involvement have on children. |
| Parent/Child Contact | A court determination establishing the conditions under which a parent may be with his or her child. Also known as Parenting Time. |
| Parentage | A determination that one person is the parent of a child and therefore is responsible for child support and may be entitled to parental rights and responsibilities and parent/child contact. |
| Parental Rights and Responsibilities | (Used to be known as custody) Things that the court has to decide when parents are getting a divorce. Included are where the child lives and who takes care of them; who can make medical decisions for them; and who has access to school and medical records. |
| Parenting Coordinator | Case management, dispute resolution process using mediation and arbitration concepts to help implement parenting plans |