Legal Roadmap
How your case moves.
Four main hearings shape most dependency cases. Here's what each one is for, and how to walk in prepared.
First Safety Hearing
Preliminary Protective Hearing
What happens
The judge checks if you're safe and decides what happens right away — usually within just a few days of coming into care.
For you specifically
This hearing moves fast. Your lawyer's main job is to make sure you end up in the safest, least restrictive place possible.
Pro tip
Before it starts, tell your lawyer where you'd like to live. A relative, a friend's family, someone you already know — your preference matters.
What happens next: Dates for the next hearings are set.