Dependency Legal Services

Founded in 2012, Dependency Legal Services (DLS) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) law firm providing legal representation and advocacy to indigent families in juvenile dependency proceedings, including children, parents, guardians and Native American custodians in California’s Child Welfare System. We only work with clients appointed to us by the Juvenile Court in the Northern California counties we serve and do not represent clients on a retained basis. We work in the counties of Marin, Placer, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus and Yolo.

Our mission is to provide a multidisciplinary team of professionals to families involved with the child welfare system in order to achieve successful outcomes for every client. 

In every case we take on, our team works both inside and outside of the courtroom to address the root causes behind the client’s entrance into the child welfare system, remove barriers to family reunification, and support permanence for both the children and their guardians.

In addition to advocating for our clients, DLS also uses the legal process to improve the child welfare system as a whole. We collaborate with other stakeholders to support initiatives that work toward juvenile court goals.