Los Angeles County Department of Children & Family Services v. Wilford J.

Opinion

PERLUSS, P. J.—

“A parent’s fundamental right to adequate notice and the opportunity to be heard in dependency matters involving potential deprivation of the parental interest [citation] has little, if any, value unless the parent is advised of the nature of the hearing giving rise to that opportunity, including what will be decided therein. Only with adequate advisement can one choose to appear or not, to prepare or not, and to defend or not. ” (In re Stacy T. (1997) 52 Cal.App.4th 1415, 1424 [61 Cal.Rptr.2d 319], italics added.)

In accordance with the general practice followed by many…