A. The petition for the termination of the parent-child relationship filed pursuant to this article shall include, to the best information or belief of the petitioner:

Terms Used In Arizona Laws 8-534

  • Agency: means an agency licensed by the division to place children for adoption. See Arizona Laws 8-531
  • Child: means a person less than eighteen years of age. See Arizona Laws 8-531
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • legal custody: means a status embodying all of the following rights and responsibilities:

    (a) The right to have physical possession of the child. See Arizona Laws 8-531

  • Parent: means the natural or adoptive mother or father of a child. See Arizona Laws 8-531
  • Parent-child relationship: includes all rights, privileges, duties and obligations existing between parent and child, including inheritance rights. See Arizona Laws 8-531
  • Person: includes a corporation, company, partnership, firm, association or society, as well as a natural person. See Arizona Laws 1-215
  • Petition: means a written statement of the essential facts that allege delinquency, incorrigibility or dependency. See Arizona Laws 8-201

1. The name and place of residence of the petitioner.

2. The name, sex, date and place of birth and residence of the child.

3. The basis for the court’s jurisdiction.

4. The relationship of the petitioner to the child or the fact that no relationship exists.

5. The names, addresses and dates of birth of the parents, if known.

6. The names and addresses of the person having legal custody or guardianship of the person or acting in loco parentis to the child or the organization or authorized agency having legal custody or providing care for the child.

7. The grounds on which termination of the parent-child relationship is sought.

8. The names and addresses of the persons or authorized agency or officer thereof to whom or to which legal custody or guardianship of the person of the child might be transferred.

B. Whenever possible the court on terminating the parental rights of a birth parent in a termination of parental rights proceeding shall obtain from the birth parent a notarized statement that does both of the following:

1. Acknowledges that when the person who is the subject of the termination of parental rights proceeding reaches eighteen years of age, the person may obtain a copy of the person’s original birth certificate as provided in section 36-340.

2. Grants or withholds consent for the person who is the subject of the termination of parental rights proceeding to review adoption records, if the person is subsequently adopted, when the person reaches eighteen years of age.

C. A copy of any relinquishment or consent and the notarized consent pursuant to section 8-106, subsection F, if any, previously executed by the parent shall be attached to the petition.

  Previous section
Next section  
 Article 5 Contents