Dependency Legal Services

What it reported doing in 2025

Dependency Legal Services is a non-profit, interdisciplinary law firm dedicated to serving children and parents in child abuse and neglect cases. Our attorneys are court appointed to serve clients in Marin, Placer, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, and Yolo County dependency proceedings. Dependency Legal Services is a dynamic law firm, with opportunities for growth, which values quality representation as well as quality of personal life. ([email protected]). Dependency Legal Services (DLS) served approximately 2262 total clients at any given time in all our counties: This was comprised of approximately 878 children and 1384 parents.For a further breakdown by county: Marin: 113 children and 101 parentsPlacer: 5 children and 245 parentsSonoma: 7 children and 258 parentssolano: 327 children and 273 parentsStanislaus: 122 children and 245 parentsyolo: 304 children and 270 parentsDependency Legal Services continues to raise the quality of services to our clients in various ways. Firstly, DLS remains active in advocating for increased resources for child and parent representation. DLS is an active member of a statewide collaborative to reduce the standard dependency caseload from 141 cases to a lower number consistent with recommendations from nationwide groups and other states. At the same time, DLS advocated for a new methodology for payment for child and parent representation that exceeds the current limit, which is County Counsel levels one and two in each county. Toward this end DLS was part of meetings with legislators and the Judicial Council.Dependency Legal Services co-sponsored a bill that was signed into law by Governor Newsom. A.B. 651 expands the list of hearings that require notice and the opportunity for an incarcerated parent to be physically present, or the opportunity to participate in those proceedings by video conference or teleconference.Dependency Legal Services attorneys serve on the Family Law Advisory Committee, the Family Justice Initiative work group, and the Family Law/Juvenile Law Committee as well. DLS is also a member of the bi-monthly statewide dependency provider group, the monthly Federally Funded Dependency Representation Program work group, a monthly Judicial Council Leadership meeting and a Statewide Dependency Funding work group.DLS attorneys also continue to be contributing authors to Seiser & Kumli on Juvenile Courts Practice and Procedure. This year, senior staff rolled out several training courses for both DLS staff and dependency counsel and social workers within DLS and across the state. This included a Beyond the Bench training on new legislation and client communication as well as statewide training on the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children. Additionally, eleven staff members were sent to the Beyond the Bench conference in Los Angeles. Additionally, several attorneys and social workers attended the National Association of Childs Counsel Conference in Cleveland. Finally, our most recently hired Lead Attorney participated in the One Justice leadership program.DLS continued to explore pre-filing work in our counties. In 2025 DLS was awarded IOLTA and EAF grants by the State Bar of California tocommence these programs in Placer, Sonoma, and Stanislaus counties. While the launch of these programs will be in 2026, much of the program creation and staff hiring started in 2025.DLS also continues to improve our Human Resources department through monthly meetings and consultations with People Rock Human Resources. This has resulted in a much more robust onboarding process and greater documentation reflecting changes in employment. DLS continues to integrate social workers into our multi-disciplinary practice. We are seeing the value social workers bring to parent and child representation.DLS continues to draw down federal funding for our work. We also continued to be part of The Judicial Councils summer internship program for first- and second-year law students. Stipends were for $3,600

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 84.7%; rating input score 85
• Program expense ratio: 92%; rating input score 92
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Missing
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Limited
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 80%; rating input score 80; 16th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 6.3%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.22; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.09; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 21.3%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 15.1% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 14.9% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 23.1% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings