Case workers may capture the Legal Actions that are taken during the course of an investigation. Legal actions are used to manage directives, actions or other activities concerning investigation participants that are conducted by a legal authority. Examples of directives and actions include hearings, petitions, and orders. For example, a court may order a participant with a history of violence to stay away from the family home. Alternatively, the agency may prepare a petition for a court to detain a participant who has committed an offense. Legal actions can result from another legal action, decision or any other reason that is deemed appropriate by the agency. For example, a legal action such as a temporary custody petition may result in a temporary custody hearing that is scheduled as a result of the petition.
Three main categories of legal actions are supported: Legal Petition, Legal Hearing and Legal Order
A case worker may also document the legal status of an investigation participant. When a court makes a decision about what will happen to a participant, it determines a legal status. Examples of legal statuses include adjudicated, crown ward, parental rights terminated, parental custody, and temporary custody. During the course of a case or legal action, a participant's legal status may change. The changes in a participant's legal status can be accessed and tracked by a case worker. A history of a participant's legal status is maintained to allow the case worker to see how a participant's legal status has changed over time, e.g. a participant's legal status may have initially been determined to be 'temporary custody' but then changed to 'parental rights terminated' when there was no longer the possibility that the participant would return home. Legal statuses are not tied to legal actions but may vary depending on or be impacted by the legal action outcome.
The types of legal actions and legal status that can be created within an Investigation are configured as part of administration.
For more information on legal actions and legal status, see the Curam Appeals Guide.