Case library
Nevada family-law decisions, briefed for practice.
24 decisions, organized by topic. Practitioner summaries with key holdings, posture, disposition, and the statutes cited - up front, where you need them. Every summary links to the full opinion.
Case Library = case briefs of the decisions themselves. For long-form explainers of the governing law, Guides; for the exact quotable passages, verified verbatim, the Canon.
12 cases · counsel of record Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada · Child Welfare
IN RE: E.C., J.O.C., M.E.C., O.E.C. AND V.R.C. (FAMILY)
Sep 3, 202691256-COA · Nevada (SCOTN/COA)
Affirmed. ("ORDER the judgment of the district court AFFIRMED.")This is an appeal from a final order in an NRS Chapter 432B child-protection proceeding. As a threshold matter, the court addressed the State's jurisdictional challenge. The State contended the order containing the…
IN RE: N.D., G.D. AND M.D. (FAMILY)
Jan 8, 2026142 Nev. Adv. Op. 2 (2026) · 90392 · Nevada Supreme Court
Appeal allowed to proceed.The court addressed a jurisdictional question of first impression after In re A.B.: whether an order dismissing a NRS Chapter 432B child-protection petition is substantively appealable. Appellate jurisdiction in Nevada…
B. VS. DIST. CT. (CLARK CNTY. DEP'T FAM. SERV.) (FAMILY)
Nov 7, 202525-48691 · 91507-COA · Nevada (SCOTN/COA)
Petition denied.This is an original proceeding seeking extraordinary writ relief - a writ of mandamus or prohibition - challenging the district court's jurisdiction in a proceeding under NRS Chapter 432B. The court set out the…
DESTIN VS. DIST. CT. (HANDWERKER-LAMASTER) (CHILD CUSTODY)
Aug 28, 2025141 Nev. Adv. Op. 42 (2025) · 89114 · Nevada Supreme Court
Petition denied.Standard of review. Mandamus may issue under NRS 34.160 to compel performance of an act the law requires, and under Nev. Const. art. 6, § 4. Relief is available only where the district court "manifestly abused [its]…
IN RE: A.T., A MINOR (FAMILY)
Jun 12, 2025141 Nev. Adv. Op. 32 (2025) · 89128 · Nevada Supreme Court
Petition denied.Standard of review and writ jurisdiction. The court reviewed statutory interpretation de novo, citing Hobbs v. State, 127 Nev. 234, 237, 251 P.3d 177, 179 (2011). Mandamus is available to compel a duty or control a…
CARDENAS-GARCIA VS. DIST. CT. (DEPT. OF FAMILY SERV.)
Aug 22, 2024140 Nev. Adv. Op. 52, 554 P.3d 231 (2024) · 87414 · Nevada Supreme Court
Petition denied.Standard of review: The court reviews questions of statutory interpretation de novo, even on a writ petition, citing Int'l Game Tech., Inc. v. Second Jud. Dist. Ct., 124 Nev. 193, 198, 179 P.3d 556, 559 (2008). The…
IN RE: GUARDIANSHIP OF D.M.F.
Sep 28, 2023139 Nev. Adv. Op. 38, 535 P.3d 1154 (2023) · 84274 · Nevada Supreme Court
Reversed and remanded with instructions.Standard of review. The court reviews guardianship determinations for abuse of discretion, citing Jason S. v. Valley Hosp. Med. Ctr. (In re Guardianship of L.S. & H.S.), 120 Nev. 157, 87 P.3d 521 (2004), and State v.…
IN RE: PARENTAL RIGHTS AS TO L.L.S.
May 27, 2021137 Nev. Adv. Op. 22 (2021) · 79124 · Nevada Supreme Court
Reversed and remanded.Standard of review: Constitutional questions, including a parent's procedural due process rights in a termination proceeding, are reviewed de novo. In re Parental Rights as to M.F., 132 Nev. 209, 212, 371 P.3d 995, 997…
IN RE: PARENTAL RIGHTS AS TO T.M.R.
May 27, 2021137 Nev. Adv. Op. 23 (2021) · 81032 · Nevada Supreme Court
Affirmed.The opinion resolves an ambiguity in Nevada's civil discovery framework as applied to parental-rights terminations. The Court reviews a denial of a motion in limine for abuse of discretion under State ex rel. Department…
MULKERN VS. DIST. CT. (CLARK CTY. DEP'T OF FAMILY SERV.'S)
Oct 18, 2018134 Nev. Adv. Op. 82, 429 P.3d 277 (2018) · 76399 · Nevada Supreme Court
Petition granted in part.Standard of review and writ standards. The court reiterated that mandamus is available to compel an act required by law or to control arbitrary or capricious exercises of discretion, citing Int'l Game Tech., Inc. v.…
IN RE: PARENTAL RIGHTS AS TO A.D.L. AND C.L.B., JR.
Oct 5, 2017133 Nev. Adv. Op. 72 (2017) · 69047 · Nevada Supreme Court
Reversed.The court reviewed the district court's findings of fact for substantial evidence, applying close scrutiny because termination of parental rights is "tantamount to imposition of a civil death penalty." In re Parental…
IN RE: PARENTAL RIGHTS AS TO A.P.M. AND E.M.M.
Sep 10, 2015131 Nev. Adv. Op. 66 (2015) · 64214 · Nevada Supreme Court
Affirmed.Standard of review. A party petitioning to terminate parental rights must establish by clear and convincing evidence that termination is in the child's best interest and that parental fault exists, citing In re Parental…
Every summary is independently verified against the source opinion; summaries are informational research aids, not legal advice, and no substitute for reading the decision. Topic groupings are derived automatically from each case’s category tag and cited statutes; a case may appear under two topics.