{"id":351932,"date":"2022-02-02T14:51:25","date_gmt":"2022-02-02T19:51:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/family\/parental-rights-and-liability\/can-i-sue-the-department-of-social-services-dss.html"},"modified":"2023-05-25T10:45:23","modified_gmt":"2023-05-25T15:45:23","slug":"can-i-sue-the-department-of-social-services-dss","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/family\/parental-rights-and-liability\/can-i-sue-the-department-of-social-services-dss.html","title":{"rendered":"Can I Sue the Department of Social Services (DSS)?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Can I Sue the Department of Social Services (DSS)?<\/h1>\n
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\n By Ty McDuffey, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by John Mascolo, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

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Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n

Yes, you can sue the Department of Social Services, especially if they have violated your rights.  You can sue them in federal or state court depending on the underlying issue.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n

You can, but you have an uphill battle against the state Department of Social Services (DSS) in court.<\/p>\r\n

If you believe they have discriminated against you or removed your child for no reason, you may be able to sue in federal court. If you think they made a huge mistake in taking away your child custody or deliberately hurt you, you may be able to sue in state court.<\/p>\r\n

State Social Services Agencies<\/h2>\r\n

State governments provide many social services. The agency may go by different names depending on where you are (for example, DSS, Department of Human Services, etc.), but they generally provide several different social services:<\/p>\r\n