TPR Issue Spotter

This resource was created by the American Bar Association.

The TPR Issue Spotter is designed to assist attorneys challenging the termination of parental rights (TPR) by highlighting significant state Supreme Court and appellate decisions that have upheld parental rights. It is not comprehensive but focuses on cases that exemplify core legal themes and provide persuasive precedent for advocates working to preserve family unity. This resource elevates decisions reflecting growing judicial concern with due process violations, systemic failures, and the misuse of law in TPR proceedings. It is important to note that there may be additional grounds for arguing that a TPR should be reversed beyond those reflected here.  We hope this serves as both a tool for issue spotting and a repository of persuasive case law to strengthen motions, briefs, and oral advocacy. Above all, it is a living document to support litigation strategy, amplify wins, and build a growing body of work against the routine—and often unjust—severance of parental rights.