Orange County Social Services Agency v. Frances S.

Frances S. (mother) appeals from a judgment of the juvenile court terminating her parental rights and releasing minors Gary P., Brittany P., and David P., for adoption. (Welf. & Inst. Code, § 366.26.) The sole ground for this appeal is mother’s contention the judgment is not in the best interest of minors because adoption would sever ties with the maternal grandmother, depriving them of the fundamental right to an extended family. In affirming, we decline to address the merits of this claim since we hold mother lacks standing to raise issues affecting another person’s interests.

Welfare and Institutions Code section 395 provides a judgment in a dependency proceeding “may be appealed from in the same manner as any *877 final judgment.” As one of minors’ parents, mother is clearly entitled to appeal. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 1435(b).) But, “[a]n appellant cannot urge errors which affect only another party who does not appeal.” (In re Vanessa Z. (1994) 23 Cal.App.4th 258, 261 [ 28 Cal.Rptr.2d 313 ]; see also In re Sarah M. (1991) 233 Cal.App.3d 1486, 1503-1504 [ 285 Cal.Rptr. 374 ].) The question presented here is whether mother is an aggrieved party concerning the…