PINS
Law & Legal abbreviation · Estate and Family Law
| Stands for | Person in need of supervision |
|---|---|
| Categories | Law & Legal |
PINS stands for Person in need of supervision, an estate and family law abbreviation.
New York Family Court category for youths under 18 who are truant, habitually disobedient, ungovernable or run away, behaviors that would not be crimes for an adult. Parents, schools and police may start a PINS case.
Example: Her parents filed a PINS petition after she ran away for the third time.
Usage notes
Governed by Article 7 of the Family Court Act. Recent reforms emphasize diversion services before any petition is filed and restrict detention of PINS youths. Other states call similar cases CHINS, FINS (family in need of services) or simply status offenses.
Related abbreviations
More estate and family law abbreviations
- ILIT – Irrevocable life insurance trust
- JDR – Juvenile and domestic relations district court
- JTWROS – Joint tenants with right of survivorship
- LPA – Lasting power of attorney
- MSA – Marital settlement agreement
- PFA – Protection from abuse order
- POA – Power of attorney
- POD – Payable on death
- PR – Personal representative
- PSA – Property settlement agreement
- QDOT – Qualified domestic trust
- QDRO – Qualified domestic relations order
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This entry is for general education and is not legal advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.