Legal Services
Divorce/Dissolution of Marriage
In Arizona, a marriage ends by proceeding with a dissolution of marriage, or more informally known as a divorce. A dissolution of marriage/divorce can include children (if they are under 18 years old) or without children (if the children are 18 or older or not common to the parties divorcing). A divorce can be a very involved process, requiring the division of assets (property) and liabilities (debts), potentially spousal maintenance (also known as alimony), child custody, and child support.
Legal Separation
In Arizona, parties have the option of pursuing a legal separation instead of a divorce. In a legal separation, all of the same aspects of a dissolution of marriage/divorce applies: division of assets (property) and liabilities (debts), potentially spousal maintenance (also known as alimony), child custody, and child support. The minor change between a legal separation and a dissolution of marriage/divorce is that at the end of the process, the parties are still legally married.
Annulment
In Arizona, a person may wish to obtain an annulment of their marriage. The informal end goal for most people in obtaining an annulment is to make the marriage as if it never happened. Unfortunately, that is not the case, and the process can be much more complicated. An annulment can only be obtained under very few, specific circumstances. Even if an annulment can be obtained, sometimes the parties must still go through some of the dissolution of marriage/divorce steps such as the division of assets (property) and liabilities (debts).
Child Custody
Often when speaking of child custody, people are referring to who physically has the child(ren) in their care. In Arizona, there are two parts of child custody. The first part is known as parenting time. Parenting time is the physical custody of the child(ren) and thus what most people imagine when referring to child custody. The second part of child custody is known as legal decision-making. Legal decision-making is the legal authority over the child(ren) such as medical decisions, school decisions, and religious decisions. Parenting time and legal decision-making are separate issues, but they are often evaluated in a similar manner by the court and the judge.
Parenting Time
Parenting time is the amount of time the child(ren) are in each parent’s care. While the court has preferences, best practices, template schedules, the Arizona family court must go through a statutory (legal) analysis to determine what type of parenting time is in the best interest of the child(ren).
Legal Decision-Making
Legal Decision-making is which parent(s) have the authority to make medical, educational, religious, legal, and other similar decisions on behalf of their child(ren). While the court has preferences, best practices, and standard orders, the Arizona family court must go through a statutory (legal) analysis to determine what legal decision-making authority for the parent(s) is in the best interest of the child(ren).
Child Support
In Arizona, child support starts with a calculation in the child support worksheet which was created alongside the Arizona Child Support Guidelines. Regardless of the parenting time schedule, child support must be entered by the court and can be modified for various reasons and enforced in various ways.
Spousal Maintenance/Alimony
Spousal maintenance, known to the general public as alimony, also uses a worksheet created alongside guidelines, the Arizona Spousal Maintenance Guidelines. While not every case will involve spousal maintenance/alimony, there are many factors that go into if someone would get spousal maintenance and if so, how much and for how long.
Enforcement of Court Orders
Perhaps you have already been to court and received some sort of orders and the other person is not complying with those orders. The Arizona courts offer a way in which you can enforce those court orders with many possible sanctions and consequences, depending on the circumstances. Almost any order can be enforced: parenting time, legal decision-making, child support, division of assets (property) and liabilities (debts), etc.
Orders of Protection
In Arizona, if you are being harassed, bothered, abused, threatened, etc., you may be able to obtain an Order of Protection against your perpetrator. For an Order of Protection, your relationship with the perpetrator must be a (former) romantic partner, family member, or someone residing in your household.
Injunction Against Harassment
In Arizona, an Injunction Against Harassment is the same as an Order of Protection, except for relationships that differ than those of an Order of Protection. If you are being harassed, bothered, abused, threatened, etc., by someone that is not a (former) romantic partner, family member, or person living in your household, you may be able to obtain an Injunction Against Harassment.