Family Law

Our Practice Is Centered On The Needs Of Families In Pima, Pinal, Cochise And Gila Counties

When the family you have built together crumbles, it is crucial to have the right family law attorney if you are going through a divorce, child custody situation, or related issues. At Arizona Legal Matters, we dedicate ourselves to aggressive advocacy for all of their clients’ needs to secure the best outcomes possible in any given case. We understand that each person’s situation is different, and we put client-centered care first in all our interactions. Your every need is our priority!

Divorce

Divorce can be one of the most emotional and challenging experiences of our lives. The divorce process is extremely complex, with specific deadlines and documents that need to be filed in your case. Our goal at Arizona Legal Matters, is to take over some of the burden from you and simplify the process to the best of our abilities. We guide you through deadlines and required documentation and ensure that you have all of the information available to you when making important decisions regarding your family and property. You can count on our experienced staff to guide you through this challenging time.

Child Support And Alimony/Spousal Maintenance

If you are facing legal issues surrounding child support and/or spousal maintenance, it is certainly worthwhile to seek out a professional opinion. Whether you are on the receiving end of the matter, or paying end, you should know what factors are involved when the Court is determining issues such as child support and spousal maintenance. Once set, child support is only modifiable after a period of time or if there is a significant change. If not modified when there is good cause to modify, you could be owing or missing out on a significant portion of money that impacts your ability to care for your family. Whatever the circumstances, we can certainly guide you thought the process and inform you of what the Court must, or may, consider when setting these orders.

Property Division

The division of property during a divorce does not necessarily have to be equal; however, it must be fair and equitable. Oftentimes, debts and assets are overlooked when individuals file on their own. All marital property must be divided between the spouses during a divorce action. Our team is experienced in identifying what is community property and what is sole and separate property. Our team is also experienced in identifying additional debts and assets that may not come to mind when first filing for a divorce.

Paternity

The issue of paternity is a winner-take-all type scenario. If you need to establish or disestablish your paternity, time is of the essence. There are specific timelines in place that impact your ability to establish paternity; especially if there are competing claims of paternity. This could mean that even if you take a DNA test, and you are the father, you could end up with no parental rights to the child if another man has established his paternity to the child already. There are presumptions about paternity that could mean that you need to disestablish the presumed paternity to establish paternity for the biological father. This can be a complicated issue depending on your case. We are prepared to assist with whatever your needs may be.

Order Of Protection

Orders of Protection are meant to protect victims from continued abuse from their abuser. Orders of Protection are temporary, meaning that they are only valid for one year from the date that the Order of Protection is served upon the Defendant. However, the consequences for violating Orders of Protection are severe and can result in criminal charges being filed. What is stated in the request for an Order of Protection is critical for a victim looking for protection from an abuser. There are often when Orders of Protection are sought for alternative reasons, such as to interfere with or manipulate parenting time of a minor child. If you are a Defendant, please seek legal counsel BEFORE requesting a hearing on the Order of Protection. You only get one hearing to challenge the Order of Protection. Since you only have one shot, you want to do it right. If you don't, there can be heartbreaking consequences, such as the inability to see one's child for an entire year, or being restricted from your own residence, etc. It is absolutely critical to seek legal counsel BEFORE requesting a hearing to challenge the order of protection!

Parenting Time

The term "Parenting Time" has now replaced what most people know as "Child Custody". There are two forms of custody: parenting time and legal decision-making authority. Many people believe that Arizona is a "Mother's state" meaning that child custody is most often awarded to Mothers. This is often not the truth at all. In Arizona, the Court must decide what is in the child's best interests. Presumptively, it is in the child's best interest to have substantial, frequent, meaningful, and continuing parenting time with both parents. This also does not mean an equal "50/50". Our team is experienced in handling parenting time matters and explaining that 50/50 may not always be in your child's best interests when looking at logistical and practical views. One thing is for sure, each case is different. We can help guide you to fight for what is best for you and your family.

Legal Decision Making

Legal Decision-Making Authority refers to the legal rights to make decisions for your child. This refers to things such as what doctor your child sees and when, what dentist will your child see? Where will your child go to school? Will one parent have more of a right to make these decisions over the other? What factors does a Court consider when making this determination? Our Team has several years experience answering these very questions.

Post-Divorce or Post-Establishment Modification

If you have a Court Order that has been previously entered by a Court that no longer works for you, reach out to our Team to go over the options for modification of those orders. Whether you are wishing to modify a Decree of Dissolution (divorce) or previously established parenting time/child support orders; whatever your case may be, ensure to have the prior order so that we can discuss what you would like the order to be now.

Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is often a difficult situation to escape and always an emotional one. Domestic violence often plays a significant role in both Juvenile Dependency matters as well as Family Law matters. Our Team knows how to lead clients to proper services for support as well as make a legal record regarding what's going on in your matter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a lawyer in my family law matter?

No. You do not need a lawyer. However, there are significant advantages to having a lawyer. If the other party is represented by an attorney, you will absolutely want to obtain legal counsel yourself to even the playing field. If one person is represented by counsel and the other side is not, the person with the attorney has a dramatic advantage. There are specific deadlines and documents that must be filed. Missing those deadlines or not producing the proper paperwork could have devastating consequences on your case.

Do I have to live in Arizona to be divorced here?

A divorce cannot be executed for a minimum of 60 days after service of the Petition is complete. Most states have a “cooling off” period in which gives people time to reconsider pursuing divorce or not. There have been several instances in which one person files for divorce and then changes their mind about going forward with the divorce. This is why there is a minimum time frame between when a divorce is filed and when a divorce can be granted.

Now, 60 days is the bare minimum amount of time it will take for a divorce matter to conclude and it is very rare for a divorce to be finalized that quickly. The cases that are done that quickly are often handled by an attorney and also only because the parties have come to a full agreement on all issues. Without a full agreement, the process of obtaining a divorces is much longer than 60 days. The length of the time it takes to obtain a divorce depends on how many issues are being fought between the parties as well as issues of court calendars and complexity of the case, as well as if experts are involved and if time needs to be taken to prepare documents; etcetera.

How long will it take for my divorce in AZ to be finalized?

In Arizona, you can’t get a divorce until 60 days after your spouse has served the Petition. This gives both people time to think about how they want their marriage and family life with each other to be in the future. The duration of this waiting period depends on many factors such as the complexity of the case, calendars for court cases, etcetera.

Are you looking for someone to help?

Let us help you! Call us at 520-505-1256

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