Q: Can one incident of child endangerment impact child custody? In what could easily have been another tragic hot-car baby death, a “beet red” 18-month-old infant covered with two blankets in a 112° vehicle was rescued just in time according to authorities. But the father who reportedly abandoned her for about 20 minutes while shopping…

Q: When can Arizona case workers remove a child from their home? One of the most contentious issues that Phoenix family law attorneys encounter involves child custody and visitation. In Arizona, child custody and visitation is referred to as “legal decision-making’ and “parenting time”, respectively. So long as it is in the best interest of…

Q: Can I just flee an abusive ex-spouse with my child to avoid sharing custody? Arizona family law attorneys know that most parents would do just about anything for their children or grandchildren. Sometimes, even if it was illegal. After getting a divorce in Arizona, many couples have a fresh start towards a happier life….

Q: What happens if I have to fight for custody of my child? Sometimes, when people separate or divorce in Phoenix, they are able to amicably work through the necessary steps of dividing their assets, parting ways and moving on with their lives. But when a couple shares children, the break is not as “clean”…

Q: Does the protocol for the custody of children born exposed to drugs keep kids safe? When couples with children divorce or otherwise dissolve their relationship, the court will consider what is in the best interest of the child when determining how much legal decision-making and parenting time each parent will have with the children….

Q: What is the policy for removing children from their parents in Arizona? The one phrase typically associated with the many complicated layers of a divorce proceeding is “What is in the best interest of the child?” This question is at the very forefront of child custody and visitation negotiations and determinations. Under Arizona law,…

Q: Does the 1978 federal law known as the Indian Child Welfare Act take precedence over state law and the “best interest of the child” standard of determining custody? In the vast majority of child custody cases, Arizona family law attorneys know that the most important factor the state courts will consider is what is…

Q: Is Arizona’s shared parenting policy a “model worth copying” for other states? Nationally, many states are moving toward a more egalitarian concept of “shared parenting” after divorce–which is a step away from the more stringent, less balanced child custody and visitation processes that have existed for decades. Historically, courts have often granted custody to…

Do grandparents have visitation and other rights in Arizona?    Given the changes in the nature of contemporary families, grandparents often play a crucial role in raising and caring for their grandchildren. As such, questions over visitation and custody are becoming more common.  In Arizona, the state created a legal right to visitation for grandparents…

What is being done to address the problems of the child-welfare system in Arizona? Arizona’s child-welfare system has been plagued by longstanding problems centered on placing children in safe and permanent homes. The Department of Child Safety (DCS) was created two years ago to provide prevention, intervention and treatment services to support child safety. Now,…