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,…

 Should immigration status be considered in cases of child custody? In an Arizona case fraught with multiple tragedies, the grandparents of a baby girl have been denied custody of the child because they are undocumented aliens. The case is complex and laden with human misery. It begins with the daughter of the couple being raped…

What are the major considerations for couples with children considering divorce? Having a child can drastically change the dynamics in a romantic relationship. For some couples, the stress of co-parenting can quickly diminish the partnership, leaving individuals feeling stressed and isolated.  However, the results of a recent study indicate divorce rates in couples marrying after…