When your ex repeatedly ignores a court-ordered parenting schedule, you do not have to accept the situation. Arizona law provides legal options to enforce parenting time, but the best approach often begins with documenting violations and attempting to resolve the issue before asking the court to intervene. Parenting schedules are designed to provide stability for…
Continue reading…How Arizona Calculates Parenting Time
Arizona courts calculate parenting time by evaluating what arrangement serves the child’s best interests, not by applying a fixed mathematical formula. Judges consider several factors, including each parent’s relationship with the child, the child’s needs, and each parent’s ability to provide a stable environment. While every family is different, understanding how these decisions are made…
Continue reading…
Managing School Arrangements in Joint Custody Situations
Managing your child’s school arrangements while sharing joint custody can be challenging, especially when you and your co-parent live apart. From choosing the right school to juggling transportation and keeping up with school activities, it’s a lot to handle. However, with careful planning and open communication, you can work together to create a smooth and…
Continue reading…
Best Interests of the Child: What Does This Phrase Truly Mean?
The “best interests of the child” is a guiding principle in Arizona’s family law that emphasizes the child’s well-being above all else. It plays a pivotal role in determining child custody, visitation rights, and other critical decisions after parental separations or disputes. But what does the best interests of the child mean? Understanding this principle…
Continue reading…Are Divorced, Non-Custodial Fathers Treated Differently by Their Children’s Schools?
Divorce changes a family in many ways, especially for children who must adapt to living in two households. In Arizona, when parents separate, courts work to ensure that child custody, legally referred to as legal decision-making and parenting time arrangements, are made in the child’s best interests. But for non-custodial fathers, staying connected with their…
Continue reading…Child Custody and the Potential Impact of Free Range Parenting
Q: Will Free Range Parenting Impact Child Custody and Parental Rights? If you are getting divorced in Phoenix, Arizona, you’ll have to divide your marital assets and determine whether one spouse or the other will be entitled to alimony or spousal support. But if you have minor children, you will also have to work out…
Continue reading…When a Child Dies While in the Care of the Other Parent’s New Partner
Q: What Can I Do if I Feel My Child Isn’t Safe Around My Ex’s New Partner? Many things about getting a divorce aren’t easy, especially when there are children involved. Transitioning from living under one roof to two roofs is usually hard on the children. Things are often further complicated when one or both…
Continue reading…Arizona Parental Rights Case May Impact Same Sex and Heterosexual Divorces
Q: Does the Non-Biological Parent of a Child Through Artificial Insemination Have Parental Rights in a Same-Sex Marriage and Divorce in Arizona? Establishing paternity in Arizona, once a rather straightforward business, is in the news. When the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex sex marriage in Obergefell vs. Hodges in 2015, LGBT rights took a giant…
Continue reading…When Mommy Threatens the Children
Q: What Happens if a Parent Threatens the Safety of Their Child? Every night across America parents tell their children to go to sleep. Some might add an acceptable reason like they have to get up early or have a big day tomorrow. Others might use an exasperated tone if the kids are too slow…
Continue reading…Divorced Mom Charged With Child Abduction 25 Years After Divorce
While a divorce is pending, what are the limitations on out-of-state or international travel with minor children? Unfortunately for many litigants, the divorce process in Arizona can take several months – often longer than a year – to conclude. During this time there is a Preliminary Injunction in effect which prohibits removing a minor child…
Continue reading…