Arizona Child Custody Laws

What is an Arizona Parenting Plan Document | Scottsdale Child Custody

Greg Davis

 

Scottsdale Parenting Plans

A parenting plan is a document, which a judge will make or parents can make themselves. It describes with whom a child will live and on what days of the week. It describes which parent, or both parents will make the decisions for the child. For details, contact me, Greg Davis at Davis Limited, (602) 279-1900.

By: Greg Davis

Scottsdale Parenting Plans

A parenting plan is a document, which a judge will make or parents can make themselves. It describes with whom a child will live and on what days of the week. It describes which parent, or both parents will make the decisions for the child. For details, contact me, Greg Davis at Davis Limited, (602) 279-1900.

By: Greg Davis

Can a Child Decide Which Parent to Live With | Scottsdale Child Custody

Greg Davis

 

Child Opinions in Custody Cases

A child in Arizona can never decide which parent a child wants to live with. A child’s wishes are always, always a factor and never dispositive. The child is the child. The parent makes the decisions. For more information, call me, Greg Davis at Davis Limited, (602) 279-1900.

By: Greg Davis

Child Opinions in Custody Cases

A child in Arizona can never decide which parent a child wants to live with. A child’s wishes are always, always a factor and never dispositive. The child is the child. The parent makes the decisions. For more information, call me, Greg Davis at Davis Limited, (602) 279-1900.

By: Greg Davis

Opting Out of Famility Dispute Through Arbitration | Arizona

Mitchell Reichman

 

What is Opting Out?

Hi. My name is Mitchell Reichman. I’m a board certified specialist in family law and chair of the family law department at Jaburg & Wilk. Opting out is choosing to resolve a family law dispute outside the traditional judicial system. One of the ways parties can choose to opt out is by choosing to arbitrate.

What is Arbitration?

Arbitration is a voluntary process. It’s beyond the jurisdiction of a judge to order parties to arbitrate. However, once parties do decide to arbitrate, a court order will be entered that appoints the arbitrator and governs the process. Generally in Arizona, arbitrations are governed by a set of statutes known as Arizona’s Arbitration Act. One of the advantages of arbitration is that the parties can choose the neutral that serves as the arbitrator based on the parties’ circumstances, particularly where the issues are specialized such as with the valuation of a business or professional practice. The parties can chose an arbitrator who has a greater amount of education, training, and experience than the judge randomly assigned to their case. This gives the parties the opportunity to obtain a more predictable outcome because the arbitrator is familiar with the issues that will be presented in a valuation analysis, and the judge might not be. An important difference between choosing to arbitrate a dispute as compared to a trial concerns the right to appeal.

Can You Appeal an Arbitration Decision?

Under Arizona’s Arbitration Act, people who choose to arbitrate have very limited rights to appeal the decision of the arbitrator. This is very dissimilar from their rights to appeal should a judge make the decision after a trial on the merits. Overall, however, in many cases we find that by choosing to opt out through a process of arbitration, we’re able to reach our goal of helping our clients obtain a more favorable result in their family law proceeding.

By: Mitchell Reichman

What is Opting Out?

Hi. My name is Mitchell Reichman. I’m a board certified specialist in family law and chair of the family law department at Jaburg & Wilk. Opting out is choosing to resolve a family law dispute outside the traditional judicial system. One of the ways parties can choose to opt out is by choosing to arbitrate.

What is Arbitration?

Arbitration is a voluntary process. It’s beyond the jurisdiction of a judge to order parties to arbitrate. However, once parties do decide to arbitrate, a court order will be entered that appoints the arbitrator and governs the process. Generally in Arizona, arbitrations are governed by a set of statutes known as Arizona’s Arbitration Act. One of the advantages of arbitration is that the parties can choose the neutral that serves as the arbitrator based on the parties’ circumstances, particularly where the issues are specialized such as with the valuation of a business or professional practice. The parties can chose an arbitrator who has a greater amount of education, training, and experience than the judge randomly assigned to their case. This gives the parties the opportunity to obtain a more predictable outcome because the arbitrator is familiar with the issues that will be presented in a valuation analysis, and the judge might not be. An important difference between choosing to arbitrate a dispute as compared to a trial concerns the right to appeal.

Can You Appeal an Arbitration Decision?

Under Arizona’s Arbitration Act, people who choose to arbitrate have very limited rights to appeal the decision of the arbitrator. This is very dissimilar from their rights to appeal should a judge make the decision after a trial on the merits. Overall, however, in many cases we find that by choosing to opt out through a process of arbitration, we’re able to reach our goal of helping our clients obtain a more favorable result in their family law proceeding.

By: Mitchell Reichman

Joint Legal Custody | Scottsdale Family Law

Alan Cochran

 

Joint Legal Custody

Parents sharing joint legal custody, now referred to as joint legal decision-making, must reach agreements regarding major life decisions affecting their children. Each parent’s rights and responsibilities in communicating about reaching agreements regarding these decisions, are outlined in a court ordered parenting plan.  Disagreements between parents regarding these decisions are often resolved through mediation, or through the use of a third person usually referred to as a parenting coordinator.

Arizona Legal Decision-Making

In Arizona, the law is that it is consistent with the child’s best interest. The court shall adapt a parenting plan that provides both parents to share legal decision-making regarding their child.  New custody law encourages, but does not mandate equal parenting time. Additionally, the same section of the statute provides that the court shall not prefer a parent’s proposed parenting plan because of the parent or the child’s gender. It is always best if both parents can decide custody for the best interest of their children.

However, if not able to do so, the court will enact orders either joint or sole legal decision-making at the time of trial. Presently, there is a greater emphasis on parental responsibility as well as parental right. There is a presumption however, that joint legal decision-making is not in the child’s best interest if one of the parents has committed an act of domestic violence, abuse drugs, alcohol, or has being convicted of any drug offense within the last 12 months before the petition was filed.

Deciding Factors for Courts

The most compelling factors the court must consider when deciding legal decision-making and parenting time in Arizona, include the children’s relationship with each parent and any siblings, the children’s adjustment to each parents home, schools, and the community each parent resides in. Another factor is the wishes of the children, but only if the child is of a suitable age and maturity to make such decisions.

The mental and physical health of all individuals involved in the family and the children residing in the home. It also includes which parent is more likely to allow the children frequent, meaningful, and continuing contact with the other parent.  The court also weighs any domestic violence, child abuse, and child neglect issues, as well as any intentional misleading of the court by either parent to cause unnecessary delay, increased cost of litigation, or to attempt to persuade the court to prefer the false-reporting parent’s position over the other. If you’re in need of a professional or experienced attorney to represent you and your children’s best interest in any family law matter, please call Alan Cochran at Hildebrand Law PC at (480) 305-8300 to schedule an appointment.

By: Alan Cochran

Joint Legal Custody

Parents sharing joint legal custody, now referred to as joint legal decision-making, must reach agreements regarding major life decisions affecting their children. Each parent’s rights and responsibilities in communicating about reaching agreements regarding these decisions, are outlined in a court ordered parenting plan.  Disagreements between parents regarding these decisions are often resolved through mediation, or through the use of a third person usually referred to as a parenting coordinator.

Arizona Legal Decision-Making

In Arizona, the law is that it is consistent with the child’s best interest. The court shall adapt a parenting plan that provides both parents to share legal decision-making regarding their child.  New custody law encourages, but does not mandate equal parenting time. Additionally, the same section of the statute provides that the court shall not prefer a parent’s proposed parenting plan because of the parent or the child’s gender. It is always best if both parents can decide custody for the best interest of their children.

However, if not able to do so, the court will enact orders either joint or sole legal decision-making at the time of trial. Presently, there is a greater emphasis on parental responsibility as well as parental right. There is a presumption however, that joint legal decision-making is not in the child’s best interest if one of the parents has committed an act of domestic violence, abuse drugs, alcohol, or has being convicted of any drug offense within the last 12 months before the petition was filed.

Deciding Factors for Courts

The most compelling factors the court must consider when deciding legal decision-making and parenting time in Arizona, include the children’s relationship with each parent and any siblings, the children’s adjustment to each parents home, schools, and the community each parent resides in. Another factor is the wishes of the children, but only if the child is of a suitable age and maturity to make such decisions.

The mental and physical health of all individuals involved in the family and the children residing in the home. It also includes which parent is more likely to allow the children frequent, meaningful, and continuing contact with the other parent.  The court also weighs any domestic violence, child abuse, and child neglect issues, as well as any intentional misleading of the court by either parent to cause unnecessary delay, increased cost of litigation, or to attempt to persuade the court to prefer the false-reporting parent’s position over the other. If you’re in need of a professional or experienced attorney to represent you and your children’s best interest in any family law matter, please call Alan Cochran at Hildebrand Law PC at (480) 305-8300 to schedule an appointment.

By: Alan Cochran

What are the Different Forms of Child Custody | Scottsdale Child Custody

Chris Hildebrand

 

Types of Child Custody

I want to speak to you today about the different forms of legal custody of a child in the state of Arizona. When we talk about custody, we are really talking about two different aspects of custody as it relates to children.

Physical Custody

The first of which is, how much time the child or children spend in the each parent’s home. We refer to that as physical custody.

Legal Decision Making

But, the other aspect of custody has to do with who gets to make the major decisions affecting the child. For example, the decisions regarding education, such as where the child goes to school, medical decisions, the children’s participation in extracurricular activities and even the child’s religious upbringing.

If a parent has sole legal custody, that parent gets to make all those decisions irrespective of the wishes of the other parent. If the parents share joint legal custody however, both parents must agree regarding those decisions for the child. If you have any other questions regarding custody or parenting time in the state of Arizona, please feel free to contact me.

By: Chris Hildebrand

Types of Child Custody

I want to speak to you today about the different forms of legal custody of a child in the state of Arizona. When we talk about custody, we are really talking about two different aspects of custody as it relates to children.

Physical Custody

The first of which is, how much time the child or children spend in the each parent’s home. We refer to that as physical custody.

Legal Decision Making

But, the other aspect of custody has to do with who gets to make the major decisions affecting the child. For example, the decisions regarding education, such as where the child goes to school, medical decisions, the children’s participation in extracurricular activities and even the child’s religious upbringing.

If a parent has sole legal custody, that parent gets to make all those decisions irrespective of the wishes of the other parent. If the parents share joint legal custody however, both parents must agree regarding those decisions for the child. If you have any other questions regarding custody or parenting time in the state of Arizona, please feel free to contact me.

By: Chris Hildebrand

What is a Parenting Plan in Arizona | Hildebrand Law, PC

Michael Clancy

 

A parenting plan is a court order that tells parents how they need to behave and act around their children. More importantly, it tells the parents when they actually get to see their children. It may include other things like holiday schedule, vacation schedule. It may also have mandated portions regarding unreimbursed medical expenses and child support. Each case is so different and that’s why here at Hildebrand Law, we try to treat each case with uniqueness. And so, if you’d like to discuss this more or decide whether we could help you with your parenting plan needs, please give me a call at (480) 305-8300.

By: Attorney Michael Clancy

A parenting plan is a court order that tells parents how they need to behave and act around their children. More importantly, it tells the parents when they actually get to see their children. It may include other things like holiday schedule, vacation schedule. It may also have mandated portions regarding unreimbursed medical expenses and child support. Each case is so different and that’s why here at Hildebrand Law, we try to treat each case with uniqueness. And so, if you’d like to discuss this more or decide whether we could help you with your parenting plan needs, please give me a call at (480) 305-8300.

By: Attorney Michael Clancy

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