Establishing paternity is the first step towards settling issues such as child support, custody, visitation and the father’s access to a child. The process of establishing paternity can be initiated by the mother or the father. Let's take a closer look at some of the...
Protecting Your Interests, Preserving Your Future
When can you seek to modify child custody arrangements in Arizona?
Circumstances in life change all the time. For divorced parents, however, a change in their lives (or their children’s lives) can lead to custody issues. If your former court-ordered custody plan is no longer working, can you change it? While there are limitations on...
For some divorced parents, family vacations can work
You might think that vacationing together as a family after divorce is something only celebrities and people who can afford side-by-side vacation homes do. However, divorced couples from all walks of life take vacations together with their children and sometimes even...
Can you prove your co-parent is unfit to have child custody?
Parents battling for child custody is not a new issue -- and it happens for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes parents just have two vastly different ideas about parenting and that leads to conflicts. Other times, however, custody becomes an issue because one parent...
How accurate are genetic tests for paternity?
Proving that you are the father of a child often requires the cooperation of the mother or court-ordered genetic testing. A cheek swab of both you and the child can be all that it takes to create a medical and scientific record of your biological connection to each...
Want to relocate with your child after divorce? Here’s how to approach the court
When you first went through your divorce and established a parenting plan and custody arrangements with your ex-spouse, you had no intention of leaving the area. Times have changed. You have every reason to believe that relocating is better for you and your child --...
Why may child custody be different than an even split?
Even in cases in which child custody rights are shared by both parents, that does not always mean that the division of parenting time is equal. You’re not necessarily going to spend 50% of your time with your children, while your ex gets the other 50%. Why might the...
What could invalidate your prenuptial agreement?
Prenuptial agreements are no longer for the rich and famous. Couples of all ages and all walks of life get prenups before they tie the knot. They can be particularly valuable in a community property state like Arizona where everything earned or acquired by either...
How can I establish paternity in Arizona?
Arizona treats paternity much like all other jurisdictions in the United States. State lawmakers automatically assume that married couples are the parents of a child born to them. They also agree that the mother who births a child is automatically their legal parent....
Key factors that define a child’s best interests
You often hear divorce courts throw around the idea of the “child’s best interests.” As a caring parent, you absolutely agree that the children should come first. You want their best interests to drive all of the divorce decisions. But what does that term actually...