Our Blog

Domestic Violence Resources in Arizona In 2013, the Phoenix Police Department reported receiving 50,000 domestic violence calls. However, an estimated additional 40,000 incidents of domestic violence go unreported each year. Nationally, our state ranks fourth for the rate of female domestic violence homicides. Source: Sojourner Center.org which also assists victims of domestic violence in…

Arizona Family Court makes all decisions in the best interests of children, including decisions on child support. The court upholds the belief that all parents have a legal obligation to provide financial support for their children regardless of their marital status. Child support orders for divorced or non-married parents are binding, with significant enforcement…

No one wants to face criminal charges, but many defendants breathe a small sigh of relief when they learn they’re facing misdemeanor charges rather than a more serious felony. There are significant differences between a misdemeanor conviction and a felony conviction; for instance, misdemeanor sentences are typically no more than six months in jail…

No divorce is easy because a divorce comes with strong emotions, whether it’s sadness, bitterness, or anxiety about the future, but when the financial stakes are high, so is the amount of contention during a divorce. Like the majority of states, Arizona requires divorcing spouses to divide their marital assets in a way that’s…

Disorderly conduct is one of the most common criminal charges in Arizona. It’s sometimes applied when law enforcement are not sure what other charges might apply to a situation. Disorderly conduct is sometimes called “disturbing the peace.” It may also be called “drunk and disorderly” when the suspect commits the conduct in combination with…

Decision-making isn’t always at its peak during the college years, but when typical college recklessness, rash decisions, or scuffles with another student result in criminal charges, college students in Arizona face both legal and campus consequences. Colleges have institutional policies a suspect must consider as well as the impacts of a criminal record on…

Military marriage isn’t easy. With lengthy separations, frequent relocations, and relatively low pay, it’s common for one or both spouses to feel isolated and as though they lack support from the other. Enlisted service members have a higher divorce rate than the national average for civilians with the highest rate for Air Force active-duty…

No couple walks down the aisle expecting it to end in divorce court, but life sometimes takes people in unanticipated directions. Fortunately, not all divorcing spouses have to litigate their divorce inside a courtroom. A divorce trial means an impartial judge who doesn’t personally know their situation makes all the final decisions for how…

Fathers have rights in Arizona family court cases, including child custody cases and other family-related legal matters like child support obligations and visitation rights. But unlike mothers—for whom parentage is clear upon childbirth, fathers in Arizona court cases may not have presumptive parenting rights if they are not married to a child’s mother.  Courts…

A divorce is an emotionally draining experience. Many divorcing spouses focus their attention on the fraught emotional aspects of the divorce—whether it’s anger, sorrow, or relief—and allow some important legal aspects to slip through their fingers. Once the final divorce judgment is in place, many newly divorced spouses confront the reality of post-divorce life…

Arizona’s criminal courts have a reasonable amount of flexibility in sentencing those convicted of crimes. Under a variety of circumstances, a judge may sentence a convicted individual to community service rather than incarceration or fines or in addition to incarceration or fines. The court considers the nature of the crime and the defendant’s criminal…

Ending a marriage is rarely an easy, distress-free process, but when divorcing spouses have significant assets, it may quickly become contentious and embittered. Arizona’s divorce process includes community property laws compelling both spouses to divide all property, assets, and debts acquired during the marriage equally and fairly. Unfortunately, during the animosity of divorce, some…

Intentionally damaging someone else’s property is a crime in Arizona with penalties dependent upon the value of the damaged property. Before the criminal justice system classifies the crime as a misdemeanor or felony, they must first evaluate the property to arrive at a dollar amount. If you or your family member damaged property belonging…

If you’re facing criminal charges in Arizona, you may wonder what to expect as you endure the legal process ahead. While it’s critical to seek skilled representation by a criminal attorney with a strong track record of success in similar cases, you’ll more successfully navigate Arizona’s criminal justice system by understanding each step of…

Facing a divorce with child custody as a factor can be an intimidating experience for parents. No parent looks forward to a judge deciding when they can spend time with their own children, but when parents separate or divorce, it breaks one household into two, making a decision for child custody and parenting time…

Law enforcement agencies in Arizona take gun crimes and weapon misconduct charges very seriously. The state’s district attorneys tend to aggressively prosecute them due to the violent and destructive nature of gun crimes and the media’s interest in the escalating numbers of violent crimes involving guns in the U.S. In some cases, misunderstanding of…

Facing criminal charges in Arizona can be daunting. Fortunately, anyone charged with a crime in the U.S. is entitled to a strong defense. With the life-altering possibilities of jail time, fines, and a criminal history on your record, no criminal charges should be taken lightly. It’s important to understand that criminal charges do not…

Everyone makes mistakes and the college years are not typically when we make our best decisions. But what if a bad choice risks the lives of others and puts your entire future at risk? The Arizona justice system takes drinking and driving very seriously. Over 4,500 drunk driving accidents in a single recent year…

With the exception of child adoption, facing a family court hearing is rarely a joyous occasion. Often, these hearings occur during the worst time in a family’s life as they argue contentious issues such as a divorce agreement, child custody, child support, and alimony. Family court cases may be intensely emotional as well as…

It’s never easy to go through a divorce, but when one or both parties are public figures or the divorce sparks public interest, it’s even more distressing. Even if you aren’t a celebrity or public figure, your very personal divorce may feel like an open book when it requires testimony from many witnesses and…