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The Superior Court in Maricopa County has issued new Family Court Guidelines for Parenting Time of Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic. These new guidelines comply with Governor Ducey’s Executive Order 2020-18 (Stay Home, Stay Healthy, Stay Connected), CDC recommendations, and applicable family law. If you have a parenting plan or parenting time order, then…

In community property division, civilian spouse was awarded 29% of husband’s military pension. Upon eligibility for retirement benefits, divorce decree required husband indemnify wife should he delay retirement to remain active duty. Arizona Supreme Court determined federal law does not entitle non-military spouse to indemnification should the service member choose to retire later than…

Hybrid child custody orders where parents are awarded joint legal decision-making with one parent granted final say in the event they cannot agree after consultation and good faith effort is common practice in Arizona. Awarding final say to one parent does not convert joint authority into sole legal decision-making as to child’s medical, mental…

Arizona court had jurisdiction to modify Illinois child custody order on Nebraska father’s petition. Statute governing registration of foreign child support orders does not control registration of foreign child custody orders. With petition to modify out-of-state child support order, Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA) requires prior registration. But Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and…

Hospital employees used emergency hotline with Superior Court to obtain medical treatment orders after minor patient and parents refused blood transfusions on religious grounds. With two exceptions, Arizona subject matter jurisdiction attaches upon filed petition or complaint. In this special action, the Court of Appeals held that because Banner hospital failed to initiate legal…

Arizona Court of Appeals held the family court has statutory authority to modify an order of protection when terms may conflict with the court’s parenting orders in divorce or child custody proceedings. But only to the degree the family court is satisfied the modified order of protection and party’s request for parenting time will…

In Arizona, marital property is subject to equal division between the spouses in a divorce. The task of determining the nature and character of certain assets as either separate property or community property can sometimes be difficult, particularly when transmutation has occurred. Recently, a unique new form of intangible property has made a quiet…

Knowing how to prepare for a divorce can be difficult. Only you can decide for certain whether the marriage is over. But if you believe it is, then start planning for Arizona divorce proceedings. Preparing a plan for your divorce does not make you cold-hearted or vindictive. On the contrary, divorce planning is necessary…

Superior Court must consider parties’ post-divorce agreement to cut spousal maintenance and husband’s equitable defenses to nonpayment. After terms of agreement were satisfied, the wife petitioned to enforce maintenance awarded in the consent decree, seeking arrearages with interest. Spousal support was made non-modifiable by consent decree. Husband had complied with and relied upon the…

When a mature couple files for divorce their Arizona marital home is often mortgage-free, a valuable asset that must be divided. Along with deciding which spouse shall remain in the home (assuming the property is not sold as part of the divorce and the proceeds divided), an important consideration is the availability of a…

Managing Stress in Your Divorce or Family Law Case Among the most stressful life experiences, divorce and family law cases can be profoundly emotional. They represent a turbulent period for both spouses and can affect the children for years to come. The divorce, legal separation, or child custody dispute may challenge your resolve initially….

In this special action, the trial court entered temporary child custody orders granting grandparents sole legal decision-making and parenting time of the mother’s five minor children following ex-parte petition and hearing. Mother’s fitness as a parent was challenged and the trial court did not err in granting temporary third-party custody to the grandparents. Gia…

We have three changes in Arizona family law to report. Two bills were recently signed into law and the Arizona Child Support Guidelines have been revised. Take a look at what’s new half-way into 2018. New Spousal Maintenance Eligibility Threshold Arizona’s spousal maintenance factors are set forth in ARS § 25-319. For about two…

Child support obligee can contest obligor’s statement of zero child support arrears owed under Arizona Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (AUIFSA) despite failure to file her hearing request within 20 days after receiving notice of obligor’s registration in Arizona of an out-of-state child support order. Tiffany G. Taylor v. Thomas Pandola The Arizona Supreme…

Biological father filed paternity establishment petition in California where both parents resided. His parental rights were terminated on statutory ground he failed to file notice of claim of paternity with Arizona putative fathers registry. Mother’s fraud and adoption agency misrepresentations were punished by award of sanctions. No due process violation with service by publication…

Mother fraudulently acknowledged husband’s paternity in her Arizona petition for divorce. The husband was awarded joint custody, yet did not adopt the child and was not added to the birth certificate. Two years after divorcing, the former spouses were parties in Mr. Chao’ action to establish paternity. The Superior Court set aside that portion…

In this lawsuit to enforce divorce property settlements, the trial court erred in denying petitioner’s third party motion to join ex-husband’s current wife; former husband’s contribution to community assets was an issue properly before the family court; findings of debtor’s contribution to community property should have been made with the current wife given opportunity…

Modification of other state court’s child custody order for parenting time and legal decision-making was proper where Arizona court first asserted temporary emergency jurisdiction under Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA). After New York and Florida declined jurisdiction, Arizona asserted home state jurisdiction over a child who resided in Arizona with the…

Trial court properly credited husband with spousal maintenance payments made directly to the wife and not to the Arizona Support Payment Clearinghouse; equitable defense of waiver meant husband’s direct payments were permitted by law after court hearing. Gus Schultz v. Taryn Schultz Trial Court Rejected Wife’s Hyper-Technical Argument for Payment Arrears According to the…

Paternal grandparents’ visitation rights following Arizona divorce involved best interests of two grandchildren and mother’s refusal of access. Having properly accorded special weight to mother’s objection to grandparent visitation, having made findings on best interest of the child factors, the trial court found grandparents rebutted the fit-parent presumption and ordered visitation. Affirmed on appeal….