The Peoria family law attorneys near you with Arizona Law Group provide exceptional, compassionate legal representation to clients, many of whom are going through a divorce or have other family legal matters. Whether you’re looking for a Peoria divorce lawyer, Peoria child custody lawyer in Peoria, child support lawyer, or alimony lawyer in Peoria, we’re here to help.

We have years of experience helping clients in the Peoria area, and we can help you too. Call us at 623-561-8200 for a confidential consultation. Or you can also email us here. You do not need to face legal challenges alone, we are here for you.

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Our team of Peoria Family Law Attorneys and Divorce Lawyers can help you navigate a complicated season in your life. Our team of divorce lawyers near Peoria, Arizona can help with the following elements of your case:

Arizona Law Group
14050 N 83rd Ave Ste 290
Peoria, AZ 85381
Phone: 623-561-8200
Hours: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Peoria office map and directions

What Does a Family Law Attorney in Peoria, Arizona Do?

A family law attorney specializes in matters related to family law, which include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

Divorce: Family lawyers assist clients in filing and finalizing divorces, as well as addressing issues such as property division and alimony.
Child Custody and Parenting Plans: When parents separate, determining the living arrangements and decision-making responsibilities for their child(ren) often requires the experience of a family law attorney. They help clients develop parenting plans, negotiate agreements, and, if necessary, represent their interests in court.
Child Support: Family lawyers help to establish, modify, and enforce child support obligations in accordance with state guidelines and the specific needs of the child.
Domestic Violence: Family law attorneys represent victims of domestic violence in obtaining restraining orders and navigating the legal process to protect themselves and their loved ones from abuse.
Adoption: Adoption can be a complicated legal process, and a family lawyer helps prospective parents navigate the challenges, ensuring that all necessary steps are taken to create a legally recognized parent-child relationship.
Paternity: Family law attorneys can assist clients in establishing paternity, whether it is to confirm a father’s rights and responsibilities or to challenge paternity in cases of contested parentage.
Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements: Couples planning to marry or those already married can seek the counsel of a family lawyer to draft agreements concerning property division and financial arrangements in the event of a divorce.
Mediation: Family lawyers can also act as mediators in resolving disputes between parties, helping them reach mutually acceptable agreements without resorting to litigation.

The Role of a Divorce Lawyer Near You & Family Law Attorney in Peoria, AZ

The work of a family law attorney is crucial because it impacts individuals’ lives and the well-being of their families, often at a time when they are dealing with heightened emotions, stress, and personal turmoil. Here are some reasons why having an experienced family law attorney on your side can make all the difference:

Legal Experience: Family law can be complex and intricate, with ever-changing laws and regulations. A family law attorney has the knowledge and experience needed to navigate the legal system and provide effective representation to their clients.
Objective Advice: Because family law issues often involve heightened emotions and personal histories, having a skilled family lawyer to offer objective advice is invaluable. They can provide much-needed perspective and guidance.
Reducing Stress: Divorce, custody battles, and other family law issues can be emotionally draining and highly stressful experiences. Family law attorneys provide not only legal counsel but emotional support, ensuring their clients are focused on making sound decisions with a clear mind. They effectively communicate complex legal jargon, prepare clients for court appearances, and guide them through negotiations to reach fair settlements while providing a listening ear and compassionate understanding.

When Should I File for Divorce in Peoria?

Divorce court isn’t where you thought your walk down the aisle would end, but sometimes new beginnings first require an ending. Coming to the decision to file for divorce isn’t easy, but sometimes life takes us along unexpected paths where the best thing to do is to look ahead. If you and your spouse have tried to repair a broken marriage to no avail and no longer serve as each other’s companions, confidants, and intimate partners, it’s probably time to take the next step on your new path forward and seek an experienced divorce lawyer in Peoria to file the paperwork and help you navigate the divorce process.

By filing for a divorce first, you become the petitioner in the divorce and your spouse is the respondent. If you’ve been served with divorce papers, then your spouse is the petitioner and you are the respondent. Respondents in Arizona divorce have 20 days to file a response.

Spouses can file for divorce in Peoria once they’ve met the following requirements:

At least one spouse must have resided in Arizona for a minimum of 90 days
If you have children, your children must have lived in Arizona for at least 6 months before the court has jurisdiction and can make decisions on child custody and child support

Once you or your spouse have filed the divorce petition, your attorney from Arizona Law Group will inform you of the progress of your case, including financial disclosures, mediation, and hearing dates. The length of the process depends on whether or not you and your spouse can negotiate terms for your divorce agreement between yourselves and your attorneys or if the matter must go to court for litigation.

How an Attorney Can Help You With a Divorce Case?

A skilled attorney will help you understand and navigate the key steps in an Arizona divorce. These include:

Filing a Petition – Your attorney will help you draft and file the necessary paperwork to initiate the divorce process.
Serving divorce papers – Properly serving your spouse with divorce papers is crucial for moving your case forward.
Negotiating the settlement – Your lawyer will help to negotiate a fair settlement while keeping in mind your best interests and goals.
Child custody and visitation rights – If you have children, your attorney can help you develop a custody agreement and advocate for your parental rights. A Peoria child custody lawyer can help navigate your legal case and custody battle.
Alimony and child support – They can also assist in determining and securing appropriate alimony and child support payments. An alimony lawyer in Peoria can assist with your alimony related legal proceedings during a free consultation.
Division of property and assets – Your attorney will work to fairly and equitably divide your marital property, assets, and debts.
Finalizing the divorce– Once all legal issues are addressed, your lawyer will help finalize the divorce, ensuring that all court requirements are enforced.

Types of Divorce: Contested, Uncontested, and Default

In Arizona, there are different types of divorce:

Contested Divorce

A contested divorce occurs when spouses are unable to reach an agreement on one or more matters concerning the dissolution of their marriage. Disputes frequently center on child custody, child support, alimony, or the distribution of assets and debts. Contested divorces tend to be more complicated, take longer to resolve, and can be emotionally and financially draining for all parties involved.

Uncontested Divorce

An uncontested divorce, on the other hand, is when both spouses agree on all aspects of their divorce. This usually leads to a faster and more amicable resolution. Couples who choose to dissolve their marriage through an uncontested divorce tend to work cooperatively towards a mutually beneficial agreement.

Default Divorce

A default divorce is a type of divorce that typically occurs when one spouse doesn’t respond to a divorce petition filed by their partner. In Arizona, this form of divorce is especially common when the couple in question has no minor children. Default divorces allow for a quicker resolution, as they often involve agreements reached outside of court between the two parties.

Peoria’s Divorce Settlement Process and ADR

Because separating one household into two is a complex process—especially when it involves children—Arizona courts require a fair settlement agreement between divorcing spouses, or else a judge must define the terms for them in binding orders as part of their final divorce decree. Spouses may work together with their attorneys to negotiate issues like child custody, support, and the distribution of their marital debts and assets. If they’re unable to come to a mutually acceptable agreement on one or more issues, both parties and their attorneys will meet at a scheduled Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) conference as a last effort to resolve contentious issues. If the spouses are able to agree on terms during ADR, the court will cancel the scheduled divorce trial since there is no longer any need for a judge to hear the arguments and make the decisions. If spouses cannot reach resolutions together with the help of lawyers and professional mediators, the matter proceeds to court for a judge to decide on all contested issues.

Reaching a Settlement Agreement

Reaching a settlement agreement is the most difficult part of the divorce process. When divorcing spouses can manage it without needing a court trial, it saves time, money, and hard feelings that may impact them and their children for years to come.

Settlement agreements are typically easier between spouses with no children and few marital assets. They become more emotionally charged when children are involved and more hotly contested when spouses have a wide range of marital assets to divide. However, reaching a settlement agreement saves expenses, time, and rancor between ex-spouses.

What is the Purpose of a Separation Agreement?

A separation agreement maps out a divorcing couple’s plan on how to separate their joint assets and how to share parenting time with their children, as well as defining how each parent will meet their obligation to support the children. When spouses can make these decisions together with their attorneys, it’s a more amicable resolution than going to court for a judge to resolve each matter for them in a binding court order. When spouses reach a settlement on their own, a judge is likely to simply sign off on the agreement with no need to litigate the matter in court, saving time and money. A separation agreement may help spouses to move forward into their separate lives with fewer hard feelings which facilitates more open communication between them if they’re co-parenting children.

What About a Partial Agreement?

In some cases, divorcing spouses may agree on some terms but not on others. For instance, they may come to mutually accepted decisions on child custody and child support, but may not be able to reach an agreement on who retains the family home. In cases like this, the spouses could sign a partial agreement for the matters they were able to settle together with their attorneys and leave the contested matters for a judge to decide.

What is a Collaborative Divorce?

When divorcing spouses are able to communicate and compromise, they may choose the less contentious alternative to divorce court through a collaborative divorce. In a collaborative divorce, the spouses and their attorneys agree to work together as a team to negotiate resolutions on all aspects of the divorce rather than taking their arguments to court. They may schedule a series of meetings to map out an amicable plan for dividing their assets and sharing child custody. In some cases, a professional mediator may attend the meetings to offer solutions to challenging problems that the spouses otherwise might not have thought of on their own.

A collaborative divorce rather than a typical divorce fought out in court is less expensive, takes less time, and allows spouses to forge their own terms rather than a dispassionate judge doing so for them.

Important Factors to Determine: Alimony, Child Custody, and Child Support

When it comes to divorce, several crucial factors require careful consideration and negotiation. These factors include:

Alimony: Also known as spousal maintenance, alimony is a financial obligation that one spouse may carry to provide to the other as part of a divorce. The purpose of alimony is to ensure that both spouses are able to maintain a similar standard of living after the divorce. The amount and duration of alimony can be determined by the court or agreed upon by both parties.
Child Custody: One of the most challenging aspects of a divorce is determining child custody arrangements. Child custody is divided into two main categories: legal decision-making authority and parenting time. Legal decision-making involves the authority to make important decisions about a child’s upbringing, education, healthcare, and overall well-being. Parenting time refers to the time a parent spends with the child. These decisions can be made through an agreement or determined by the court.
Child Support: Ensuring that both parties provide for the financial needs of their children is paramount. Child support is calculated in Arizona based on the combined income of both parents and the children’s needs. The court uses guidelines set by the state to help determine the amount of child support that a noncustodial parent must pay to the custodial parent.

Our Divorce Lawyers in Peoria and Family Law Attorneys Near You Provide Unparalleled Representation

At Arizona Law Group, you will find our divorce attorneys offer clients the personal attention and outstanding service they need and expect. We truly believe that our clients deserve nothing but the best, and will fight to ensure they get the best outcome for their unique situation. Each of our divorce lawyers are fully committed to providing the best legal solutions possible for each and every one of our clients.

When you meet with an attorney, he or she will carefully explain the legal issues raised in your case. And will discuss your options so that you can make informed decisions about your legal representation on each issue presented to you. Your divorce attorney will always keep you fully apprised of new developments in your case so that you are prepared at every phase of the dissolution process.

When you call us with a question, your attorney will return your call as soon as possible (and when unavailable, another representative from our law firm will call you back to assist), usually within 24 hours of receiving your message. With the help of an experienced divorce attorney, you can overcome the legal challenges and emotional difficulties that you now face, so you can move on with your life.

How Do I Choose the Best Peoria Family Attorneys Near You For My Family?

At Arizona Law Group, our Peoria, Arizona, divorce attorney knows that your future, and the future of your children, depends greatly on the outcome of the case that we achieve for you. Place your trust in us to aggressively and persistently protect your rights – we will seek to positively resolve every outstanding issue in your divorce.

When you meet with an attorney, you will learn how our legal team handles all types of divorce cases, no matter how complex. We are respected and recognized for our successes involving complex property divisions – including business interests, trusts, investments, and other complicated assets.

Serving Maricopa County and Pinal County, from Surprise to Chandler, and all across Arizona, our divorce attorneys have the experience you can rely on even under the most challenging circumstances. One important goal for our legal team is to put a plan in place that works for you and eases your mind, while we provide outstanding service at a reasonable cost. Whatever the nature of your family law dispute, whether it be a complex asset division, parental relocation with your child, or some other issue, you can depend on our firm to develop solutions to achieve your objectives. For example, a Peoria alimony attorney can help navigate your legal options for potential alimony payments.

Areas We Serve

Contact Our West Valley-Located Family Lawyers in Peoria, Arizona

Are you looking for an experienced divorce lawyer? If you, or someone you care about, live in or near the Peoria area and are contemplating a divorce, have been served with papers by your spouse, or need to speak with an understanding professional about a different legal matter, then call 623-561-8200 to schedule a confidential consultation with an attorney at our North 83rd Avenue office, conveniently located near the Rio Vista Recreation Center. You can also email us with a legal question. We will respond to your inquiry as soon as possible with no strings attached. If you have a question, consider posting it anonymously to Ask a Lawyer and get your question answered by an experienced Peoria child support attorney.

What Our Clients Have to Say:

“Melissa was great to work with. Either Melissa or her paralegal kept in contact with me making communication quick and easy. All documentation is performed electronically so I received all correspondence from Melissa, the courts, and opposing counsel in a timely manner, not waiting for it to arrive in the mail. I am very satisfied with the service provided by Melissa, her paralegal, the client coordinators, and the entire office staff.”

Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Scott Quigley
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