Arizona’s Mandatory Parent Education Program
In every Arizona case in which a party has asked the court to determine custody and specific parenting time of a child, both parties must complete the Superior Court’s approved Parent Education Program, also known as the Parent Information Program. It doesn’t matter whether the child was adopted or the natural offspring of the parent, [...]
Appealing the Trial Judge’s Decision
When a party disagrees with the trial judge’s final decision, then he or she may appeal that decision by right. Generally, success on appeal is limited to cases in which the judge clearly reached a decision that was unsupported by the evidence adduced at trial, or when there is newly discovered evidence. A judge’s trial [...]
Persons, Places, and Things — Venue and Jurisdiction
Venue is the procedural law that directs the litigants on where the case should be initiated within the state’s territory. That is, which county may the family law case be brought or the matter prosecuted. The rules controlling venue dictate which of Arizona’s 16 counties is the proper county for the cause of action. Under [...]
Conducting Hearings and Trials in Family Court
If a complete resolution on every issue in dispute cannot be reached, then a trial becomes necessary. Trial requires intense planning and preparation, commencing months in advance. And trials involve risk — the parties surrender their decision-making authority to the judge. There is no way to predict how a judge will decide certain issues in [...]
The Role of Discovery in the Family Law Case
In Arizona, the civil procedural rules applied in family law cases are found in the Arizona Rules of Family Law Procedure (ARFLP). Those rules refer to the gathering of evidence as “disclosure and discovery.” Unless you’ve been involved in some form of litigation before your divorce, you probably are unfamiliar with the concept of discovery [...]
Legal Dictionary for Arizona
ABANDONMENT = Abandonment occurs when a spouse leaves the children or the other spouse, intending not to return. In a covenant marriage, abandonment for a year or longer, coupled with a refusal to return, is grounds for divorce or legal separation. Child abandonment means the failure of a parent to provide reasonable support and failure [...]
