A Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) is a court order entered in a divorce, separation, or child support lawsuit. Its purpose is to ensure that a portion of a spouse’s retirement accounts is used for child support, spousal support, or equitable marital property division. A retirement plan administrator must comply…
In Arizona, a custodial parent wishing to move with their child out of state or more than 100 miles away within the state must provide written notice of their plans to the other parent. They must give this notice within 45 days of the proposed move. The noncustodial parent has…
You may have family members and friends who hired attorneys when they divorced. You might wonder whether Arizona law requires you to do the same. Spouses do not need legal counsel to get divorced in Arizona. Still, while many couples complete their divorces without legal assistance, consulting with an experienced Arizona…
If you and your ex share children and plan to divorce, you must determine how to split custody. Arizona’s child custody laws govern parents’ rights to legal custody, physical custody, and parenting time. An experienced Arizona child custody lawyer can walk you through the custody process and advocate for your…
It’s a common belief that divorced parents who share custody of their child will split that time 50/50 and have equal decision-making power. While this is often true in Arizona, there are some situations where the court will make modifications to ensure all elements of the custody arrangement serve the…
In Arizona, a parent can be guilty of child abandonment if they fail to give their child reasonable support or normal supervision. Minimal efforts to have regular contact or provide support over a six-month period may also be considered abandonment. Families dealing with child abandonment often have many questions about…
Arizona is a community property state. That means when a couple divorces, spouses divide property and debt accumulated during the marriage. Community debts are typically fairly divided. This must be very frustrating for a spouse who may have filed for divorce because of financial issues. However, the advice and representation…
Arizona is a community property state, meaning assets and debts are equitably divided in a divorce. You may be responsible for your spouse’s debt during a divorce unless you can prove that your spouse incurred the debt before you got married. This is frustrating for many fiscally responsible spouses going…
While several American states recognize common law marriages, Arizona generally does not. The state’s divorce processes do not apply to unmarried cohabiting couples who wish to end their relationships because Arizona does not consider them married. If you are living in a cohabiting relationship in Arizona and plan to go…
If you’re considering ending your Arizona marriage, you may wonder whether an annulment is the right option. Following the annulment of an Arizona marriage, it effectively never occurred because it was invalid from the start. An annulment is not the same as a divorce. It’s a distinct and less common…