The Scope of the Arizona Family Court

If you are getting a divorce in Arizona, you’ll probably see the inside of a family court more than you would like. But working with an Arizona divorce lawyer may not be the only thing that takes you into a family court. You may need to consult with a child custody attorney or to dispute a number of other cases.

Here are a few reasons why you might find yourself inside a Arizona family court:

Family Issues

“Family issues” encompasses a number of issues that might need the assistance of a lawyer to work out. You will find yourself inside a family court if you want to adopt a child. You’ll have to appear before a judge to finalize the adoption and make your new family officials.

You might end up in family court if you are fighting charges of child abuse or neglect. You might have to appear before a judge if you are accused, whether your children are removed from your home or not. If your children are removed from the home, you might have to convince a judge to return them after you have settled the charges against you.

You might need to appear in family court if your minor child wants to be emancipated.

There are many more reasons that could put you before a family court judge. You don’t have to be in trouble with the law to end up in court.

Child Custody

Whether you were ever married to your partner or not, if you have children, you will need to develop a child custody arrangement when you separate. Many couples aren’t able to work out an agreement amicably between themselves. Therefore, they need to go to family court to work it out with a couple of lawyers and a judge.
You may need to return to family court if you want to make changes to a previous child custody arrangement, as well. You may become dissatisfied with the previous arrangement, or your circumstances may have changed, giving you more standing to fight for custody. You may even discover damning information about your former spouse or partner, allowing you to challenge the previous custody arrangement.

Child Support

Unless you are sharing custody, either you or your former partner will likely need to pay some amount of child support. You may need to go to family court to create the original child support agreement, or you may need to go to court if your former partner is not paying the agreed upon support.

If you are the one who is paying child support, you may elect to return to family court to ask for the amount to be changed if your financial circumstances change.

Divorce

One of the most common reasons that many people end up in family court is to resolve their divorce. The divorce proceedings may include an agreement for alimony, child support and child custody, as well. You may need to work with a divorce lawyer as well as a child custody attorney, or one who has experience in both.

Whatever your reason for needing to appear in a Arizona family court, our Arizona family law lawyers can help. Our team includes divorce lawyers, child custody attorneys and more to help you with whatever family law issues you might be facing. Our lawyers are experienced experts in family law, and they offer the compassionate yet professional guidance you will need to navigate these cases successfully. Call us today to schedule your initial consultation with one of our family lawyers.