If you have children and you’re in the military, you could be required to have a “family care plan.” This is a document that designates who will care for your children while you are on temporary duty, engaged in extended training, deployed, involuntarily recalled or...
It may not seem romantic to ask for a prenuptial agreement, but a prenup can offer important protections in the right situation. For example, if you have children from a previous relationship, you may want to protect their inheritance rights. Or, if you come to the...
From time to time, it becomes necessary for one parent to move out of Arizona with the kids. You may have to get permission from an Arizona court to move away with your children, which will depend on whether the move is in the children's best interest. It is generally...
Your credit is your lifeline. It affects everything from the cost of borrowing to whether you can get a new apartment. Yet many people experience a drop in their credit ratings after a divorce. Is there a penalty on credit scores for getting a divorce?No, but there...
When you file for divorce in Arizona, one of the documents you are required to file is a "joint preliminary injunction." This is generally a standard form that automatically creates a court order once it is filed.Its main purpose is to prevent either spouse from...
Arizona law allows a special kind of marriage called a "covenant marriage" in addition to standard marriage. This is a marriage specifically undertaken with the intention for it to last a lifetime. You agree to choose carefully, receive premarital counseling and "take...
As with most property in an Arizona divorce, pensions and retirement accounts are often considered part of the marital estate and are divided according to Arizona's community property rules. This often means that part of one spouse's pension or retirement account...
It depends on the circumstances. For one thing, if you negotiate or mediate your divorce, you will come up with your own parenting plan, which includes assigning legal decision-making authority and parenting time. If you can resolve your divorce by agreement, out of...
Research has consistently established the domestic violence rate during the time of separation at between 40% and 80%. If you have experienced intimate partner violence, does that mean you can't undertake divorce mediation?The issues are trust and control. Can a...
The Smith Law Offices, P.C. - In Arizona, you can establish a father's paternity by having both parents sign an acknowledgement of paternity form in the presence of a witness or notary. You will generally need a photo ID. You may even have been given this form when...
