Stewart Law Group

Unfortunately, you cannot prevent a person from filing documents with the court but you can ask the court to dismiss the filing and issue sanctions against the ex-spouse. If you need help or have more questions please call our office and schedule a consultation.

To initiate a divorce in Arizona, a spouse files a “Petition for Dissolution of Marriage” with the clerk of the Superior Court and pays the requisite filing fee. The other spouse must be served with a copy of the petition and summons. He or she has 20 days from the date of service to file a written response with the court (30 days if service is out-of-state). The other spouse may waive service by signing and having notarized an “Acceptance of Service.” The petition and response make up the initial family court pleadings.

We are not aware of a circumstance when a person has been charged interest on a zero dollar balance. It seems that something in their system must be in error. I suggest contacting them to get the information and support for any interest charges. Generally speaking, ATLAS is programmed to charge 10% interest on any outstanding principal balance. Regarding the fees, those are established by statute and would apply automatically as the statute itself generally satisfies any notice requirement. I hope this information helps!

Daycare expenses are typically included in the Arizona Child Support Guidelines and therefore would be included in the child support obligation of the paying parent. You can get a rough estimate of support here: https://www.arizonalawgroup.com/child-support-calculator/

We bill by the hour so the fee really depends upon many factors and no two cases are the exact same. If you visit our website you can use our child support calculator to give yourself an idea of the support that you might receive. Please call our client services coordinator and they can schedule you for a consultation with our office. 602-548-3400

Yes, if sole legal custody is appropriate. In Arizona, there is no legal presumption favoring one parent over the other. Meaning that the Court starts with the presumption that parents should have joint custody. However, if you believe joint custody is not appropriate, you can request sole custody.

No, your child does not have the right to decide which parent shall have custody. However, the child’s wishes may be considered by the court at any stage in the proceedings. More often than not, though, the judge will rely on the opinion of a mental health professional for guidance on what is in the child’s best interests.

Divorce can profoundly affect a child’s emotional development, so preparing the child for divorce is an important parenting issue. The child’s emotional well-being during and after the dissolution depends greatly on how the parents handle their divorce. To help ease the children’s transition into the new family relationship, read our helpful parenting suggestions for couples who are contemplating divorce.