Question: Is it considered abandonment of my children if I moved out of the home and moved maybe 4 blocks away? I left my husband but am still with my kids everyday.
Answer:
Abandonment is defined by A.R.S. § 8-531 as:
"...the failure of a parent to provide reasonable support and to maintain regular contact with the child, including providing normal supervision. Abandonment includes a judicial finding that a parent has made only minimal efforts to support and communicate with the child. Failure to maintain a normal parental relationship with the child without just cause for a period of six months constitutes prima facie evidence of abandonment."
May 27, 2008
Legal Services Corporation