Child Custody Article


Where to Find an Attorney for Specific Legal Advice

Arizona has three legal aid organizations which cover different regions of the state.

  1. Community Legal Services (800) 852-9075 covers Maricopa, Mohave, Yavapai, Yuma and LaPaz Counties.
  2. Southern Arizona Legal Aid (800) 640-9465 covers southern Arizona.
  3. DNA People’s Legal Services (800) 789-7287 covers northern Arizona.

All legal service programs in Arizona differ, and their criteria for accepting cases vary. The legal aid organizations above all have the same criteria of income restrictions and legal status requirements, but do have varying priorities.

To find out about more Arizona resources that may be able to assist you, you can contact LegalLEARN, Legal Information & Resources at (866) 637-5341.

Individuals may apply for free and reduced fee legal services by using the "Access To Justice Online Intake System" through AZLawHelp. 

If the legal services program in your area cannot assist you, you may be able to find a lawyer through lawyer referral services in Maricopa County (602) 257-4434 or Pima County (520) 623-4625.

The State Bar also maintains a listing of all Arizona attorneys on their website, and certifies “specialists” in eight legal areas. (Not all attorneys seek such certification, however.) Lists of specialists can also be found at the State Bar of Arizona’s website.


Comments:

QUESTIONS

  • what are the fathers rights if not married?
  • I am going through a child paternity, custody, visitation, and child support case. I left arizona due to a domestic violence situation with my daughters father. I am in need of legal help and have tried yuma community legal services. He has paid for a really good lawyer which I have no money to afford one at all. He keeps doing things that I had no clue you could do and am terrified of losing my daughter to him because of this. He is not interested in the child for the right reasons. And the child would be in danger in his care. I am completly broke, any thing i can do to get legal help?
  • I signed over my rights to my daughter, to her mother and her husband, about 6 months ago. I was promised I would still be able to see her every other Sunday for a few hours. Her mother said it was the best thing for her. I love my daughter. Now that a little time has passed and I see how fast my baby is growing up I want more time with her and fear I will never get it. How long do I have to change my mind about giving her up?
  • My husband got temporary custody while we were seperated. our child is two years old and now my husband filed for divorce so he could have full custody but we are living together under the same house coparenting. He doesnt want me to go to court but i just want the same equal rights as my husband does. how do i obtain joint custody when we are living under the same roof or have the same rights. should i fight the divorce would that help me in any way. What do i need to do to have an equal say in my childs upbringing?
  • i have been raising my grandson since he was 4months old he in now two in a half years old is there a limit,i mean if he lived with me for this long do i have aprentle rights?
  • I am currently expecting a baby. The father of my baby left me when I was 7 months, but has stated he wants to be in the baby's life. He is a habitual marijuana smoker, heavy drinker, and the people he surrounds himself with are not the kind of influences I want around my child. He moved in with his mom, who keeps a very dirty house and has been in and out of the hospital with MRSA for the last couple of years. I do not feel like he can provde a safe and stable environment for my daughter. He believes he will get joint custody. What actions do I need to take to ensure this does not happen?
  • I am expecting a baby 8/1/11. The father & I are not married nor are we cohabiting, but we get along. What is the basic process for establishing custody and parenting time? Are we legally required to file something through the court? If so, how? I don't care how often he comes over to see us but his work schedule is unpredictable, so a pre-scheduled parenting time arrangment might not be feasible. How formal does a parenting agreement need to be? Are there flexible options available?
  • My children relocated to New York three years ago because of mother's job. Since, mother has not complied with the parenting order, failing to send them back for father's parenting time on several occasions. The two children are currently with father for summer vacation. Both children told father of regularly being left alone overnight. The children are 6 and 8. They are scheduled according to the parenting time order to go back to New York at the end of August (less than 7 weeks). What can I do to keep them from returning to that environment?
  • can i choose which parent i want to live with, if not, what age can i?
  • How do I change a custody agreement so that I now have full custody as my ex-husband is no longer fit to have full custody? I had issues with depression and alcohol so he has full custody now and I’m supposed to just have supervised visits but we are reconciling and live together with the kids. I have since turned myself around completely and am sober and managing my depression. He is unfortunately in a constant state of relapse currently and repeatedly being taken to a hospital or treatment facility. He is the one working and making money but I take care of the kids 24/7.

STORIES

LegalLEARN

FIND LEGAL HELP

  • Please select your county of residence below.

    County:
     

OTHER LEGAL RESOURCES

  • State Bar of Arizona
    www.azbar.org
  • Maricopa County Bar
    www.maricopabar.org
    Referral number 602-257-4434
  • Pima County Bar
    www.pimacountybar.org
    Referral number 520-623-4625
  • National Domestic Violence Hotline
    800-799-7233
  • Bankruptcy Court Self Help Center
    866-553-0893
  • Certified Legal Document Preparer Program
    Link

ORGANIZATIONS

Documents

.pdf  Custody and Parenting Time Guide ReadSpeaker

.pdf  Sample Forms for Divorce with Children (Petitioner) ReadSpeaker

.pdf  Sample Forms for Divorce with Children (Response) ReadSpeaker

.pdf  Sample Instructions for Divorce with Children (Response) ReadSpeaker

.pdf  Sample Forms for a Divorce Decree with Children ReadSpeaker

RELATED ARTICLES

Things You Should Know about Custody and Parenting Time

Model Parenting Time Plans for Parent/Child Access

What is a Court-Appointed Advisor and what is his or her function in a Family Law case?

How to Represent Yourself in Maricopa County Part 1: Initial Filings

How to Represent Yourself in Maricopa Family Court Part 2: Default Through Discovery

Federal and State Tax Exemptions for Dependent Children: Who gets to claim them?

Best Interests of the Child

LINKS

Arizona Supreme Court Programs Unit

Birth Certificates - Arizona Office of Vital Records

Arizona South Asians for Safe Families

Public Access Case Lookup - Arizona Supreme Court

Maricopa County Judicial Branch

See More...