questions & answers

Question: My ex broke up with me and kick me out the place we shared with our child. I had to move back to my home city which is in a different city then my child, and since our child is still in school I didn't want to move our child out of the school s/he went to. So had to leave my child with the dad. My child has stated that s/he wants to come live with me. So how do I get custody of my child.

Answer: Are you and your ex married? Are there existing court orders establishing custody? If not, Arizona law considers both parents to have equal custody (now called legal decision-making) rights. If you and the father cannot agree on where your daughter is to live, one or both of you will need to involve the court.It would be in your best interests to at least talk to a lawyer who can advise you on the best way to go. If you live in Arizona,there are two programs in Arizona that you can use to get some inexpensive legal advice and guidance.One is the Modest Means Program. For a $75 fee, the Modest Means Program will arrange a one hour consult with an experienced attorney.The telephone number is (866) 637-5341.  The second program is the Maricopa County Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service. For a $40 fee, Maricopa County Bar Association Lawyer Referral will set you up with a 30 minute consultation with an experienced lawyer.The telephone number is (602) 257-4434. If you live in another state, contact your state bar association for information on any similar programs.