questions & answers

Question: I share joint custody and my sons father drops him off at his siblings home and my son stays there most days when he is not under my care. He sleeps on their couch at night. Can I possibly get full custody if the other parent is doing this? Also, my son has a lot of trouble learning in school and he does have an IEP and he gets no help academically when he is with other parent and I have to always pick up where my son last left off in regards to reading and homework and it hurts him academically because this is only being done part time. Can either of those situations help me get primary care

Answer: The answer to your question requires more help than you can get on a website.  It is a strong possibility that the factors you describe may help you in an attempt to modify custody (now called legal decision-making).  Make sure you can document the facts.  You need to sit down with a lawyer and go over all of your documents and all the facts.  There are three programs in Arizona that you can use to get inexpensive legal advice and guidance.  One is the modest means program.  You will need to apply for the program and meet the financial qualifications.  Once you are qualified, Modest Means will send you a list of attorneys whose practice covers your area of concern.  You select a lawyer from the list and will be entitled to a one hour consultation for $75.  If you need additional help and if the lawyer agrees to take your case, the most you will be charged is $75 per hours.  the telephone number is (866) 637-5341.  Both Maricopa County and Pima County have lawyer referral programs that offer a 30 minute consult with an attorney.  Maricopa County's Lawyer Referral Service offers a 30 minute consult with an experienced attorney for $40.  The telephone number is  (602) 257-4434.  Pima County's Lawyer Referral Service offers a 30 minute attorney consult for $35.  The telephone number is (520) 623-4625.