Child Custody

questions & answers

Question: Want to know my rights with my daughter. My wife is trying to take her and keep her in Sacramento CA

Answer: Your question is very vague.The most important question is this:  do you and your wife have joint custody?  Custody is now called "legal decision-making."  Are you and your wife divorced?  If you are, there should be a court order on custody that allows you to petition the court and ask the judge to prevent her moving out of state with your daughter.  If you are still married and there is no custody order, the law considers you both to have equal rights.  You need to talk with a lawyer and provide all relevant documents and facts.  There are three programs in Arizona that you can use to get some inexpensive legal advice and guidance.  One is the Modest Means Program.  You will need to apply for the program and meet the financial need qualifications.  Once qualified, Modest Means will send you a list of attorneys to choose from.  Then, for a $75 fee, you will receive a one hour consultation with the attorney.  If you need additional help and the attorney agrees to take your case, the fee charged will not be more than $75 per hour.  The telephone number is (866)  637-5341.  Both Maricopa and Pima County Bar Associations 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 a fee of $40.  The telephone number is: (602) 257-4434.  Pima County Lawyer Referral Service offers a 30 minute consult with an experienced attorney for a fee of $35.  The telephone number is (520) 623-4625.  If you are unable to afford these modest fees, you can go to another portion of this website and apply to see if you meet the financial qualifications for a free lawyer.  Go to http://www.azlawhelp.org/accesstojustice.cfm