questions & answers

Question: My ex husband currently has temporary custody of our three kids. The order was granted for a year. That year has past already and since then I have made great progress in life. It was my decision to give their father the kids because after he abandoned me and the kids, I was having a difficult time trying to support myself and my kids. Throughout our 13yr marriage I was a stay at home mother as he requested, so being as such, gaining stability did not come easy. Now that I have stability he makes it hard to be active in our kids lives. How do I regain rights to my kids?

Answer: If your ex will not agree to allow you more time with the children, you will need to go through family court.You can file a petition in family court asking the court to allocate legal decision making and parenting time for your children. You can go the the Arizona Superior Court website, access the self-help center, look in the family law section and find the document and instructions you will need.  The Superior Court's website is www.azcourts.gov. It is always helpful to get some legal advice on how to go forward. There are 3 programs in Arizona that you can use to get some inexpensive legal advice and guidance. One is the Modest Means Program.  For a $75.00 fee, the Modest Means Program will arrange a one hour consult with an experienced attorney. The telephone number is (866) 637-5341. Both the Maricopa County Bar Association and the Pima County Bar Association have lawyer referral services that offer a 30 minute consult with an experienced attorney.  Maricopa County's Lawyer Referral Service offers a 30 minute consultation for a fee of $40.00. The telephone number is (602) 257-4434.  Pima County's Lawyer Referral Service offers a 30 minute consultation for a fee of $35.00.  The telephone number is (520) 623-4625.