Joint legal custody is preferred, although the actual physical arrangements are not necessarily equal. Some parents agree to a traditional “alternating weekends and holidays” schedule, while others are happy with a compete week to week division of time. Maricopa County Superior Court has a Conciliation Court Division that is a free service provided to residents to help mediate disputes over the custody and visitation arrangements. On occasion we refer clients to private mediators or custody experts when the issues are more complex. Child support is computed on a state guideline and, by both state and Federal requirements, must be paid by a garnishment process.

Issues you may wish to discuss with Marilyn include what are court recommendations for visitation of the non-residential parent at various ages of the child, can I take my child out of state to visit extended family during the divorce, what school should my child attend, what if we don’t agree on extra-curricular activities or after school care, and can I move out of the state of Arizona with the children.