A Phoenix divorce lawyer in Arizona can help you understand your rights and how to protect them. During a Phoenix divorce, one or both spouses may have concerns about the division of assets and debts. This is where an experienced divorce lawyer can be of invaluable help. During a divorce, the decisions you make can affect your family for a long time to come. Your Phoenix divorce lawyer can guide you through the process to ensure that you end up in the best possible shape.
Whether you and your spouse have children or not, child support is an important issue in any divorce. It focuses on the income and expenses of each party, and the amount of parenting time each party has with the children. Arizona courts have developed guidelines that can be used in child support calculations. However, they can deviate from these guidelines if they deem necessary. You may also be required to pay spousal maintenance, which is a financial contribution toward your spouse’s needs during a legal separation.
If you are involved in a heated dispute regarding custody of children or spousal maintenance, the court can step in and decide these issues. The courts have the power to rule on Arizona child support, restraining orders, Arizona visitation rights, and the termination of a marital estate.
The court may also award spousal support to a spouse who has a significant amount of unequal earning power. In some cases, the court will even award alimony, which is a form of financial support. These issues are complex and can be difficult to understand if you do not have an experienced divorce attorney on your side.
Depending on the number of issues you have to dispute, the legal costs of your Phoenix divorce will be higher. One way to reduce these costs is to use divorce mediation. Divorce mediation involves the services of a neutral trained mediator who works with the parties to resolve issues. This can be less costly than a Phoenix divorce trial, and it can be faster.
Another option for resolving your Phoenix divorce is a collaborative divorce. These divorces involve the parties committing to working together to negotiate and compromise on the terms of their divorce. They are not allowed to file a lawsuit against each other, but they do commit to working together to settle their disputes.
Hiring a Phoenix divorce lawyer is not a legal requirement. If the parties have a complete agreement, they may avoid a court appearance and work out their own settlement. An experienced Phoenix divorce lawyer can walk you through these options and offer you a free consultation.
Many couples who have children find that they are struggling to make ends meet on two separate incomes. Child support can make that difficult. Parents have a responsibility to help their children, and if the couple does not have a divorce lawyer, their resources will be divided between the parents.
During a Phoenix divorce, the court may decide whether or not the parties will share a home. When a couple has children, the court will consider the children’s health care and educational expenses in making these determinations.