Benefits of a Failed Mediation – Part I

January 25, 2020

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas A. Edison That quote sums up my experience with mediation.    I’ve never found it helpful to brag that I settle “98%” (or whatever percent) of the mediations I handle.  For one thing, I don’t, and for another, I think talking about […]

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Supervised Parenting Time and Public Place Visits

September 19, 2019

Should a parent who by court order has only supervised visitation with a child be able to attend public and school events involving the child, such as sports events or school programs, without a supervisor? Many (or most) court orders that set up supervised-only parenting time clearly state when, where, and under what circumstances the […]

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Does Arizona Have an Equal Parenting Time Presumption?

June 17, 2019

The never ending question of whether Arizona has a presumption of equal parenting time rages on.[1]     I’ve seen various articles that list Arizona as one of several U.S. jurisdictions that have an equal parenting time presumption.  A statement that Arizona has a legal presumption of parenting time, without further explanation, is wrong; Arizona doesn’t have […]

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Be Your Own Parenting Coordinator – Part 2 of 2

May 30, 2019

This post and the last one expand on the thought that parents can and should do more on their own regarding parenting, and that parents can effectively be their own parenting coordinator (the ultimate way to save money!).     Parenting coordinators help resolve parenting issues that either aren’t covered by your parenting plan, or that fall […]

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Be Your Own Parenting Coordinator

May 28, 2019

Years ago, I wrote a post about how to save money using your parenting coordinator.  This post and the next expand on the thought that parents can and should do more on their own regarding co-parenting, and that parents can effectively be their own parenting coordinator (the ultimate way to save money!).     Parenting coordinators help […]

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Paul E Decision is Clarified by the Arizona Supreme Court

May 13, 2019

The Paul E. Court of Appeals decision which was the subject of previous posts here and here was reviewed by the Arizona Supreme Court. On April 26, 2019, the Supreme Court clarified a few issues.  Some rulings relate only to the specific facts of that case, but the Supreme Court did add a more far-reaching […]

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The Court’s Authority and Behavioral Health Services: An Evolving Debate

March 14, 2019

Continuing on the topic of the court’s authority when it comes to therapy, this post discusses the court’s overall authority to get involved with it:   Can the court order a parent into therapy?  Can a parenting coordinator?  Can the court order a child into therapy over the objections of one or both parents?   Can the […]

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The Long-Standing Debate Over Obtaining a Child’s Therapy Records

March 11, 2019

Two of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted issues in family court in Arizona today are the family court’s authority to (a) order a child’s therapy or medical records sealed from a parent, often called either “safe harbor” or “safe haven” therapy; and (b) order a parent or a child into therapy or therapeutic intervention. It […]

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Retroactive Modifications Add Up to Headaches

March 4, 2019

The Court of Appeals decision in Amadore v. Lifgren was partially discussed in this January 7 blog post, but I didn’t mention the court’s other holdings regarding modifications of child support and spousal maintenance.    While the trial court had modified the Father’s spousal maintenance and child support obligations, the retroactive dates the court used in […]

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Try To Stop A Custody “Battle”

February 9, 2019

I don’t often just post a link here, but I’m traveling this week and this article truly struck me as advice that so many of us could use. If every parent could spend some time considering and following the advice in this article, less time and money would be spent with the court system, attorneys, […]

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