Child Custody Article


Where to Find an Attorney for Specific Legal Advice

Arizona has three legal aid organizations which cover different regions of the state.

  1. Community Legal Services (800) 852-9075 covers Maricopa, Mohave, Yavapai, Yuma and LaPaz Counties.
  2. Southern Arizona Legal Aid (800) 640-9465 covers southern Arizona.
  3. DNA People’s Legal Services (800) 789-7287 covers northern Arizona.

All legal service programs in Arizona differ, and their criteria for accepting cases vary. The legal aid organizations above all have the same criteria of income restrictions and legal status requirements, but do have varying priorities.

To find out about more Arizona resources that may be able to assist you, you can contact LegalLEARN, Legal Information & Resources at (866) 637-5341.

Individuals may apply for free and reduced fee legal services by using the "Access To Justice Online Intake System" through AZLawHelp. 

If the legal services program in your area cannot assist you, you may be able to find a lawyer through lawyer referral services in Maricopa County (602) 257-4434 or Pima County (520) 623-4625.

The State Bar also maintains a listing of all Arizona attorneys on their website, and certifies “specialists” in eight legal areas. (Not all attorneys seek such certification, however.) Lists of specialists can also be found at the State Bar of Arizona’s website.


Comments:

QUESTIONS

  • I was 15 and my boyfriend was 19 and I got pregnant. I am now 18 and he has been in prison for since i got pregnant. he is a heroin addict, and served time for burglury. I do not want any contact with him.what can I do if he contacts me?
  • Who has legal custody if the parents never married?
  • I am going to have a son anyday now. The mother wanted to put him up for adoption but I talked her out of it. She wants to give me full custody of him, being that she's only 17, and in high-school, she wouldn't have time to raise him. How do I ensure I get full custody?
  • I am going to be working out of the country but coming back every 2 months. What can I do to prevent my kids' s father from get sole responsability or custody of the kids and/or making the court believe I am abandoning them?.
  • Recently i signed a paper stating that i gave my 14 yr. olds father temporary authority of our son. We were never married and we split up when he was only a few months old. When will i be able to get him back?
  • Current Parenting time/custody that is filed with the court from 2006 is 50/50. My ex moved to CA 4 years ago and my son went with him so at the time we did a document stating my son would live in CA and my ex would have custody of him.(this document was not filed with the courts) My ex has moved back to AZ and my son wants to go back to the original parenting plan and custody arrangement. My ex wont let him and states that the notarized document states he has full custody and only can see me every other weekend. Is this notarized document legal or is he illegally withholding my son from me?
  • My sons father moved out of state with my son and now he is saying that he will not be bringing him to me for the summer which is ordered by the court in my state. Is there anything that I can do to make him follow the court order since he does not live in the same state as I?
  • I am a single mother of a 12 year old -turning 13 in less than a month- my son was born out of wedlock in Las Vegas, NV (Paternity was established) When he was about a year old, his father decided to leave. After we broke up, he then stayed in NV for a couple of months, then moved back to Mexico. My son and I moved to AZ in 2009. We have been residing here since then. Father has not made an effort to see/talk to son. He does NOT pay child support and he lives in Mexico City according to his Facebook Profile, what can I do to obtain sole custody/full decision making regarding my son?
  • What is the difference between legal custody and sole legal custody?
  • I've been served by the non-custodial parent for joint custody and modification of support. How do I file a response? I have 20 days and I don't know which form to use.

STORIES

LegalLEARN

FIND LEGAL HELP

  • Please select your county of residence below.

    County:
     

OTHER LEGAL RESOURCES

  • State Bar of Arizona
    www.azbar.org
  • Maricopa County Bar
    www.maricopabar.org
    Referral number 602-257-4434
  • Pima County Bar
    www.pimacountybar.org
    Referral number 520-623-4625
  • National Domestic Violence Hotline
    800-799-7233
  • Bankruptcy Court Self Help Center
    866-553-0893
  • Certified Legal Document Preparer Program
    Link

ORGANIZATIONS

Documents

.pdf  Custody and Parenting Time Guide ReadSpeaker

.pdf  Sample Forms for Divorce with Children (Petitioner) ReadSpeaker

.pdf  Sample Forms for Divorce with Children (Response) ReadSpeaker

.pdf  Sample Instructions for Divorce with Children (Response) ReadSpeaker

.pdf  Sample Forms for a Divorce Decree with Children ReadSpeaker

RELATED ARTICLES

Things You Should Know about Custody and Parenting Time

Model Parenting Time Plans for Parent/Child Access

What is a Court-Appointed Advisor and what is his or her function in a Family Law case?

How to Represent Yourself in Maricopa County Part 1: Initial Filings

How to Represent Yourself in Maricopa Family Court Part 2: Default Through Discovery

Federal and State Tax Exemptions for Dependent Children: Who gets to claim them?

Best Interests of the Child

LINKS

Arizona Supreme Court Programs Unit

Birth Certificates - Arizona Office of Vital Records

Arizona South Asians for Safe Families

Public Access Case Lookup - Arizona Supreme Court

Maricopa County Judicial Branch

See More...