Child Custody

questions & answers

Question: If I'm on my son's birth certificate, can my sons mother hold him away from me, and not allow me to see him for no reason?

Answer: Arizona law presumes that both parents have equal parenting rights unless a court states otherwise.  Ruben v. Ariz. DES, 230 Ariz. 236, 282 P3d 437 (App. 2012).  It may be in your best interests to speak with a lawyer about  taking legal action to establish your parenting rights.  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.