questions & answers

Question: My grandson visits every other weekend with his father. The father is not respecting the Covid guidelines for safety. My grandson 5 years old. My daughter has been at stay at home mode for months now & fears for her son’s health. What can we do ?

Answer: This has become a huge issue in Arizona and other states.  There is no cut and dry answer.  The courts cannot settle all these visitation disputes over COVID. They do not have the resources.  The parents need to do their best to resolve the issue between them.  If there is no way to agree and your daughter has serious fears for her child's health, you need to talk to a lawyer.  Simply cutting off visitation could have negative consequences depending on the judge and the situation.  There are three programs in Arizona that you can use to get inexpensive legal advice and guidance.  One is the modest means program.  You will need to apply for the program and meet the financial qualifications.  Once you are qualified, Modest Means will send you a list of attorneys whose practice covers your area of concern.  You select a lawyer from the list and will be entitled to a one hour consultation for $75.  If you need additional help and if the lawyer agrees to take your case, the most you will be charged is $75 per hours.  the telephone number is (866) 637-5341.  Both Maricopa County and Pima County have lawyer referral programs that offer a 30 minute consult with an attorney.  Maricopa County's Lawyer Referral Service offers a 30 minute consult with an experienced attorney for $40.  The telephone number is  (602) 257-4434.  Pima County's Lawyer Referral Service offers a 30 minute attorney consult for $35.  The telephone number is (520) 623-4625.