Separation or divorce can lead to significant stress on a family, particularly when it comes to issues surrounding minor children. Child custody is perhaps one of the most contentious aspects in Arizona Family Court and it is crucial that custody arrangements are handled delicately. At Harper Easterling, our Arizona child custody lawyers are standing by to help you get through this process. We want to make sure the best interests of you and your children are taken into account. We have no problem standing up to your spouse or co-parent and their legal team if he or she is represented. We are ready to help throughout the state, including Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, Chandler, Glendale, Gilbert, and elsewhere.
It can be tempting to try to handle child custody issues in Arizona by yourself without legal representation. However, the well-being of your children is on the line and you should consult with a knowledgeable and experienced lawyer. As a parent, you have rights, and you should have a child custody lawyer by your side who can take over your case.
Your lawyer will use their resources to examine your entire family law matter and help determine what is in the best interests of you and your children. Your attorney will handle any negotiations with the other party or his or her legal team. Additionally, your attorney will make sure the child custody arrangements are incorporated into any final orders.
Arizona’s child custody laws are similar to other states, as this state has adopted the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA). The UCCJEA is designed to minimize interstate custody conflicts. Stephanie Harper Easterling has handled numerous cases involving the UCCJEA and jurisdictional disputes.
There are two types of child custody parents should consider: legal custody and physical custody.
It is important to note that there can be “sole” or “joint” legal custody and “primary” or “equal” physical custody, which do not have to be identical. One parent can have both sole Legal Decision-Making and designated as the primary parent, or the two parties can share joint Legal Decision-Making and equal Parenting Time. Additionally, the parents may have any combination of those rights.
Because of the complexity and number of combinations for child custody in Arizona, we strongly encourage you to work with an experienced family law attorney throughout this process.
Parenting plans are important in Arizona. A parenting plan typically recognizes the following:
Additionally, a parenting plan should include a parenting time schedule outlining which parent gets certain holidays, such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthdays, summer break, spring break, etc.
Parenting time is an essential part of child custody in Arizona. It is crucial to establish a parenting time schedule setting forth the dates, times, and locations each parent has time with their child.
In Arizona, there may be times when supervised visitation is required. A judge can order supervised visitation if they believe it is necessary for the well-being and safety of the child.
Parenting time used to be referred to as visitation but was updated. Now visitation generally refers to time a third-party, including grandparents, may have with the child.
It is possible to modify child custody arrangements in Arizona, but you will have to go through the family court system. You cannot legally decide to change your child custody arrangement on your own. Please understand that legal decision-making and parenting time are finalized in a court order, and there are consequences to violation of a court order.
There are various reasons why child custody or visitation schedules may need to be modified. This includes:
If you think you have a valid reason to modify your legal decision-making or parenting time schedule, please reach out to a family law attorney for assistance. Even if the other parent agrees to the proposed changes, it is important to go through the court system to make the modifications official. There is always a possibility the other parent will change their mind at a later date and accuse you of altering the custody agreement unlawfully.
Both parents are responsible for paying for the care of their children. In the state of Arizona, there are guidelines used to calculate the correct child support amount based on an “Income Shares Model.” This model uses both parents’ incomes to calculate how much one parent will pay the other to financially support the child. Once basic child support payments are calculated, there may need to be adjustments based on additional factors such as insurance premiums, childcare costs, and other expenses. Failing to pay court-ordered child support in Arizona is a felony offense and could result in prison time.
If you have minor children and are going through a divorce, separation, or breakup, you need to work with an attorney as soon as possible. Issues surrounding child custody can become contentious between the two parties involved, and it is crucial to have legal representation by your side to ensure the best possible outcome for you and your children. At Harper Easterling, we have extensive experience handling these types of cases, and our Arizona child custody lawyers are ready to help give the legal advice you need right now.
Steph handled a dissolution with children for my daughter. It was such a stressful time for my daughter along with her dad and I. Steph and her staff were extremely professional, knowledgeable and explained each phase along the way. Steph and her staff were also very understanding with the emotional side of a case like this. They were kind and never judge mental. I would highly recommend Steph and her staff for any family law case.
When I was looking for an attorney to begin the divorce process (dissolution of marriage with children), Steph came highly recommended from a close friend. After meeting with her, I completely understood why! Steph is extremely knowledgeable, was able to answer ALL my questions and help ease my anxieties. She was able to make this difficult chapter go as smooth as possible. Steph and her team were quick to respond to any questions and needs and never left me with unanswered questions or concerns. I would recommend Steph to anyone in need of a family law attorney!
When you want to have your case handled by a professional, receive the best advice in your interest, and someone who is a good listener, you should HIRE Steph Easterling and her team as your legal representation and advisors. Having one of the BEST of the BEST is always important but especially in regard to Family Law and having someone fighting for YOUR best interests.
Steph and her team are great! I was nervous because I have never done anything like this before. She explained everything to me so I understood it. Her staff is super nice. I like how they kept me up to date on my case. I would definitely recommend to everyone with any family law case.
very professional very polite very knowledgeable has lots of experience from 1 to 10 she’s a 10 I would recommend her I would love her to take my case very confident excellent service excellent attorney tourneys that I visit she is the number one excellent
I am very thankful for the services I received from Stephanie Harper Easterling. She coached and guided me at the end of my very complicated long divorce case when I was scared, lost, and had no idea what I was doing. I had limited funds to hire an attorney, but I was able to use limited scope services and hired Stephanie for only what I was unsure about while representing myself in my divorce case. Stephanie was extremely prompt in getting back to every time I had a question for her and she assisted me with my pretrial statement; saving me money as I completed it at the best of my knowledge and had her edit and modify it as needed. When I was unsure of something and needed more information she provided what I needed to help me understand. Thanks to Stephanies professional, prompt, and excellent service, the judge granted every exhibit I submitted and I was very very happy with the end results of my divorce case. I could not have done it without the help of Stephanie!
We worked with Stephanie on the creation of a prenup agreement. She came as a recommendation to us, and we were incredibly pleased with both the final product and the ease of working with her. We would definitely use her again.
Stephanie is certainly a 5-star attorney. I am most impressed with her pragmatic and common sense approach to managing her client’s/my case issues. She did not waste my time with making idol promises nor was she arrogantly dismissive of my concerns. She does however provide me with the tools and understanding of why a tactic(s) may or may not work. I appreciate her creativity, humility, understanding of the law and her straight forward approach to working with me and my family.
I was ordered to pay my exwife spousal maintenance for an indefinite time. When my exwife (who never worked) was approaching her 62nd birthday I contacted her and requested that she should consider putting in paperwork to start receiving Social Security. My exwife was also eligible to receive half of my pension. With the pension and the Social Security she would be receiving more than I was giving her via spousal maintenance. My hope was with that in place I could stop paying her the spousal maintenance and start planning better for my retirement. She said no. I then hired Stephanie. With her help we were able to convince the judge to require my exwife to do as I had requested. Stephanie was also able to recover some of my attorney fees from my exwife. Stephanie was easy to work with. Her paralegal was also a joy to work with. We did a lot of our communcating through email. I always got very timely responses.
Stephanie was not the first lawyer assigned to my case but she turned out to be a real gem. I was feeling a bit passed around, but as time went on, realized that the lawyers and paralegals at this firm all have each other’s backs and I was in good hands all along. When the going got tough and the opposition was coming on strong ,being very rude and using scare tactics, Stephanie did not budge or flinch and assured me the law was on our side, which gave me the strength not to buckle. She listened to exactly what I wanted and when she wrote our proposals or responses they were precise, to the point and impressive. We successfully settled out of court for more than I expected and I attribute this to Stephanie’s demeanor, her team, and ability not to swayed by bullying tactics. Everyone at this firm is very professional and on top of their game. She is working with a friend of mine right now and he is as equally impressed.
I would tell all of my friends and family about Stephanie for their legal matters and trust that they are in good hands. She is friendly as well as knowledgable and made me feel like she truly understands what I am going through. She has a kind approach that didn’t make me feel intimidated as a first time client but also a firmness that gave me assurance that she will fight for my rights. Thank you for all of your help Stephanie 🙂
Stephanie was an excellent attorney and I would recommend her to anyone. She was very logical, rational, and supportive of my situation. She was personable and very easy-going, knowing that I was dealing with so much stress through all of this. Even though I overwhelmed her with paperwork because my case on my ex was so huge she was able to organize our case and make sure we presented the proper facts relevant to the case without having to “smear” her in court. She was always concerned with what was in my best interest and the best interest of my daughter. She will be my attorney of record for the rest of my daughter’s youth.
