Family Law

trial presentation in family law

Strategies For More Effective Trial Presentations In Family Law Proceedings

On Sept. 21, 2018, the executive council of the family law section of the State Bar, past and present family law judges, as well as experienced practitioners, gave 24 participants the opportunity to hone their skills in the Family Law Trial College. The suggestions, thoughts, and ideas that were discussed benefit any Arizona family law attorney, regardless of their years

Read More »
Carolyn Family Law

Collaborative Family Law Process: A Peaceful Solution

Is peaceful divorce an oxymoron? Not anymore. As a recovering family law litigator, I have handled hundreds of family law cases. I have come to believe that so much of understanding and achieving my clients’ goals involves assessing probable outcomes and anticipating and responding to the psychodynamics of the spouses; i.e., how the parties relate, use control, intimidation, and other

Read More »
therapy

New Limits On Court Ordered Therapy In Arizona

The cultural creep toward Arizona family law judges making parenting decisions has been altered with two recent decisions by the Arizona Court of Appeals – Nicaise v. Sundaram and Paid E v. Courtney F. More than 25 years ago it was established that court-appointed psychologists who were performing custody evaluations enjoyed immunity. While extending this immunity, the court articulated that

Read More »
grandparents

Third-Party Custody And Grandparent Visitation

As unfortunate as it may be, I will sometimes receive calls from other attorneys who represent a parent who has just passed away and the question inevitably will be “can the grandparents sue for custody now or are they too late?” The answer is generally they are too late. Therefore, it is best for grandparents to file a motion for

Read More »
After the Divorce

After the Divorce: When One Parent Tries to Turn the Children Against the Other?

A subject I often encounter in my family law practice is the matter of post-divorce parental alienation. When one parent substantially interferes with or undermines the other parent’s relationship with their children, a claim of alienation can arise. Such alienation can result when a parent succeeds in manipulating a child’s emotions so as to turn him or her against, or

Read More »
divorce

Funding the Divorce Case: Options for Potential Clients

How much is this going to cost? It is the number one question we get asked by clients who are seeking representation for family law matters. What do you say to a spouse who is unemployed and does not have access to the marital assets? What do you say to clients who simply do not have the cash to pay

Read More »
lawyer's lawyer

The Benefits of Collaborative Divorce

Parties to divorce face hard choices and often, emotional trauma. As divorce lawyers, we are tasked with supporting people who have been stripped of the life they once knew and are required to absorb that loss while facing monumental decisions that will have lasting impact on their children and their future; however, our traditional adversary system is often unable to

Read More »
Family Law

An Intro to Collaborative Practice in Family Law

You might find yourself thinking, “What in the world is collaborative about the practice of law?” After all, ours is an adversarial system employing two hired guns in each case to present opposing views to a judge or jury for determination, right? For the vast majority of cases, that is the way things work, but for some lawyers and clients,

Read More »
Relocate

Parental Relocation: Reasonable Purpose & Burden of Proof

A particularly difficult post-divorce problem arises when one parent wishes to relocate with a child to another state. In March of this year, the Tennessee Supreme Court rendered an important decision on this subject, Aragon v. Aragon, 513 S.W.3rd 47 (March 16, 2017). In Aragon, the parenting plan order entered at the time of the divorce provided that the parents

Read More »
happiness

Finding Happiness in the Practice of Law

The start of summer vacations is a perfect time to reflect on the things we can do to optimize our performance and make the practice of law more enjoyable. There are dynamics unique to the practice of family law, which make it particularly challenging.  Our clients are oft en highly reactionary, anxious, distraught and lack self-awareness.  Opposing counsel may not

Read More »
trial presentation in family law

Strategies For More Effective Trial Presentations In Family Law Proceedings

On Sept. 21, 2018, the executive council of the family law section of the State Bar, past and present family law judges, as well as experienced practitioners, gave 24 participants the opportunity to hone their skills in the Family Law Trial College. The suggestions, thoughts, and ideas that were discussed benefit any Arizona family law attorney, regardless of their years

Read More »
Carolyn Family Law

Collaborative Family Law Process: A Peaceful Solution

Is peaceful divorce an oxymoron? Not anymore. As a recovering family law litigator, I have handled hundreds of family law cases. I have come to believe that so much of understanding and achieving my clients’ goals involves assessing probable outcomes and anticipating and responding to the psychodynamics of the spouses; i.e., how the parties relate, use control, intimidation, and other

Read More »
therapy

New Limits On Court Ordered Therapy In Arizona

The cultural creep toward Arizona family law judges making parenting decisions has been altered with two recent decisions by the Arizona Court of Appeals – Nicaise v. Sundaram and Paid E v. Courtney F. More than 25 years ago it was established that court-appointed psychologists who were performing custody evaluations enjoyed immunity. While extending this immunity, the court articulated that

Read More »
grandparents

Third-Party Custody And Grandparent Visitation

As unfortunate as it may be, I will sometimes receive calls from other attorneys who represent a parent who has just passed away and the question inevitably will be “can the grandparents sue for custody now or are they too late?” The answer is generally they are too late. Therefore, it is best for grandparents to file a motion for

Read More »
After the Divorce

After the Divorce: When One Parent Tries to Turn the Children Against the Other?

A subject I often encounter in my family law practice is the matter of post-divorce parental alienation. When one parent substantially interferes with or undermines the other parent’s relationship with their children, a claim of alienation can arise. Such alienation can result when a parent succeeds in manipulating a child’s emotions so as to turn him or her against, or

Read More »
divorce

Funding the Divorce Case: Options for Potential Clients

How much is this going to cost? It is the number one question we get asked by clients who are seeking representation for family law matters. What do you say to a spouse who is unemployed and does not have access to the marital assets? What do you say to clients who simply do not have the cash to pay

Read More »
lawyer's lawyer

The Benefits of Collaborative Divorce

Parties to divorce face hard choices and often, emotional trauma. As divorce lawyers, we are tasked with supporting people who have been stripped of the life they once knew and are required to absorb that loss while facing monumental decisions that will have lasting impact on their children and their future; however, our traditional adversary system is often unable to

Read More »
Family Law

An Intro to Collaborative Practice in Family Law

You might find yourself thinking, “What in the world is collaborative about the practice of law?” After all, ours is an adversarial system employing two hired guns in each case to present opposing views to a judge or jury for determination, right? For the vast majority of cases, that is the way things work, but for some lawyers and clients,

Read More »
Relocate

Parental Relocation: Reasonable Purpose & Burden of Proof

A particularly difficult post-divorce problem arises when one parent wishes to relocate with a child to another state. In March of this year, the Tennessee Supreme Court rendered an important decision on this subject, Aragon v. Aragon, 513 S.W.3rd 47 (March 16, 2017). In Aragon, the parenting plan order entered at the time of the divorce provided that the parents

Read More »
happiness

Finding Happiness in the Practice of Law

The start of summer vacations is a perfect time to reflect on the things we can do to optimize our performance and make the practice of law more enjoyable. There are dynamics unique to the practice of family law, which make it particularly challenging.  Our clients are oft en highly reactionary, anxious, distraught and lack self-awareness.  Opposing counsel may not

Read More »

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