Conflicting Out Potential Attorneys in a Divorce or Family Matter

Conflict of attorneys

A devious trick sometimes promoted in family court cases involves the idea of conflicting out potential attorneys before your spouse can use them. The theory goes like this: Attorneys are required to maintain a conflict database. The conflict database is a list of people that the attorney has created attorney-client relationships with and parties opposed to them. If someone from … Read More

Fabricated Text Messages In Your Family Court Case

Creating Text Messages in Divorce

Text messages or emails can play an important role in your family court case. They can prove a party’s unreasonable positions, they can verify your efforts to do certain things, they can create enforceable binding agreements, and much more. Because of all this, it’s necessary that you check the veracity of any text messages that are used as exhibits in … Read More

Tactical Advantages In Filing First In Your Divorce

There are arguably advantages in filing first in your divorce. However, none of those advantages is likely to make or break your case. Specific advantages include the ability to go first and last in trial and not having to live with the fear of a being served. There are also some potential disadvantages, including fees that you pay.Petitioner Gets to … Read More

Changes In the Tax Rules Associated With Spousal Maintenance (Alimony)

alimony and spousal maintenance

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, recently approved into federal law, is bringing a major change to the divorce arena. Specifically, the issue of alimony (or “spousal maintenance” as it is called in Arizona) will be changing in terms of how it is counted for tax purposes.The Old Spousal Maintenance Tax SystemHistorically, the general rule was that if you had … Read More

Common Law Marriage in Arizona

common law marriage

A question I receive fairly often is whether or not common law marriage is recognized in Arizona. This article is designed to address what common law marriage is and explain when Arizona acknowledges it.What Is Common Law Marriage?While there is some variance from state to state as to what specific requirements exist to enter into a common law marriage, the … Read More