Family Law Attorney In Mesa, AZ
Family law and its cases can have severe impacts on the lives of families. These range from the difficulties of a divorce case to the joy of an adoption proceeding. This area of law addresses the property rights of spouses, child custody, marriage, marital agreements, and court order modification. When you are addressing these legal cases, you need a Mesa family lawyer by your side to provide personalized legal care for your family’s unique situation.
Ellsworth Family Law, P.C.: Compassionate Family Law Attorneys in Mesa
At Ellsworth Family Law, P.C., we can secure the ideal outcome for your family law case. For the past 20 years, our firm has supported individuals and families through difficult family law cases, providing compassionate and experienced legal care.
We know how important the outcomes of these cases are to your future and the future of your children. Two of our attorneys are Certified Family Law Specialists, making us uniquely qualified to manage family law cases. Our legal team consists of three attorney partners, two legal paraprofessionals, and two paralegals. Together, we can provide thorough legal support in Mesa family law cases, helping you navigate a difficult case with peace and confidence.
In Mesa, the Family Department in the Maricopa County Superior Court is the Southeast Justice Center on 222 East Javelina Avenue.
Family Law Cases We Manage at Ellsworth Family Law, P.C.
Our family law specialists and legal team have significant experience in some of the following areas of family law:
Divorce
Getting a divorce is a hard personal choice to make, even when it is the right one. It is only made more difficult by the complex and costly legal process it involves. A divorce case frequently contains many different family law cases. Divorces can be filed on the grounds of an irretrievably broken marriage in Arizona if at least one spouse has lived in or been stationed in the state for at least 90 days.
Arizona is a community property state, meaning that both spouses have equal rights to nearly all the property obtained during their marriage, and these rights continue if they separate or divorce. This means that the court will divide all this property equally between spouses, regardless of misconduct.
Navigating a divorce and advocating for your interests in court is easier with an attorney. Steve M. Ellsworth is part of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers as well as the International Academy of Family Lawyers, making our firm especially qualified to navigate the many family law issues involved in a divorce.
Mediation
Mediation is an alternate dispute resolution method for divorce cases as well as other family law matters. By handling a family law case through mediation, families can avoid the stress, cost, and lost time of going to court. You and your spouse or co-parent can sit with a mediator, who can moderate discussions for a marital settlement, parenting plan, or other agreement. This also gives you more control over the outcome of a family law case.
Spousal Maintenance
Spousal maintenance is what the law calls spousal support or alimony. It is not included in every divorce, but it may be awarded if the court determines that the spouse requesting maintenance has insufficient assets to provide for their needs. The court may also award maintenance if the requesting spouse made significant contributions to the other spouse’s education or employment at the expense of their own career opportunities.
The goal of spousal maintenance is for the requesting spouse to become self-sufficient. If the court awards spousal maintenance, the amount is decided based on numerous factors, including:
- The length of the marriage
- The financial resources of each spouse
- The standard of living in the marriage
- Whether either spouse wasted or destroyed community assets
Since Mesa has a median income of $78,779, spousal maintenance can become a highly contentious issue.
Legal Separation
Legal separation is an alternative to divorce. It allows couples to separate their assets and make a parenting plan for children without being legally divorced. For some couples, this is a precursor to divorce until they meet the residency requirements for a divorce. Spouses can agree to get a legal separation if they meet the residency requirements of the divorce. Otherwise, a spouse can object, and the proceedings become a divorce.
Child Custody and Legal Decision-Making
When parents divorce or legally separate, the court determines custody, which includes both legal decision-making and parenting time. Legal decision-making refers to the right and responsibility of a parent to make important decisions for their child, including their education, religious upbringing, healthcare, and personal care. Parenting time is the scheduled time a parent has with their child, where they are responsible for providing for their basic needs.
All child custody decisions are made with the interests of the child in mind. Our firm has significant experience in the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA), so we understand the impact it has on custody decisions and parenting plans in our state. The UCCJEA affects custody agreements if parents live in different states but have shared custody. When one parent moves with their children to a new state, the UCCJEA will determine what state has jurisdiction over the custody case.
Visitation
Visitation in Arizona is the scheduled time that a child spends with someone who is not their legal parent. This could include a grandparent or another relative.
Relocation
When parents with a custody arrangement move, there are additional complications. A parent wanting to move outside the state or more than 100 miles within the state must provide at least a 45-day notice to a parent with joint legal decision-making rights to their children. If both parents don’t agree on the relocation, the case must go to court.
Post-Divorce Modifications
When life circumstances change, divorce court orders could be modified to reflect those changes. Typically, modification is only for spousal maintenance, child support, or child custody. Each type of modification has its own unique requirements for when and why the order can be modified.
Premarital Agreements
A premarital agreement is created when fiancés create the agreement in writing and sign it. The document then becomes enforceable when they get married. This agreement determines the rights and responsibilities of each party to their separate and marital property, giving them more control over issues like how the property is divided in a divorce.
Other cases our firm handles include:
- Paternity
- Grandparent’s rights
- Termination of parental rights
- Step-parent adoption
- Adult adoption
- Appeals
Reach Out to Our Firm
Family law cases can be emotionally and legally complex. That’s why you need compassionate legal representation from skilled family law specialists. At Ellsworth Family Law, P.C., we can help with your family law case. Our team can guide you through each step of the process, working to protect you and your loved one’s interests. Contact our firm to schedule a consultation and learn how we can support you.
