Many of the potential clients I meet in the context of the dissolution of their marriage come to me to help them obtain the dissolution. Unfortunately the potential client is often uninformed, in many cases by the intentional actions of their spouse, about the actual financial condition of the marital community.
Financial issues often lead to the estrangement of the parties. It is my experience that too many couples have no concept of how to prepare, and live within, a budget. The reality of a dissolution of the parties' marriage is that a household already struggling to make ends meet now becomes two households.
In the current economy and job market it is not unusual for the wife to earn as much or more than her husband, but in many cases wife/mom has stayed at home to raise the children, or worked at part time jobs to supplement the family income. The reality, however, is that resources are often limited, and child support based upon the Child Support Guidelines (and possibly an award of spousal maintenance) will mean a significant reduction in the quality of life for whichever spouse has been the caregiver of the minor children.
If you decide that the time has come to file for a dissolution of your marriage you should work up a realistic budget for your ongoing costs and expenses. This will assist you, and your attorney, in moving forward with the financial aspect of divorce. If you have no idea what those costs and expenses may be, it will be impossible for you to plan for the future.
Posted by Harry J. Lenaburg, Esq.
Associate with the Law Frim of
Jessica M. Cotter, PLLC
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Jessica M. Cotter Law Firm's Tips: New Year, New Law
Jessica M. Cotter Law Firm's Tips: New Year, New Law: By: Jessica M. Cotter, Esq. There have been some significant revisions to the laws regarding dissolution cases involving children and ...
New Year, New Law
By: Jessica M. Cotter, Esq.
There have been some significant revisions to the laws
regarding dissolution cases involving children and in paternity cases. The Court
will no longer determine who has custody of the children, as that term has been
replaced by the concept of “legal decision making”. The court will now determine who the “legal
parent” is and whether as a couple will they make “legal decisions” jointly or
that one parent will make the “legal decisions”. The “legal decisions” that the Court is
focusing on are non-emergency decisions for education, health care, religious
training and personal care decisions. At this time the definition of “personal
care decisions” is unclear as the law is so new and no definition of “personal
care decisions” is included.
The statute also defines the parents’ responsibility during
their “parenting time”. During the time
that they exercise “parenting time” parents are responsible for providing food,
shelter, clothing and making routine decisions concerning the child’s care.
The new law will not affect
custody and parenting time orders that were entered prior to January 1, 2013,
the effective date of the change, however, modifications to existing orders
will be subject to the new language and definitions set forth in the new law.
Arizona Revised
Statute §25-401 which contains these new definitions is set forth below:
In this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:
1. "In loco parentis"
means a person who has been treated as a parent by a child and who has formed a
meaningful parental relationship with a child for a substantial period of time.
2. "Joint legal decision-making" means both
parents share decision-making and neither parent's rights or responsibilities
are superior except with respect to specified decisions as set forth by the
court or the parents in the final judgment or order.
3. "Legal decision-making" means the legal right
and responsibility to make all nonemergency legal decisions for a child
including those regarding education, health care, religious training and
personal care decisions. For the purposes of interpreting or applying any
international treaty, federal law, a uniform code or the statutes of other
jurisdictions of the United States, legal decision-making means legal custody.
4. "Legal parent" means a biological or adoptive
parent whose parental rights have not been terminated. Legal parent does not
include a person whose paternity has not been established pursuant to section §25-812
or §25-814.
5. "Parenting time" means the schedule of time
during which each parent has access to a child at specified times. Each parent
during their scheduled parenting time is responsible for providing the child
with food, clothing and shelter and may make routine decisions concerning the
child's care.
6. "Sole legal decision-making" means one parent
has the legal right and responsibility to make major decisions for a child.
7. "Visitation" means a schedule of time that
occurs with a child by someone other than a legal parent.
Also see the
statute at the following link
This is not intended to be legal advice. Please consult an attorney for legal advice for your situation and in your state. This information is only valid for the State of Arizona.
Contact Information:
The Law Firm of Jessica M. Cotter
18301 North 79th Ave
Suite F-168
Peoria, Arizona 85308
jmcotterlaw.com
jmcotterlaw@gmail.com
602-843-3004
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