Spousal support (alimony) is money paid by one spouse to the other in order to assist the recipient spouse achieve financial independence, if possible, and to recognize the recipient’s contributions to the marriage. It is not meant as a “parting gift” or “reparations” or a “good sport award” to reward a spouse for enduring a … Read more
In a divorce, each spouse is entitled to 50 percent of the community assets if the couple resides in a community property state. Dividing impersonal as-sets with a defined value is simple. But a family business is rarely impersonal. It’s not just a job—for most, it’s their life and livelihood. The value defies the certainty … Read more
In a divorce, parties frequently engage in fierce fights, each defending their separate property turf against the other partyʼs claims. “Separate property” is any property brought into a marriage or subsequently inherited by one spouse or gifted to one spouse, as well as all rents and proceeds from that property. Arizona law (A.R.S. §25-213) fiercely … Read more
Why Can’t Divorcing Spouses Just Divide Community Assets Equally? “Justice?—You get justice in the next world, in this world, you have the law.” —William Gaddis, A Frolic of His Own Married couples typically take an all-for-one and one-for-all approach when acquiring assets. After all, they are in partnership and building a future for better or … Read more
The emotional pain of a divorce can be sharpened exponentially when a person discovers that his or her spouse has hidden marital property. The search for these assets can be complicated and expensive, but the potential remedies are powerful. Stay alert to financial documents mailed to your home or stored on common computers. Additionally, there … Read more
Peace is that glorious moment in history when everyone stops to reload. —Thomas Jefferson Congratulations!? By settling, you have just exerted some control over the madness of divorce litigation. But to avoid having your agreement be just a momentary blip of peace between battles, make sure it is tightly crafted. When it comes to interpreting … Read more
Never marry anyone you wouldn’t want to divorce. —Nora Ephron Marriage involves one of the biggest contracts of a lifetime, but most people never stop to consider the contractual ramifications; nor do they want to. After all, they are head over heels in love, having fallen into that mysterious brew of wonder, magic, excitement and … Read more
In the midst of this process, a parenting plan needs to be crafted that will address how legal decision-making and parenting time will be shared between the parents. Ideally, the parents are the two people in the best position to know what is best for their children, but the State of Arizona has provided some … Read more