Adoptions come in all shapes and sizes. No matter if this is private, agency, stepparent, second parent (LGBTQ+), Department of Child Safety (State), kinship, foster parent or foster care, Interstate Compact on the Placement of Child (ICPC), international or domestic, surrogacy-based, or open or closed adoption – our office handles them similarly.
Termination of parental rights (TPR) is a legal process that severs the legal relationship between a parent and their child, thereby freeing the child for adoption. In Arizona, as in many states, TPR is a significant legal proceeding governed by strict guidelines designed to protect the best interests of the child.
It’s important to learn about what an estate planning trust is, because it can help you plan for your assets after both death and incapacity. But what exactly is a trust, and how does it work? Let’s try to simplify the concepts to help you understand the legal fundamentals of trusts and their role in estate planning.
Generally, whole life insurance is more of an investment, while term life insurance is fee-based and ends if you stop paying those fees.
One very common question people wonder when creating a trust is, “Do I need a will if I have a trust?” The simple answer is, “Yes.”
Among the worst issues are that probate court can delay transferring your assets to your heirs, can cause privacy issue because probate cases are a matter of public record, can be costly if your estate has to hire a lawyer, and can open your estate up to conflict from a probate challenge.
Estate planning is not about you, or even about you and your spouse. Estate planning is about making difficult decisions, so your loved ones don’t have to make them for you when you are gone.
A prenuptial agreement or post-nuptial agreement is a contract between both parties and in the event the marriage crumbles and you end up in a divorce or one of you dies, it determines the outcome.
In January 2022, 10 Arizona Legal Paraprofessionals (“LP”) were licensed by the Supreme Court to represent parties in court in place of an attorney. Since then a few more have been appointed. LPs are comparable to an attorney as a nurse practitioner is to a doctor.
This article is designed to explain the role of a Judge Pro Tempore “JPT” and to identify how it differs from a permanent judge. It is an important distinction for accuracy and understanding of private practice and governmental service.
A Summary Consent Decree is a newer process that allows parties that are in full agreement on all of the terms to be able to divorce in an easier process…
The following individuals were granted an LP license to practice in the endorsement area of Family Law and Chelsea Woodworth is soon to become the first LP with a dual license having recently passed the Civil Law Endorsement exam.
A contested legal matter means you and the opposing party in your case do not agree on everything. On the other hand, if the parties agree, then it would be an uncontested matter
Debt settlement can take years, and your credit usually does not improve much during that time.
The Means Test is an eligibility criterion for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. If you do not pass the Means Test, you do not qualify for a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy.
Let’s examine how debt settlement programs have generally worked for these credit or debt programs.
In the past, you didn’t need to be overly concerned about losing everything. But whether you can keep your house and vehicle has become more complicated in 2022.
There are times when a second parent must adopt to obtain legal rights of their own child.
Do you want a Better Divorce? Part 1 covered what a Better Divorce is and Part 2 explains what the process looks like and possible issues.
A better divorce exists. Divorces are often emotion-filled and endless drains of time and money.
A question that is often asked is about the cost of adoption. Adoptions range from no expenses to $100,000s. Seems extreme, right?
ICWA has a number of protections, but they can be summed up with two words: participation and difficulty.
The Central Registry is a state-wide database listing who has substantiated reports of abuse or neglect to a child or vulnerable adult. This does not include mere investigations or unsubstantiated allegations.
In our firm’s experience, Arizona DCS has allowed increased Indian tribal participation in child welfare cases (dependency, severance, termination, adoption). Our firm has observed, in several cases, that Arizona seems to allow even greater tribal participation than federal law would require.
