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Written by Canterbury Law Group

Campus Dating Violence and Orders of Protection

During the school season, many college co-eds, and parents of college-age kids, have questions about dating violence on campus. Dating violence is emotional, psychological, physical, sexual or financial abuse (or, sometimes, a combination of these) perpetrated over a sustained period of time in order to gain and/or maintain power and control in a dating relationship.

In an effort to negate dating violence, schools should maintain a robust dating violence, domestic violence, stalking and sexual assault prevention program for all incoming students and staff, with continuing education for older students throughout their time at the university.

The family law attorneys at Canterbury Law Group in Scottsdale, AZ. help victims of domestic violence secure legal protection against further abuse, whether on campus or off. If you’re looking to determine your legal options, the family law attorneys at Canterbury Law Group have extensive knowledge on orders of protection. Here are some quick facts:

  • A victim of domestic abuse means a person protected by the law and shall include any person who has been subjected to domestic abuse by a spouse, or any other person who is a present or former household member and where the victim is 18 years of age or older or who is an emancipated minor.
  • An order of protection is a court order intended to protect you from further harm from someone who has hurt you; to keep the abuser away from you, or to stop harassing you, or keep the abuser from the scene of the violence, which may include your home, place of work, or apartment. It is a civil order and it does not give the abuser a criminal record. An order of protection can prohibit third parties from constantly texting you or emailing you without consent.
  • If you are a victim of violence, a judge can sign an order that requires the abuser to obey the court. The protective order is very specific in as far as what the abuser can and can’t do, including having no contact in person or by phone, at home, work, or almost anywhere you ask the court to put in the order.

The family law team at Canterbury Law Group will help you and your loved ones stay safe. Call us today to schedule your consultation. 480-744-7711

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Written by Canterbury Law Group

How to Obtain a Divorce When Your Spouse Won’t Agree

The Scottsdale divorce lawyers at Canterbury Law Group have represented hundreds of clients in Scottsdale divorce cases. Although every case is unique, often we see one spouse refusing divorce. No one can stop you from getting a divorce if you want one, with the possible exception of the court. If you don’t follow proper legal procedure, a judge can deny your divorce, forcing you to start over. However, your spouse can’t stop you, but she or he can complicate the process.

Here are steps in getting a divorce, even when your spouse will not agree:

  • 1. Any reason is sufficient to file for divorce. Contrary to popular belief, neither spouse needs an reason or grounds for seeking to terminate the marriage. As a “no fault” state, Arizona courts and judges are actually prohibited from inquiring into the romantic issues of either spouse during the trial or otherwise. Put another way, it does not matter how you got here, you have a legal right to divorce if and when you are ready.
  • 2. Research the rules for service of process in your state. Make sure you understand exactly what you have to do to ensure that your spouse legally receives a copy of your divorce petition after you file it. If you err, your spouse can say they were not properly served and block your divorce proceedings. You could still get a divorce, but you’d have to start the process all over again. Do it right the first time and have them served by a licensed process server.
  • 3. Wait out the period of time your spouse has to answer your divorce petition. If he/she files a response with the court, you’ll probably have to resolve your divorce by trial or mutual consent; some spouses won’t agree to a settlement if they don’t want the divorce in which case you are forced to trial and the judge makes all final decisions of equitable distribution.
  • 4. Prepare for a Default Judgment Hearing if your spouse does answer your divorce petition. Even assuming your spouse “no-shows” on the case, after a certain number of days have elapsed, and assuming you properly served your opponents, you can petition the Court in writing to procure a Default Judgment of Divorce wherein all items requested in your original petition and can and typically is granted by the Court assuming no defense or response is ever tendered by your opponent. In the end you’ll be divorced and he or she will have never set foot in a court of law.

The Scottsdale divorce attorneys at Canterbury Law Group have represented women and men, young and old, in their complicated divorce cases. To discuss your options in a Scottsdale divorce, call today to schedule a consultation. 480-744-7711

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Written by Canterbury Law Group

Arizona Bankruptcy Exemptions

At Canterbury Law Group, our Scottsdale attorneys are renowned bankruptcy technicians. We represent clients through the entire bankruptcy process and, although all cases are unique, the end goal of bankruptcy is always a new beginning and fresh financial start.

We help clients determine eligible exemptions for their bankruptcy case. Here are some of the most common exemptions available under Arizona law (meaning that they will emerge from bankruptcy):

  • Alimony and Child Support – Alimony and child support, up to the amount needed for support. 33-1126.
  • Bank Deposit – A debtor may exempt $300 in a single bank account. Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 33–1126(8).
  • Homestead or Residential Property – Under Arizona law, debtors may exempt up to $150,000 (per debtor or married couple) of their home or other real property covered by the homestead exemption. Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§ 33–1101, 33–1103 and 33–1104.
  • Insurance Benefits – Life insurance benefits that are payable or received by a surviving spouse or child, up to $20,000.
  • Claims for the destruction of, or damage to, exempt property – Cash surrender value of life insurance policies, subject to length of ownership requirements and other exceptions.
  • Motor Vehicles – A debtor may exempt up to $6,000 in one or more motor vehicles. An elderly or disabled debtor, or an elderly or disabled spouse or dependent of the debtor, may exempt up to $12,000.
  • Pension and Retirement Benefits – Benefits from various employee pension systems are exempt. Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§ 33–1126 and 38–792.
  • Personal Property – A debtor may exempt the following personal property:
    • up to $6,000 in household furniture and appliances not covered by other exemptions
    • up to $1,000 total in bible, bicycle, sewing machine, typewriter, computer, burial plot, rifle, pistol or shotgun
    • up to $500 in clothing
    • up to $400 in musical instruments
    • up to $800 in animals
    • up to $2,000 in engagement and wedding rings
    • up to $250 in books
    • up to $150 in watch
    • wrongful death awards
    • prepaid rent or security deposit to $2,000 or 1.5 times your rent, whichever is less, in lieu of using homestead exemption.
    • all teaching materials for youth, and
    • certain professionally prescribed health aids.
  • Tools of the Trade – A debtor may exempt up to $5,000 in trade implements, which includes farming tools if the debtor’s primary income is from farming. All arms and uniforms that a debtor is legally required to keep are exempt. Library and teaching aids of a teacher.
  • Unemployment Compensation – Unemployment compensation is exempt as long it is not commingled with other funds and except for the enforcement of child support orders. Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 23–783.
  • Wages – A debtor may exempt the lesser of the following wages, per week:
    • 25% of his or her disposable earnings, or
    • earnings in excess of 30 times the federal minimum wage
    • Workers’ Compensation – A debtor may exempt up to $6,000 in one or more motor vehicles. An elderly or disabled debtor, or an elderly or disabled spouse or dependent of the debtor, may exempt up to $12,000.

Our legal team is ready to represent you in your Scottsdale business or personal bankruptcy case. Call us today to schedule your consultation. Our track record speaks for itself! 480-744-7711.

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Written by Canterbury Law Group

Gawker – Popular Media Site – Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Media site, Gawker, has recently filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy, motivated by the company’s agonizing and all-consuming legal fight with Hulk Hogan. A judge has ordered Gawker to pay Hulk Hoag $140 million in damages.

Gawker has agreed to sell all seven of its brands and other assets to the tech publisher Ziff Davis. The Ziff Davis bid — worth $90 million to $100 million, according to sources — sets the floor for the bankruptcy auction process.

The asset purchase agreement to Ziff Davis, the owner of PC Magazine, marks the start of the bankruptcy auction process. Bidding is expected to continue next week. The sale agreement to Ziff Davis will need to be approved by the bankruptcy court, which will conduct an auction to see if there is a higher offer available. Ziff Davis will be what is known as a “stalking horse bidder,” whose offer for the company can be topped by other bidders.

Gawker is pushing ahead with an appeal of the judgment with Hulk Hogan and has maintained confidence that it will ultimately be vindicated, but the company has been openly entertaining a sale.

Canterbury Law Group helps businesses and individuals, usually with a high net worth, file Chapter 11 to solve their bankruptcy needs. The bankruptcy attorneys at Canterbury Law Group have significant experience with Chapter 11 filings, which tend to be very complex, and are capable of filing an individual case or a corporate entity case under Chapter 11 as mandated by the facts of each individual case.

Filing for bankruptcy can be an intimidating process and people are often ashamed of doing it. However, a real challenge when filing for bankruptcy is not securing the services of trusted legal representation like the bankruptcy lawyers at Canterbury Law Group. The legal process can be very demanding and tedious. Without the help of an experienced lawyer it is common to miss important deadlines, make mistakes on required forms and to misunderstand certain rules or terms which can be highly detrimental to your case. The bankruptcy lawyers at Canterbury law Group work diligently with bankruptcy clients to secure their fresh financial freedom.

The bankruptcy attorneys at Canterbury Law Group are experienced experts in all areas of bankruptcy cases in the Phoenix and Scottsdale area. Please call us today to schedule your consultation.

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Written by Canterbury Law Group

4 American Trends that Affect Divorce

The divorce attorneys at Canterbury Law Group have extensive industry experience and are authorities on the evolving trends in the divorce area. Similar to nearly everything in life and the law, divorce has changed with the times and will continue to do so.

Contrary to popular belief; the divorce rate in the United States is declining. After peaking in 1980 with 22.6 divorces per 1,000 married women, aged 15 and older in the U.S., the rate has been going down ever since. In 2009, there were 16.9 divorces per 1,000 married women. However, what’s really happening is that there are fewer marriages overall. Fewer marriages translate into fewer opportunities to get divorced—and that equals declining divorce rates.

Here are four trends in society that are affecting divorce rates:

1. The surge in cohabitation ended. The number of cohabiting couples grew from 400,000 in 1960 to 3.8 million in 2000. But since then, rates of cohabitation have leveled off. About 12 to 14 percent of never-married adults lived together with a partner in 2008-2010, essentially unchanged since 2000.

2. People are delaying marriage longer than ever before. The percentage of women aged 20 to 24 who have ever married declined from 31 percent in 2000 to 19 percent in 2008-2010. For men, the percentage dropped from 21 to 11 percent.

3. Americans are increasingly jumping on the “marriage-go-round.” More Americans are going from marriage to divorce to remarriage, sometimes multiple times. Among currently married men, those who are remarried increased from 17 percent in 1980 to 25 percent in 2008-2010. The changes for women are similar.

4. Who are most likely to have “traditional” families in America? Immigrants. Regardless of education and race or ethnicity, immigrants tend to be married at a higher rate, are less likely to cohabit (except for Hispanics), and divorce and remarry at a lower percentage when compared with their U.S.-born counterparts.

If you’re contemplating divorce, hiring a great divorce layer can be critical to your future. Call the Scottsdale divorce layers at Canterbury Law Group today to schedule you consultation. 480-744-7711.

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Written by Canterbury Law Group

How Celebs end up in Bankruptcy

American society always seems surprised when learning about the newest A-lister or celebrity who has filed for bankruptcy. Having a celebrity status and earning millions doesn’t necessarily deter bankruptcy. How is it possible that so many millionaires find themselves in bankruptcy court, clamoring to protect what little assets they have left? With all the celebrity millionaires (and billionaires) who have gone broke, we may be able to learn from their mistakes.

1. No Financial Education – Often, when you go from having nothing to having everything, a financial education is not part of the package. Learning how to save, budget, and invest can take years, and if you’ve never had substantial money before, you may never have learned these essential financial management skills. When handed huge checks to cash, many celebs go out and buy the biggest house and fastest car they can find, rather than learning how to properly handle their money.

2. Lack of Trustworthy People – Many celebrities surround themselves with attorneys, accountants and insurance professionals to help them with proper estate, tax and insurance planning. However, in doing so, they often do not bother double-checking the work that is being done on their behalf, nor do they properly vet the financial professionals they hire. Not surprisingly, many fall prey to unscrupulous advisors. Worse yet, some celebrities are taken advantage of by friends and family who they hire to manage their affairs.

3. Unrealistic Career Expectations – It might be easy to expect a successful Hollywood or professional sports career to continue indefinitely. But sadly, most careers don’t last very long. Unfortunately, not every actor picks up another well-paying gig immediately after their show is cancelled.

Canterbury Law Group is uniquely qualified to represent clients in the most sophisticated personal and business bankruptcy cases. The range of services we provide depends on an individual’s or a company’s unique situation. Call us today to schedule a consultation. 480-744-7711.

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Written by Canterbury Law Group

Tips for Fathers Trying to Get Custody

Many fathers assume they won’t have a fair trial when trying to obtain legal custody of their child. This is not true, although it is crucial to have experienced and trusted child custody help in Phoenix. The family law attorneys at Canterbury Law Group have years of experience recognizing and building formidable cases that will protect your interests and maximize your parenting time.

If you’re a father hoping for custody of your child, we have tips that may help you and your case:

1. Pay Child Support: A father who wants custody of a child should prioritize making regular child support payments. If he has an informal arrangement with the child’s mother, it is crucial to maintain records such as check receipts or a written letter from the child’s mother detailing the support arrangements. If a father is struggling with child support payments, he should request a modification rather than sacrificing a payment.

2. Maintain a Strong Relationship: Even if the child is not in the custody of the father, a relationship can still consistent. The dad should call the child frequently and check in on their day, schedule a time to stop by the child’s school and introduce himself to the administration and ensure the child knows that he’s there to offer any assistance necessary. A father who wants custody should also attend the child’s social, educational, religious and other important events as evidence of a continuing relationship with the child.

3. Keep Precise Records: A father should maintain an accurate visitation schedule record to help obtain child custody. A father can capture accurate visitation records by developing and maintaining a parenting plan.

4. Prepare a Space for Your Child At Home: A father should make a special place in his home for the child, regardless of the size of the home. A court will inquire about adequate living accommodations during all child custody hearings, so a father should be prepared to respond to the judge’s inquiry.

5. Consider Mediation: A father who wants custody of a child should consider mediation or arbitration, prior to undergoing an adversarial court hearing. In mediation or arbitration, cases are decided by a neutral third party. For a father, custody proceedings in a courtroom may be difficult to handle, so he may prefer the smaller, friendlier setting associated with mediation or arbitration.

Our legal team has extensive experience in child custody help in Scottsdale. We help fathers get fair and equitable treatment by the courts. Recent changes to Arizona law mandate that the court treat both mothers and fathers equally in the eyes of the law. If a man fears that his wife may leave and take the children, it is his obligation to ensure he takes steps needed to protect his role as the father. That may mean consulting an attorney before his wife has the opportunity to file for a divorce. The family law attorneys at Canterbury Law Group have significant expertise in father’s rights issues and can capably guide you through. Your children are counting on you to make the right decisions both before and after the divorce case has been filed.

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Written by Canterbury Law Group

Steps in the Scottsdale Divorce Process

The Scottsdale divorce lawyers at Canterbury Law Group have represented hundreds of clients in Scottsdale divorce cases. It is common to discuss the first steps in the divorce process during the initial legal consultation. Although every case is unique, there are certain stages in divorce that everyone can expect:

1. File a Petition – One must file a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, which is a public record that includes basic facts about you, your spouse and your children.

2. Spouse is “Served” – Once the Petition is filed with the Court, due process requires that the Respondent be “served” with the Petition along with a Summons to Appear. Once served, your spouse has 30 days to file a Response to the Petition.

3. Financial Support – Representing lawyers discuss if financial support is needed during the divorce case, including child support, maintenance and marital expenses.

4. Agree on Estate – Both parties partake in financial investigation, which involves determination of the value of the marital estate or “discovery,” which includes depositions, subpoenas, interrogatories and review of financial documents by accounting experts. If the assets and debts are agreeable by both parties, they may choose to waive formal discovery. If both parties cannot reach an agreement, the attorneys may choose to submit the issues in controversy to the Judge during a pretrial conference. Pretrial conferences are conducted in the Judge’s chambers.

The Scottsdale divorce attorneys at Canterbury Law Group have represented women and men, young and old, in their complicated divorce cases. To discuss your options in a Scottsdale divorce, call today to schedule a consultation.

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Written by Canterbury Law Group

Crowdfunding Site Adds a Divorce Registry

The divorce attorneys at Canterbury Law Group are authorities on the evolving trends of divorce. Not only do the Phoenix divorce lawyers observe the progression of legal issues, but they have also witnessed the changes in perception of divorce.

Today, divorce holds less of a stigma in our culture than it has in the past. For example, divorce selfies, in which couples post happy photos of themselves on social media to celebrate their split, and divorce parties, where a newly single person either throws or is thrown a party to celebrate the end of their marriage, are a few of the popular divorce trends we see emphasized on social media.

The Phoenix divorce attorneys have also noted that crowdfunding site, Plumfund, has created a new, dedicated divorce registry for marriage break-up expenses. With online fundraising being such a popular option to raise funds in modern-day society, this is an area that we expect to see even further expansion in.

Plumfund’s simplified online fundraising and gift registry platform has made creating a divorce registry easier and more convenient than ever. Simply create a Plumfund divorce registry and spread the word to the divorcee’s friends and family. The registry allows people going through a divorce or their friends and family to raise money for expenses such as new furniture, legal fees and child custody. All of the gift money is easily accessed through PayPal or WePay. All personal information is kept private and safe, and is never sold or rented to a third party. The divorce category launched this March, and there are currently 114 active divorce registries on the site.

No matter what the newest divorce trends are, divorce tends to be a difficult process for all involved. The legal team at Canterbury Law Group is dedicated to diligently and compassionately solving clients’ life changing problems. If you are considering divorce, call us today to schedule your consultation.

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Written by Canterbury Law Group

3 Steps When Filing Bankruptcy

At Canterbury Law Group, our Scottsdale bankruptcy attorneys are renowned industry experts. We represent clients through the entire bankruptcy process and, although all cases are unique, the end goal of bankruptcy is always a new beginning and fresh financial start.

Here are three tips for those considering bankruptcy:

1. Gather financial documents. Start collecting financial documents that your attorney can use. Obtain a record of debt including credit card bills, unpaid medical bills, loan statements, etc. Also locate any documentation on assets you currently hold as well as your monthly income statements.

2. Find a qualified law team. Filing for bankruptcy is a complicated process and a simple mistake can be harmful to your case. Make sure you have a legal team that is experienced, understands your goals and can get the job done. Many law firms offer a complimentary first-time consultation. Call the Scottsdale bankruptcy lawyers at Canterbury Law Group today to schedule your appointment.

3. Improve upon your financial habits. You must improve your financial life after your file bankruptcy. Obtain a secured credit card or personal loan to start building up your credit but remember that you may have to wait some time before you can be approved for a secured credit card. Further educate yourself by reading books, reviewing financial websites and seeking out professional guidance.

As authorities in the legal industry, the bankruptcy team at Canterbury Law Group was uniquely formed to provide no-nonsense legal counsel for personal and business bankruptcy cases. The law group at Canterbury consists of a unified team of litigators and paralegals with the experience necessary to deliver high results. The team’s attention, experience and sophistication allows for innovative resolutions that have a positive client impact.

Our legal team is ready to represent you in your Scottsdale business bankruptcy case. Call us today to schedule your consultation. Our track record speaks for itself!

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