Once you make the decision to divorce in AZ, you have several options. In this article we will look at some of the most popular options. Read on to learn more.

Contested Divorce in Arizona

With a contested divorce, you may try to negotiate a settlement, but if you are not successful, you may be leaving the decisions in the hands of a judge. These issues may include:

1. Child-related matters such as legal decision-making
2. Parenting time and child support
3. Financial issues such as distribution of property and assets
4. Allocation of debts
5. Determination of spousal maintenance

Uncontested Divorce in Arizona

If terms have been agreed for your divorce from the outset, your divorce might be considered “uncontested.” The paperwork can be filed setting forth your agreements and the case can be completed without the involvement of a judge.

Collaborative Divorce And Divorce Mediation in Arizona

Collaborative divorce in Arizona is a private process that can provide a path to a peaceful divorce even if you and your spouse are not necessarily in agreement on financial and child-related issues coming into the process. Each spouse has a lawyer to advocate for their interests. Divorce Mediation in Arizona is when a neutral third party, works with both parties to facilitate agreements regarding divorce issues without the involvement of a judge.

Default Divorce in Arizona

If you file a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage in Arizona and your spouse doesn’t file a Response within 20 days (30 days if he or she lives out of state), you may be able to ask the court to allow you to proceed by “default.”

Legal Separation in Arizona

The process of legal separation in Arizona is a similar to divorce in that the court enters orders regarding legal decision making, parenting time and child support, as well as division of assets/debts and spousal maintenance; however, the parties are still legally married at the end of a legal separation, whereas the marriage is terminated at the end of a divorce.

Do I Need a Divorce Lawyer in Arizona?

You may not need a divorce lawyer to end your marriage in Arizona. But there are some situations where hiring a divorce lawyer would be a good idea. For example:

• Your spouse made more income and you want to request spousal support
• You are concerned about how to divide assets and property acquired during the marriage
• You or your spouse has debt that you aren’t sure how to divide
• You have children and want information about how child support payments will be determined