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Arizona Custody

Arizona custody isn't hard to understand once you realize how the system in this state works.

Unfortunately what the politicians in Phoenix tell you about child custody in Arizona isn't necessarily accurate.

The fairness of the system isn't what they lead you to believe.

If you look at the child custody guidelines in Arizona, you'll see references to "primary caretaker" and "more qualified" parent.

In none of the official guidelines will you find the intangible criteria actually used to establish child custody in the real world.

And that means if you and your spouse are unable to establish a child custody arrangement, the state will decide where your children live.

The determination of child custody begins with the filing of a motion at your local county family law courthouse.

At some point, the county will assign a Arizona custody evaluator who will meet with the parties involved; including the school, doctors, etc.

An evaluation is then conducted, by the county, that determines which of you is the best parent for the children.

This process starts with an evaluation done by an assigned custody evaluator.

You'll also likely be subjected to a psychological profile and at the end of this process, the custody evaluator writes a report and submits it to family court.

You'll also receive a copy of this evaluation report.

Like many people you probably think custody is determined by the judge, well the fact is custody is determined by the evaluator, not the judge.

The judge will read the evaluators report and because the judge knows very little about you, your spouse, your children, or your family setting rubber stamp it.

The evaluator on the other hand has conducted extensive research and issues a report, so there's no way the judge is going to overrule the evaluators recommendation.

In a highly contested dispute, a judge will sometimes order a guardian ad litem to protect the children's interests during a custody evaluation.

This person will not decide custody, but will act as a advocate of the children to ensure the children's interests are protected while the parents argue about custody.

Guardians can be lawyers or social workers as long as they are approved by the court and there are private guardian ad litems as well as public ones employed by your local Arizona county.

Regarding fee's, private guardians charge from $50 per hour to up to $400, where public guardians generally charge less.

It is common for the cost of the guardian to be shared by each spouse.

If the cost of a guardian ad litem is an issue for you, one can be provided free of change.

If you want your Arizona custody case executed properly, Matt O'Connell's divorce guide is the ultimate resource for you. Matt O'Connell is the leading expert on the Internet and has been providing divorce advice in Arizona since 2005.

Matt is the leading expert on the Internet and has been providing divorce advice since 2005.

In his guide, he details the entire divorce process and common pitfalls.

Even if you're using a attorney, his advice will still save you thousands and get you a better result.

So Click Here to give Matt's advice a try.