• ARE YOU FACING A DIVORCE?
• CHILD SUPPORT ISSUES
• SPOUSAL MAINTENANCE
• INTERSTATE CUSTODY DISPUTES
• PARENTING TIME AND VISITATION ISSUES
• PATERNITY MATTERS TO ESTABLISH CUSTODY AND CHILD SUPPORT
• INTERSTATE CUSTODY DISPUTES

One day you may find yourself faced with a situation for which you are not prepared nor had you planned for. You may find yourself facing a divorce, dividing your assets, determining the custody of your children, working out child support payments, needing or having to pay spousal maintenance (Alimony), dividing a business. If you are facing any of these situations you are in need of a Arizona Family Law Attorney.

We will listen to your concerns and work with you to resolve your family law issues. We are here to provide legal advice regarding Arizona family law and once retained, guide you through the legal process regarding grandparents rights, custody, divorce, child support, alimony, interstate custody disputes, adoptions, division of assets, pre and post nuptial agreements and any other family law issue. We have experienced Family Law Attorneys. Our three Arizona Family Law attorneys have a combined seventy years experience. This experience includes 19 years as a Superior Court Judge, numerous court of appeals cases handled, hundreds of trials and hearings and hundreds of cases successfully settled. Our Arizona Family Law attorneys can help in all family law matters.

If your case is over and you believe that the results are unfair or that the judge made a legal error, or that there are other problems with your case, we can help. Cates, Hanson, Sargeant & Rakestraw, PLC handles Arizona family law appeals at both the Arizona Court of Appeals and the Arizona Supreme Court level. Our attorneys have handled numerous family law appeals and have the experience and knowledge to handle your matter. If you need an Arizona Family Law Appellate attorney, give us a call.

If your case can not be resolved by mediation and your matter is going to be decided in a court room, a competent Arizona family law attorney is a necessity. The court room is a complicated place, the judge will only look at evidence that is properly put before the court. There will be direct and cross examination of witnesses, expert witnesses are often needed. Do not trust your future to an inexperienced attorney. The Arizona Family Law attorneys of Cates, Hanson, Sargeant & Rakestraw, PLC have the experience to guide you through this process. If you need an experienced Arizona Family Law trial attorney, give us a call 602-296-3434.

Divorce, child custody and domestic violence are stressful enough on their own. You need not face these situations alone. A good Arizona family law attorney will remove the stress of dealing with these complicated family law legal issues. The Arizona family law attorneys at Cates, Hanson, Sargeant, & Rakestraw, PLC will handle your case with care, ensuring that you receive the best possible representation in your Arizona Family Law Matter.

If you need family law advise, mediation or legal representation, do not hesitate to call Cates, Hanson, Sargeant, & Rakestraw, PLC at 602-296-3434.

• MARITAL PROBLEMS?

• IS DIVORCE LOOMING?

• COUNSELING SUGGESTED?

During the course of many marriages, compromises must be made. There will always be times when personalities do not match perfectly and conflicts often arise. At some point, you may come to the realization that divorce is inevitable. This is never an easy decision and should not be made lightly. If you are considering dissolving you marriage you need to talk to an Arizona Family Law attorney regarding the consequences of this decision. You will need to consider child support, alimony, division of assets and businesses, life insurance, grandparent visitation, visitation, where are the children going to live and go to school. This can be a very stressful time. We understand and we can help you through the process.

Arizona is a a "no-fault" divorce state.  This means that neither party need provide that their partner is responsible for the marriage's failure.  You need only state that there is irreconcilable differences and that the marriage can not be saved.

The divorce process is generally stressful and emotionally demanding.  Having an experienced Arizona divorce lawyer can ease some of that stress.  A experienced Arizona attorney can act as a buffer between you and your spouse.  During this volatile time, you need someone on your side to help you through the legal and emotional ups and downs of the divorce process.

Many divorces are quite simple, especially if there are no children and the parties have not accumulated very much community property together.  If both parties agree these are called uncontested divorces. An experienced attorney can handle all of the paperwork and go to court with you to ensure that the matter is done right the first time. If the paperwork is not done correctly it may have some unintended consequences and is very often very expensive to correct. It is always less expensive to do it right the first time, than it is to correct it once it is messed up.

When there are children involved, the divorce process can become more complex.  The welfare of the children is an extremely important factor in any divorce involving children.  Custody, visitation, parenting time, child support are all issues that need to be considered.  The experienced family law attorneys at Cates, Hanson, Sargeant, & Rakestraw, PLC will help you protect your children and your rights.

Any time you are dealing with complex issues of law, it is important to get an attorney involved in the process as early as possible.  If divorce seems to be in your future, please Call: Cates, Hanson, Sargeant & Rakestraw, PLC at 602-296-3434.

• CHILD CUSTODY DISPUTES?

• PARENT INCOME AND DEDUCTIONS

• VISITATION RIGHTS?

• CHILDCARE EXPENSE

• HEALTHCARE EXPENSE

• OTHER EXPENSES

The federal government, in order to establish consistency and predictability in the amount of child support awards, mandates child support guidelines to be used by all states. The particular guidelines are different in each state. In Arizona they are called the Arizona Child Support Guidelines. The Arizona child support guidelines are continually updated. If you would like to calculate your child support there is a child support calculator on the Arizona Supreme Court’s web site. (Links Page) We are experienced Family Law Attorneys and have experience in all aspects of child support calculation.

INCOME

The Arizona guidelines take into consideration the income of both parents.  The percentage of the couple's combined income, parenting time, insurance and daycare expenses, help determine the amount the non custodial parent will be obligated to pay in child support.  Arizona bases their figures on gross income.

DEDUCTIONS

In Arizona, if a parent is already paying child support or alimony from a previous relationship, they will be allowed to deduct that amount from their income.  Generally, there are two requirements to qualify for this deduction: 1. the support payments must be court-ordered (not voluntary) and 2. the parent must actually be making the payments.  A parent is not allowed to make deductions from his or her income for the support of a subsequent spouse or children.

CHILDCARE EXPENSE

In Arizona the Courts will Generally take into consideration the amount that the parents spend on childcare in order to work or look for work.  This amount must be varifiable and generally you should have reciepts for child care payments. The court will adjust the amount allowed for this expense to account for the federal dependent care exemption. If you have questions consult an Arizona child support lawyer at Cates, Hanson, Sargeant, & Rakestraw, PLC.

HEALTHCARE EXPENSE

In Arizona the custody and child support order needs to designate who will pay for the children's health insurance.  The amount spent on health insurance is added to the basic child support order and then credited to the parent who pays it.  The courts in Arizona will take into account any out of pocket expenses paid for medical care and apportion these expenses in proportion to the parties percentage share of the income.  Extraordinary medical expenses will be taken into consideration as well.

OTHER EXPENSES

The court can also take into consideration unusual expenses such as special educational needs of gifted or handicapped children.  The cost of visitation expenses, such as travel for the parent or child, can be divided between the parents in proportion to their incomes.  The non-custodial parent could receive a credit for the amount of this expense that belongs to the custodial parent.

SHARED CUSTODY AND VISITATION

In Arizona, parenting time is an important factor in calculating child support. The more time the noncustodail parent has the children the the less they have to pay in child support.

In Arizona the Child Support Guidelines are presumed be a fair amount. I you wish to pay an amount different from the Ariona Child Support Guidelines, a judge must make a finding that the deviation from the guidelines is appropriate.

This information is provided as an overview of the child support guidelines and should not be taken as legal advice.  For expert help, contact the Arizona child support lawyers Cates, Hanson, Sargeant, & Rakestraw, PLC at 602-296-3434.

The Phoenix Area family law attorneys of Cates, Hanson, Sargeant & Rakestraw, PLC, are ready to serve you. They have experience in all Family Law areas, including Divorce, Child Support, Custody and Parenting Time, Spousal Maintenance, Legal separation, alimony, interstate custody disputes, division of property and debts and any issue in the family law court. We also have experience in Family Law Appeals. Our family law attorneys are here to serve Phoenix and the Phoenix metro area including but not limited to Scottsdale, Mesa, Phoenix, Tempe, Glendale, Avondale, Buckeye and all of Maricopa and Pinal counties.

The Family Law Attorneys of Cates, Hanson, Sargeant & Rakestraw, PLC offer effective representation, personal service at a reasonable rate. No matter how large or small the cas



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