Adults in Arizona could find themselves accused of criminal activity under a variety of different circumstances. For example, the pursuit of a romantic relationship could potentially put someone at risk of sexual assault accusations. Such allegations often involve violence or impairment. However, age can also be a prime consideration in certain circumstances. Adults in Arizona can face criminal charges if they engage in physical intimacy with someone who is under the age of consent. Only adults can typically consent to sexual encounters Teenagers may look physically mature, but they still have ..read more

Deciding to get divorced is a significant, often deeply personal decision that can affect numerous aspects of one’s life, including one’s privacy. Nowadays, personal information can be easily accessed and shared. As a result, taking steps to protect your privacy during and after your divorce is important. You and your spouse likely shared a bond defined by trust for a long time. Perhaps you still do. Regardless, now that you and your spouse are going your separate ways, you need to assume that it’s in your best interests to safeguard your privacy from them in ways that you likely haven’t had t ..read more

Parents in Arizona often have a hard time adjusting to shared custody arrangements. It can be difficult to spend entire days or weekends separated from one’s children and to frequently see a former romantic partner at custody exchanges. However hard it may be for the adults, having both parents spend as much time as possible with the children is usually the best arrangement for families when parents separate or divorce. Most parents eventually adjust to their new arrangements, and children can thrive when cooperative co-parenting becomes the new norm for the household. Unfortunately, after par ..read more

If you are detained by the police and they suspect you’ve committed a crime, they may ask to see your phone. Maybe they want to read text messages on it to see if there is any incriminating information. Maybe they want to look through your photos and videos. Whether or not you think you’re guilty, you may not feel comfortable handing a police officer your unlocked phone. Can they make you do so? They need to have a warrant No, the police cannot force you to open your phone. They can ask. You can decline. In many ways, this is similar to when they ask to come into your home and perform a search ..read more

Divorcing or legally separated parents in Arizona often need to continue cooperating with each other for the sake of their children. The degree of cooperation necessary depends in no small part on how they structure their custody arrangements. Birdnesting arrangements are among those most likely to require regular communication and mutual respect between the parents. Birdnesting is not particularly common, but it does benefit families in certain situations. What does birdnesting involve for those sharing custody in Arizona? A birdnesting custody arrangement keeps the children in the nest or th ..read more

Most of the time – unless spouses can agree to alternative arrangements without judicial intervention – assets acquired by either spouse during the marriage (that are not separate assets) must be divided when a couple divorces. This includes salaries, bonuses, retirement accounts, homes, businesses and cars. Separate property, like assets owned before the marriage, gifts or an inheritance are generally not subject to division. This process sounds pretty straightforward, but the distinction between marital and separate property is not always clear-cut. Spouses may intentionally or unintentional ..read more

Property division is often one of the biggest challenges during Arizona divorce proceedings. Married couples may struggle to reach an amicable settlement when they divide their assets. The Arizona family courts employ a community property approach to asset division during divorce proceedings. Spouses typically need to treat almost everything they earned or acquired during the marriage as marital property that they both own. Even resources technically held in the name of one spouse, like retirement savings accounts, could be subject to division. Savings are often marital property Some people ne ..read more

If you’re trying to avoid a drunk driving arrest, it is important to know the legal limit. For most drivers, this is going to be 0.08% in terms of blood alcohol concentration. Some commercial drivers do have a lower limit, as do some underage drivers. But most people will be governed by this limit all across the United States. What people sometimes think is that the limit itself indicates when you’re going to get a DUI. If you get pulled over and the police give you a breath test, you won’t get arrested if you have a 0.07% BAC, but you will if you have a 0.08% BAC. But this perspective is too ..read more

You will often hear parents who are considering divorce talk about how it is best to stay together for the children. They may even say that they would’ve gotten divorced long ago, but they wanted to put their children first. It is best for children to have two parents who love them and are involved in their lives. The stability of a marriage can be helpful to kids, who value this stability and who know what to expect. But this certainly does not mean that it is always best for the parents to remain married. In fact, there are some situations in which a divorce may be better for the children’s ..read more

People are surprised when they hear of a couple divorcing after decades of marriage. But the truth is that gray divorces are on the rise. However, couples divorcing in their 50s and 60s face unique situations not shared by their younger counterparts. The financial implications Perhaps one of the biggest challenges facing an older couple is the financial impact of a divorce, especially for women.  One of the primary financial concerns is dividing the retirement assets, which are often substantial and a major portion of their net worth. Dividing these assets will affect each party’s financi ..read more