Tuscon Arizona Family Law Blog

Arizona parents who divorce may choose to work together and co-parent their children. This arrangement is often beneficial for the children because it allows them to maintain strong relationships with both parents and be with both of them for substantial amounts of time. Even when agreeing to work together, co-parenting can be a complicated and difficult child custody arrangement.

If co-parenting is the right choice for a family, one of the primary goals should be to keep the best interests of the children as the main priority above all else. Putting the kids in the center and the focus on them will remove some of the attention the parents may be giving to their own temporary hard feelings toward each other. They will have to set these feelings aside as they work together to make decisions that are best for the kids. 

The process of ending a marriage is difficult, emotionally challenging and complicated for every member of an Arizona family. Divorce is rarely easy, but there are some simple ways to make this process a little easier. In turn, this can lead to a more reasonable divorce settlement and an easier transition into post-divorce life, especially for parents who will have to share custody of children going forward.

One thing that can be helpful is to allow children to maintain strong relationships with the other parent. Kids benefit when they have both parents involved in their lives, and allowing regular access and perhaps even sharing custody can be what's best for them in the future. Parents may also want to remember to show mutual respect when communicating with each other, as it can be harmful for kids to hear parents talking negatively about and to each other.

A military divorce is what it's called, but to you and your spouse, your breakup may have little to do with the military. It is likely a struggle that is much more personal and a battle your military training can't help you fight. Nevertheless, because of your military status, you have many things to consider and deal with during your divorce that civilians do not. Ignoring them may have negative ramifications for years to come.

Because of the complex nature of the issues involved in a military divorce, you may think you should seek representation from a military legal advisor, or JAG officer. However, these advisors may have limited knowledge of Arizona family law or experience with the delicate matters involved in a divorce. Instead, you may benefit from the representation of a civilian attorney with a military background and experience handling the kinds of divorce issues that service members face.

A marriage breakdown is emotionally draining, and it can be especially so when it comes to the financial picture. Arizona residents going through a divorce and who have been carrying student loan debt may be wondering if their soon-to-be former spouses may be responsible for helping them to pay those loans since the division of property includes not only assets, but debts. If the student loan was taken out before a person got married, he or she is responsible for paying it; however, if that loan was secured during the marriage, it can become complicated.

Arizona is a community property state which means assets and debts are divided equally, so any loans acquired after marriage are typically split evenly between spouses. There may be some exceptions, however, depending upon the individual situation. If there is some contention regarding a student loan, a family court judge will look at things like whether a marital agreement was in place, any increase in income that came from the education, timing of the divorce in regard to schooling and whether the couple has any significant assets.