Buckeye Parenting Time

Buckeye Parenting Time

A Buckeye parenting time attorney can help you to understand your rights during the process of determining child custody in Maricopa county, Arizona. The Enholm Law, PLLC Buckeye parenting time attorney assigned to your case will be able to meet with you, in Buckeye, to help evaluate the specific issues involved with your case.

Often, the concept of parenting time and joint legal decision making are considered to be the same thing to most people. As of January 2013, the Maricopa county court system has separated legal decision making and parenting time into two different legal entities. Legal decision making involves who will make all major decisions regarding medical, education, religion, and personal care. Parenting time, or visitation, deals with the time each parent will spend with their child.

Three Key Factors

The court will use the standards outlined in Arizona Revised Statute 25-403. ARS 25-403 covers the best interests of the child and is primarily designed to insure that no child, adopted or natural, suffers any undue hardship due to the parents no longer living together. Consulting a Buckeye parenting time attorney will help insure that you understand your role in meeting these factors. Parenting time is determined by examining many different areas but three main factors weigh heavily in the eyes of the court.

Geographical Location

One of the first factors to consider is geographical location between the parent’s homes. This factor becomes especially important if your child is in school or quickly approaching school age. If the parents live close to each other geographically, then it may be practical for both parents to have parenting time on weekdays. If the distance is too great then both parents having weekday visitation will probably not be best for the child.

Support Of The Parents By Others

The second factor considered is the support of the parent by others. This factor is relevant when employment obligations conflict with parenting time obligations. It is important that a proper caregiver is chosen to fill in those gaps. Additionally, the financial impact may prohibit a parent from utilizing the caregiver of choice. A well thought out plan will show the judge that the child will receive proper supervision while the parent is attending to other commitments.

Work Schedule And Availability

The third factor to consider is the parents work schedule and availability of both parents. A Buckeye parenting time attorney can help you determine if your work schedule and availability provides you the ability to give the time to your child that is required to provide them with the care they need. Work is not the only factor on availability and parents must be careful to think of other commitments that would curtail their availability. This could involve other children not common to the parties, the health of both parents, school, outside commitments of both parties and general flexibility in schedule.

Parenting Plans

ARS 25-403.02 covers parenting plans for Maricopa county, Arizona. This statute was developed to handle any situation where both parents cannot agree on a plan for parenting time that is in the best interests of the child. It also requires that both parents must submit a parenting plan to the court if agreements cannot be reached. A Buckeye parenting time attorney will help you to meet the requirements of developing a parenting plan that meets the requirements of this statute. In a case where agreements cannot be made by the parent, the court will make a determination based on the submitted parenting plans that is best for the child.

Requirements Of A Parenting Plan

You should always consult a Buckeye parenting time attorney when developing your parenting plan for the court to insure you are meeting all the requirements needed by the courts. Parenting plans submitted to the court should include, at a minimum, the following information taken directly from ARS 25-403.02:

  1. A designation of the legal decision-making as joint or sole as defined in section 25-401.
  2. Each parent’s rights and responsibilities for the personal care of the child and for decisions in areas such as education, health care and religious training.
  3. A practical schedule of parenting time for the child, including holidays and school vacations.
  4. A procedure for the exchanges of the child, including location and responsibility for transportation.
  5. A procedure by which proposed changes, disputes and alleged breaches may be mediated or resolved, which may include the use of conciliation services or private counseling.
  6. A procedure for periodic review of the plan’s terms by the parents.
  7. A procedure for communicating with each other about the child, including methods and frequency.
  8. A statement that each party has read, understands and will abide by the notification requirements of section 25-403.05, subsection B.

Working with a Buckeye Parenting Time Attorney

Your first interaction with an Enholm Law, PLLC Buckeye parenting time attorney will be a consultation. This will help you and your attorney outline your needs and devise a specific plan suited to your individual circumstances. You will also outline the important facts and legal issues of your case. Your attorney and you will then meet to discuss the documents that have been drafted and the evidence that has been compiled.

What to expect from Enholm Law, PLLC

An Enholm Law, PLLC Buckeye parenting time attorney will maintain constant communication with you. We always provide bi-weekly calls about your case and return your calls within 24 hours. We define clear fee structure on either an hourly basis or using a flat fee model during the initial meeting. You can expect to have a comprehensive plan that both you and your attorney have worked out that can be adjusted as needed as evidence and issues are revealed. You can also expect a high level of competency from our attorneys. Finally, even though our main office is in Phoenix, our attorneys meet with clients in our Buckeye satellite office several times a week so you can schedule meetings in your local area.

To arrange for your consultation, please call (602) 889-6273 and schedule a meeting with an Enholm Law, PLLC Buckeye parenting time attorney today.

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