Category Archives: Divorce
Prenuptial Agreements in Arizona
A recent article in Huffington Post describes the circumstances surrounding the divorce of Peter and Elizabeth Petrakis. Peter, reportedly worth $20-30 million, executed a prenuptial agreement with Elizabeth before the marriage, but a trial judge declared the agreement unenforceable due … Continue reading
Child Support and College Tuition
In any marriage dissolution involving children, the parties agree that the best interests of their offspring are important. The form that those best interests take and the best ways to ensure they are secured, however, can be contentious. For divorcing … Continue reading
Bankruptcy and Divorce
Often, a married couple’s decision to divorce comes when they are already considering filing for bankruptcy. In other cases, bankruptcy is used by one divorcing party as a strategy to discharge some of the financial burdens of the dissolution action. … Continue reading
Spousal Maintenance in Arizona
One of the most complex and contested issues in a dissolution action is spousal maintenance. Spousal maintenance, previously known as ‘alimony,’ is a court-ordered award of payments from the spouse with higher income to the other spouse, often for a … Continue reading
ASU’s New Beginnings Program Offers Help to Divorced Parents
Separation or divorce is a trying experience for any family, but the greatest impact is often felt in families with children. Young children are especially vulnerable during times of change – a divorce can leave a child feeling frightened, neglected, … Continue reading
Domestic Violence and Custody
On December 1, 2012, then-Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher murdered his girlfriend, 22-year-old Kasandra Perkins, in the couple’s home, then drove to the team’s practice facility and killed himself. Now, Belcher’s mother and Perkins’ family are embroiled in a … Continue reading
Jurisdiction in Custody Hearings
When custody of a child comes under issue, whether in the context of a divorce, allegations of abuse, or some other dispute, determining which court should hear the matter is not always simple. This is complicated when the child’s parents … Continue reading
Sex Offender Registration and Real Estate
In a November decision, the Arizona Court of Appeals held that sellers and agents have no duty to report the presence of nearby sex offenders when offering a home for sale – a decision with meaning unrelated to real estate. … Continue reading
Dueling Appraisals in a Divorce
The process of real estate valuation in the divorce setting takes on two common forms: (1) the parties agree to hire a neutral appraiser whose evaluation of the property becomes the agreed upon figure, or (2) the parties hire their … Continue reading
Sperm Donor Expected to Pay Child Support
Reuters reports that the State of Kansas has filed a petition to declare a sperm donor the legal father of his genetic child in an attempt to make him pay child support. The donor, William Marotta, met privately with a … Continue reading
