I am deeply grateful for the service of our armed forces members, and as an Arizona family law team, it has been my honor to represent many of them in family law matters. Cases involving military personnel often require navigating both state and federal laws, which can complicate legal proceedings. While many judges have a general understanding of the unique rules affecting service members and their families, you cannot assume they have all the necessary knowledge to make informed decisions.

For example, I recently represented a father seeking legal decision-making (formerly known as custody) and requesting that his child be placed in his care while the mother, an Army officer deployed overseas, was absent. After the father’s initial attempts to pressure my client failed, he filed a petition to modify. We responded, and after a brief hearing, the judge dismissed the petition due to my client’s active deployment.

In another case, I worked with a sailor whose ex-wife was preventing him from seeing his children. The sailor, stationed in California, was unable to see his kids after returning from a six-month deployment, while his ex-wife had moved to Arizona. Although it was too late to stop the children from moving to Arizona, I am proud that we secured substantial and regular parenting time for my client, including the majority of the summer.

I have handled numerous other cases involving military issues, such as military retirement, child support, and jurisdictional matters. While I’ve represented many service members, I also represent their ex-spouses, as military service, though noble and selfless, does not place anyone above the law.

If you are dealing with a military divorce, military custody, or any family law issue, you need an experienced Arizona family law team to guide you. Please contact my office to schedule a consultation.