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Family Court: Can I Leave My Child Home Alone?
By Deandra Arena and Ryan T. McGuire Making good decisions for your children is tough under normal circumstances. Parents are always trying to protect their children from getting hurt while helping them become well-adjusted adults. During a divorce, this becomes even more difficult because your parenting decisions are under a microscope. For example, at what […]
Retinal Hemorrhages
by Markus W. Risinger and Ryan T. McGuire Investigators commonly point to retinal hemorrhages, or retinal bleeding, to distinguish child abuse from accidental injury or underlying medical conditions. Courts rely on expert testimony identifying retinal hemorrhages as evidence of child abuse so frequently that the diagnosis has almost become shorthand for an abuse finding. But […]
A Court-Focused Perspective: The Benefits of a Second Opinion
By Gregg Woodnick and Isabel Ranney A term often thrown around when discussing family court matters is “high conflict litigation.” In general, family court can be traumatic and disputes involving the care of children all are emotionally draining. But the term “high conflict” really should be reserved for cases that are (sadly) explosive. Frequently, these […]
Grey Divorces in Arizona: What, Why, and How
You might know an older couple who is suddenly getting divorced after being married for decades and thought, “Why now?” These “grey divorces” happen. And increasingly so, according to research conducted earlier this year [1]. What Is a “Grey Divorce”? The “grey” in “grey divorcing” refers not to an ethical area, but rather to the […]
False Allegations of Child Abuse Can Happen to Anyone, Even Cardi B
Recently, someone called Child Protection Services on Cardi B in the middle of the night. The caller claimed that Cardi B was physically abusing her children. The rapper has had pranks pulled on her in the past (e.g. food deliveries she never ordered), but she draws the line at “pranks” affecting her children. In turn, […]
Drowning in Cash—And Infidelity
Less than a month ago, the Court of Appeals of Arizona heard a case from a wife who accused her husband of using $530,578 “for non-community purposes” [1]. But what does that mean? To fully understand the gravity of the situation (and to understand why it is even worse than that allegation suggests), you will […]
Help! My Ex Falsely Accused Me of Child Abuse!
False allegations of child abuse from former partners are a reality. Sometimes, they are retaliatory to damage the other parent’s credibility or reputation. This (highly unethical) strategy is used to gain leverage over the other person or to induce the court to change parenting orders. These reports may also be done after a decree has […]
How Public Is a Registry Substantiation?
While we have previously discussed the extent of publicity in a family court proceeding, it is important to note that registry cases are an entirely different area of law. Consequently, different rules apply to the findings, processes, and disclosure obligations, including the rules governing publication of registry findings and records from the administrative proceedings. A […]
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) in Arizona: Full of Financial Barriers and Frozen Futures
What is IVF? A commonly used acronym, IVF refers to “in vitro fertilization.” IVF is a process by which mature eggs are taken from a person’s ovaries and fertilized with sperm in a lab to create one or more embryos. These embryos are then frozen until the prospective carrier receives medicine designed to prepare their […]
How Public is a Family Court Proceeding?
Whether it is true crime stories or high-profile celebrity divorces, it goes without saying that a significant amount of popular content revolves around courtroom drama. The constant exposure to dramatized legal proceedings may lead to an inaccurate idea of how these processes actually work. This exposure can also contribute to the fear that everyday court […]