Arizona divorce courts have the power to require your spouse to pay alimony to you during or after the divorce (or both) if you establish eligibility. On the other hand, spouses who are capable of living on their own without financial support may not need alimony — known in Arizona as spousal maintenance.
How much does a divorce lawyer cost in AZ?
The average cost of divorce in Arizona is $20,000. Arizona divorce costs ranged from $15,000 to $100,000 per side when including expert witness fees in 2019. The cost of hiring a divorce lawyer in Arizona can cost as much as $550 per hour.
Who pays divorce attorney fees in Arizona?
The Arizona divorce laws permit the Court to order one spouse to pay some or all of the other spouse’s attorney fees and costs. Although there are many different statutes that provide the court with this authority, the most cited statute is A.R.S. 24-324.
Does it matter who files first in a divorce in Arizona?
If you are thinking about divorce, you may wonder, “Does it matter who files for divorce first in Arizona?” Legally, the answer is no. Whether you file first will not make any difference regarding any of the legal elements of your divorce.
How much does a divorce cost in the state of Arizona?
The average cost of a divorce in Arizona is about $20,000 with prices ranging from $5,000 to $100,000 in Arizona, according to multiple sources. However, your actual divorce costs depend on the type of divorce process you choose. A contested divorce, in court, will cost you an average of $75,000.
Is Arizona a 50 50 state in a divorce?
Arizona is a 50/50 property law state when it comes to divorce. Community property division must be equitable, but seldom will shares be absolutely equal. In part, this is because the family law judge has considerable discretion over property awards.
How long does a divorce take in AZ?
It depends. Although you can get a divorce decree in as little as 60 days (in limited circumstances as per the waiting period in Arizona Revised Statute 25-329), the average time to finalize even an uncontested divorce in Arizona is between 90 and 120 days. In many cases, divorces can take considerably longer.
How much is alimony in Arizona?
The formula provided the alimony award should be between 30% to 50% of the length of the marriage. There are many factors affecting whether the duration should be closer to 30% or 50% of the length of the marriage.
How long do you have to be married to get alimony in Arizona?
How Long Do You Have to be Married for Spousal Maintenance? Arizona does not have a minimum amount of time that people have to be married to get spousal maintenance (alimony). However, the length of the marriage is one of the factors that judges take into account when making spousal maintenance decisions.
Can you sue your spouse for cheating in Arizona?
While the act of adultery is no longer prosecuted as a crime in Arizona, it can still have legal implications. For example, if you are caught committing adultery, you may be subject to civil damages (meaning you may have to pay money to the person you committed adultery with).
What is a wife entitled to in a divorce in Arizona?
Generally, it is the wife that files for divorce in Arizona so she will be entitled to half of all community property and earnings during the marriage unless she can prove otherwise. Our advice is not contesting a wife’s entitlement to more than 50%, but trying to settle out of court by negotiating with her attorney.
How do I protect myself financially in a divorce?
- Legally establish the separation/divorce.
- Get a copy of your credit report and monitor activity.
- Separate debt to financially protect your assets.
- Move half of joint bank balances to a separate account.
- Comb through your assets.
- Conduct a cash flow analysis.
What is alimony based on in AZ?
There is no one formula for computing the amount and length of alimony in AZ. The court decides these on a case-to-case basis, examining factors such as the financial resources of each party, their earning capacity, their standard of living, and of course, how long the marriage lasted.
Do both parties pay for a divorce?
There appears to be a myth that the person being divorced (known as the Respondent) always pays the fees for a divorce, when in reality this is not the case in the majority of divorce cases. The person filing for the divorce (known as the Applicant) will always pay the divorce filing fee.
Is Arizona a no-fault divorce state?
Like most states, Arizona is one of the no-fault divorce states and does allow the marriage to be dissolved without allegations and proof of fault.
How can I get a quick divorce in Arizona?
If you and your spouse do not agree on all of the issues in your divorce, the only practical way to get a quick divorce in Arizona is to hire a mediator or arbitrator to get you divorced fast.
Can my wife take my retirement in a divorce?
Under the law in most states, retirement plan assets earned during a marriage are considered to be marital property that can and should be divided. It’s therefore advisable for couples to make these assets part of their property settlement agreement negotiations and their divorce decree.
Can my husband take my 401k in a divorce?
1. You Need a Court Order to Divide a 401(k) Pulling money out of a 401(k) to finalize your divorce isn’t something you can do on a whim. First, a judge has to sign off on a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO), which confirms each spouse’s right to a portion of the money.
Who gets the house in an Az divorce?
If only one spouse wants to keep the house in a divorce in Arizona, the home will almost always be awarded to that spouse. However, there will likely be conditions on the award of the house to the spouse who wants to keep it after divorce.
What can be used against you in a divorce?
Spending marital money on extramarital affairs. Transferring marital funds to another person before a separation. Spending unreasonable amounts on business expenditures. Selling marital assets below the market value.
Does Arizona require separation before divorce?
How long do you have to be separated before divorce in AZ? No, Arizona does not require spouses to separate before filing for divorce (dissolution of marriage). However, there is a waiting period of at least 60 days before the divorce can be finalized after filing and serving your spouse.
What is the cheapest way to get a divorce in Arizona?
An uncontested divorce (sometimes known as divorce “by consent decree” in Arizona) is almost always far cheaper and quicker than a traditional, contested divorce. That’s because you won’t have to go to trial to have a judge resolve your disputes.
How long after a divorce can you ask for alimony?
Either you or your spouse, or both of you, can ask for alimony at the time of divorce. If the original divorce judgment didn’t mention alimony at all, you can file a complaint for alimony for the first time at any time after your divorce. Alimony can be changed after a divorce through a process called a modification.
How does a wife get alimony?
You can ask for alimony as part of a divorce proceeding. If you and your spouse reach an agreement about alimony, you can ask the judge to make the agreement a part of the court order. If you cannot reach an agreement, the judge will decide whether you are entitled to alimony.
Is alimony automatic in Arizona?
In Arizona, either spouse in a divorce can ask the court to issue an order for spousal maintenance. However, spousal maintenance or support will not be automatically awarded when it is requested.