If you are divorcing using mediation or another method of resolution, you do not even need to be in the state to complete the divorce. With mediation, everyone can discuss the matters over the phone or via Skype, or another online conference site.  The divorce mediator would draft all the documents for your review and approval.  All documents that need to be signed can be sent to you via mail, email or fax.  The digital age has changed everything. Just return the signed and notarized documents by email.

Cost: Payments can be made by mailing in checks or credit card authorizations.  For  mediation, my hourly rate is $250.00 an hour.  An average AZ divorce mediation involves the following costs.

Two hours of divorce mediation:  $500.00 (some people take more time to reach an agreement, and some people take less).

Two and a half hours of drafting the Petition for Dissolution package, Acceptance of Service and Decree of Dissolution of Marriage:  $625.00.

One time administrative fee: $50.00.

Filing fees (required by the Court for every divorce):  $321.00 and $256.00.

Time to Complete: The actual divorce mediation process and drafting of documents can occur quickly – sometimes within a week.  Typically, the Court requires the parties to wait 60 days between the date of Acceptance of Service (the date the party that did not file the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage acknowledges receipt of the Petition) and the date of filing the proposed Consent Decree.  The Court usually takes around two to four weeks to sign a Decree once it has been submitted.  Therefore, the whole mediation process can take as little as 75 to 90 days to finish.

Alona M. Gottfried is a family law mediator and attorney in Arizona.  If you have questions about mediation, she can be reached at: 480-998-1500 or alona@sglawaz.com.  This is a general interest article only and is not intended to be legal advice.  See a legal professional before making legal decisions.

Simmons & Gottfried, PLLC
8160 E. Butherus Dr., Suite #7
Scottsdale, AZ 85260

The easiest way to get a divorce is to hire a mediator.  The mediator can make sure you have an agreement on all issues:  division of debts, division of assets, spousal maintenance and child custody, parental access schedule and child support where there are children.  If you find out you have a conflict on one of the issues or forgot to consider an issue, the mediator can help you resolve the issue in a peaceful manner.  The mediator can help you enter a binding agreement, and then the mediator can draft up all of the documents for you and submit them to the Court for you at the appropriate time.  People like this option because both parties feel like they are equal footing.  This is because they share one professional – the mediator.  Sometimes, when one party gets an attorney, then the other party feels disadvantaged because the attorney has an obligation to give legal advice to only one party.  A mediator represents neither party and is fully neutral.

If one party just does not want to be involved in the process, short of signing a few papers, one party can hire an attorney to draft up all the paperwork.  The other party will just have to sign an Acceptance of Service (which means he/she does not have to be served by a process server with the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage) and the final Consent Decree.

Deciding how to get a divorce and navigating your way through the Court system can be confusing.  Please feel free to call me for a complimentary consultation.

Alona M. Gottfried is a family law mediator and attorney in Arizona.  If you have questions about mediation, she can be reached at: 480-998-1500 or alona@sglawaz.com.  This is a general interest article only and is not intended to be legal advice.  See a legal professional before making legal decisions.

Simmons & Gottfried, PLLC
8160 E. Butherus Dr., Suite #7
Scottsdale, AZ 85260

I have seen both kinds of divorces — one in which the warring spouses spent so much money in litigation there was little left for each of them when it was over; and the other, in which the couple agreed their marriage was broken beyond repair and arranged their divorce with as little cost as possible. I don’t have to tell you which people are doing well now. So clip this and share it with your wife.

Abby gave some great advice to those that are looking to get divorced.  As both an attorney and a mediator in Arizona, I have seen both the most amicable of divorces and the most contentious ones as well.  In divorce mediation, both parties will work together to amicably resolve the marriage.  While divorce is never emotionally without painl, the divorce mediation process creates an atmosphere that facilitates successful resolutions with as much positive feelings as possible.  I have seen more than one “high-five” at the end of a successful divorce mediation, as well as smiles and even laughter during mediation process.  Divorces do not have to be traumatic experience.

By contrast, I have seen how litigated divorces can ruin people and their children.  I have seen each party spend over $40,000.00 on fees and costs related to the divorce in six months.  I have seen people’s lives be consumed by the divorce for over a year (and for many years after the divorce).  I have seen children become the biggest victims of their parents’ fighting.

Mediation is the sane and healthy way to resolve family law disputes.  Of course, both parties have to agree to it.  If you would like to mediate your dispute, and the other party is resistant, in the wise words of Abby, “clip this and share it…” If you are on your computer just click the like button on this post.

Alona M. Gottfried is a family law mediator and attorney in Arizona.  If you have questions about mediation, she can be reached at: 480-998-1500 or alona@sglawaz.com.  This is a general interest article only and is not intended to be legal advice.  See a legal professional before making legal decisions.

Simmons & Gottfried, PLLC
8160 E. Butherus Dr., Suite #7
Scottsdale, AZ 85260

(480) 998-1500

Divorce Arizona Uncontested

Arizona has a few requirements to get an uncontested divorce in Arizona.  This would include residency and the marriage type.  In Arizona it is required that petitioners must have lived in the state for 90 days in order to be able to file for a marriage dissolution.  If you have children, they must have resided in the state for six months before you can file.  Your Uncontested Arizona Divorce is only final once the judge signs the final divorce decree.  If you do have to appear in court, the proceeding should only take a few minutes and will leave the court with the necessary paperwork.

When you think the marriage is “irretrievebly broken”, this is the basis for a no fault divorce.  As long as you meet the residency requirements and you think that the divorce is over an uncontested divorce may be your best option.  The Arizona court does not need any evidence of misconduct by either the wife or husband.  Arizona is a no fault divorce state.  You do not need to argue the matter in front of a judge.

If you have a covenant marriage a no fault divorce may a bit trickier.  A covenant marriage is a contract between spouses that they will not get divorced from each other.  A covenant marriage makes it harder for couples to get divorced.  You should seek legal advice to get divorced if you are in a covenant marriage in Arizona.

Divorce does not have to be an expensive matter as long as both parties are amicable to making the process a simple one.  For information on completing your divorce please contact us at 480-998-1500.

Disclaimer: This publication and the information included in it are not intended to serve as a substitute for consultation with an attorney. Specific legal issues, concerns and conditions always require the advice of appropriate legal professionals.

You can choose a more peaceful route that can address the real issues without all of the pain and expense of litigation.  That route for many people in Arizona is mediation.  Mediation in Scottsdale is an alternate dispute resolution process embraced around the world to end conflict quickly and powerfully.  The parties to a conflict jointly retain one mediator – a neutral party with conflict resolution skills – to help them resolve their conflict.  This happens through exchanges of information and the use of problem solving techniques.  The parties can enter into binding agreements through mediation, thereby formally ending conflict. Mediation ends conflict most of the time it is utilized. It is effective over 85% of the time.

There is often a moment at the end of the mediation when the parties experience the relief that comes with the knowledge that their conflict is complete, and they can now able to move forward with their lives.  “Lost time is never found again.”  (Benjamin Franklin)   If you find yourself in a stressful dispute, ask yourself:  How much of my life do I want to waste in conflict? Is it really worth my health and savings just to be right?

Alona M. Gottfried is an attorney and mediator in Arizona.  If you have questions about mediation, she can be reached at: 480-998-1500 or alona(at)sglawaz.com.  This is a general interest article only and is not intended to be legal advice.  See a legal professional before making legal decisions.

Help with Arizona Divorce

you  can use Simmons & Gottfried, PLLC to assist you.  We know that the forms are often confusing, and you may not even know what to ask for.  Because we are attorneys, we can provide you with legal advice, in addition to drafting and filing documents for you.  Basically, we will be your guide through the Court process to help make the matter go smoothly.  Because the matter is uncontested (no Court), we can do this at a reduced rate.  For example, we can provide a half hour consultation and draft the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, Family Law Coversheet, Preliminary Injunction, Summons, Notice Of Your Rights About Health Insurance Coverage When A Petition For Dissolution Is Filed, Notice Regarding Creditors, Sensitive Data Sheet and the Order And Notice To Attend Parent Information Program Class (if you have children), for as low as $250.00.  We will even file the documents for you.  You may have a Court filing fee.  Other documents we can draft for you include:  Decree of Dissolution of Marriage, Property Settlement Agreement, Joint Custody Agreement, Child Support Worksheets, Child Support Orders, Paternity Stipulations and Orders and Stipulations and Orders Modifying Prior Orders.

If you and your spouse/co-parent have disagreements, we can also mediate the dispute and help you reach agreements.  We cannot, however, provide both legal advice and mediation to the same parties.

Please feel free to contact us to see how we may be able to best serve you with the paperwork.

Alona M. Gottfried is a mediator and attorney in Arizona.  If you have questions about mediation, she can be reached at: 480-998-1500 or alona(at)glawaz.com.  This is a general interest article only and is not intended to be legal advice.  See a legal professional before making legal decisions.

Uncontested Divorce Fees in Arizona

divorce, you do not need to go to trial.

To initiate the Arizona divorce process in Maricopa County, one party has to file a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage and pay a filing fee of $321.00.  If the parties will file a Consent Decree of Dissolution of Marriage (meaning they agree to the terms), the other party needs to file a $256.00 filing fee.  However, either party may qualify for a deferral or waiver of Court fees if financial circumstances support that request.

If you have children and are getting a divorce, you also need to take a Parent Information Program Class, which costs $50.00 per person.

If you need assistance reaching agreements with your spouse, you can jointly retain a mediator.  The mediators at Simmons & Gottfried, PLLC will mediate your dispute for a combined $250.00 per hour, in addition to a one time administrative fee of $50.00.  Most mediations can be completed in one to four hours.  Mediators can also assist you with the documents that need to be filed.
If you need legal advice, you can pay an attorney for advice or representation.  The amount of this cost depends on the amount of help you need.  You can obtain legal advice or representation at Simmons &Gottfried, PLLC for $300.00 per hour.  If you need representation, rather than just some advice, there will be an upfront fee in an amount that will be determined based on your needs.
If you want someone to prepare the documents for you, Simmons & Gottfried, PLLC can do that for you as well.  For $250.00 Simmons & Gottfried, PLLC will give you a one half hour legal consultation and prepare the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage and all of the documents that need to be filed with it.
While Simmons & Gottfried, PLLC cannot act as both a mediator and an attorney in your case, we offer a variety of services from which you can choose.  We would be happy to speak to you about what option will best serve your needs.
Alona M. Gottfried is a mediator and attorney in Arizona.  If you have questions about mediation or family law, she can be reached at: 480-998-1500 or alona(at)sglawaz.com.  You can also visit:  Azmediator.com.  This is a general interest article only and is not intended to be legal advice.  See a legal professional before making legal decisions.

The only exception is if your marriage is a covenant marriage.  A covenant marriage is defined as a legal contract between the parties that they will not get a divorce from each other.  The purpose of a covenant marriage is to make it difficult for the marriage to end.  You should seek legal advice to get a divorce from a covenant marriage.

If you are getting divorced there are other options besides litigation.  Hiring a mediator may be a good place to start the process.  Mediation is typically faster and less expensive than hiring an attorney.  Alona M. Gottfried is an experience family law mediator in Arizona.  Call today to see if you are eligible for a free 30 minute consultation.  Mediation is not for everyone.  Both parties need to willingly participate in the process.  If one party is not agreeable mediation will not work and other methods to end the conflict will need to be sought out.

This information is of general interest.  Should you require legal advice seek out the services of a professional or attorney.