THE TYPICAL ARIZONA FAMILY LAW TRIAL LASTS LESS THAN ONE DAY

Here’s something I’ll bet you don’t know: While a trial in a criminal or a personal injury case, or even a contract dispute, may last days or weeks, or even months, litigants in a typical Arizona Family Law Trial are rarely allowed more than one day to present their entire case. Family Law trials are often high-conflict matters involving multiple complicated issues such as divorce, contested custody, parenting time, child support, spousal support, and division of property and debts. Sometimes they involve domestic violence issues. Other times they entail dividing stock options, determining the value of a business, or selling real estate – all of which may require appraisals and expert testimony. Sometimes they involve hidden assets and forensic accounting. These are not easy cases. Judges have the authority to allow a multiple-day trial, and sometimes they will do so; however,  litigants in Arizona Family Law courts will typically be given one day or less for trial; and each party is allotted one-half of that time in which to present his or her side of the case.

What does this mean for you?  It means that in order to properly present your case, you will benefit from the help of an experienced attorney; someone who is organized and focused; who knows the rules of the game. Someone who can take your family history and get right to the very essence of the problem. Someone who can spot the most pertinent issues; then take the facts and distill them into a concise and persuasive argument. You need someone who has excellent writing and research skills since cases are often won by rock-solid arguments made in written motions that are submitted to the court before the trial.  You need someone who knows how to cut directly to the heart of the matter in the courtroom, using a strong cross-examination, or a powerful oral argument.  What you need is a skillful and experienced advocate who is capable of presenting the strongest possible case in the shortest of time frames.

Our attorney, Gary Frank, has been a courtroom litigator in the Family Law arena for over thirty years and is a strong and committed advocate for his clients.  In addition to being a litigation attorney, Mr. Frank has acted in the capacity of a Judge Pro Tem in the Maricopa County Superior Court. This has given him an understanding of the inner-workings of the court, and a unique perspective  that most attorneys lack. He has also acted, for many years, as a professional mediator of Family Law disputes. If you are in need of a consultation regarding any area of Family Law, please do not hesitate to give our office a call today at 602-922-9989; or feel free to contact us through our website at www.famlawaz.com.  We look forward to hearing from you.