Empathy & Experience

Linda has been handling divorces in Tucson and Southern Arizona for over 35 years, so knows the laws and procedures here quite well. (See FAQs below.) She was born in Phoenix, but then got smart and moved to Tucson. ☺ She is a graduate of the U of A and Pima College, her degree as a legal assistant (“paralegal”), with an emphasis in family law. She worked several years for attorneys, but grew weary that in most divorces no one really “wins”. She created her firm for those seeking more control over their divorce, ie: a more “peaceful parting”. She was a pioneer in the concept of legal document preparation by non-lawyers, later selected by the Arizona Supreme Court to help write the rules that now govern legal document preparers. She continues to champion for consumer rights and regularly participates in seminars by both the local and state courts, bar associations and legal document preparer groups. Linda has two now-grown children and has been divorced herself, so she understands what her clients go through. (She’s now happily remarried. Yes, it can happen!)

divorce in az

FAQ

The cost depends on what’s involved (kids, property) and if your spouse will cooperate or not (cooperation is NOT required). When you call for your FREE phone consultation, a certified preparer will review your case and tell you EXACTLY what your divorce will cost (although most are under $300, excluding court fees.)

Most divorces in Arizona are completed within 60 days. When you come to our office, unlike other companies that have you come in for a consultation, only to make you return numerous times to review and sign, because we do a free phone consultation, when you come in your papers will be prepared right then and there. So you’ll walk out with complete papers that day. We’ll file within 24 hours, get them to your spouse, and then 60 days later the divorce can be final. Or we can delay it if you want. It’s all up to you.

Good news – An Arizona divorce does NOT require your spouse to agree – whether to the terms or the divorce itself. This means they do not have to sign anything. At all. Rather once your spouse gets the papers, they have a set time to file an objection…but that’s easier said than done, costing both time & money. So while many people say they’ll fight it, they don’t. Also, as so much today is set by law there’s usually not much that’s worth fighting.

Many times, yes. Even if you’re not the one who wants the divorce, you may want to file so the papers say what YOU want. And then your spouse must decide what to do. They can 1) ask you to make changes (and if you agree, we’ll do them) , 2) fight it (which costs a lot, both in time and money), or 3) they can just do nothing (in which case, you get what you asked for). But if you wait and your spouse files first, then YOU are the one stuck hoping they’ll agree to changes. Or paying a lawyer to fight it. So you might end up stuck with what they wrote. Even if not fair. Sure, you could fight it yourself, but representing yourself in a contested divorce isn’t easy (and something most paralegals don’t handle). Also, in divorces with children, who files may effect the fees. Don’t make an uninformed decision and pay more than you have to. IMPORTANT FOR NAME CHANGES: If you want to return to your former name, it’s FREE if you file for the divorce. But if your spouse files, the name change will cost close to $200.

This is called “service of process”. There are several ways including the spouse cooperating to sign a receipt for the papers, sending the papers by special mail, hiring a process server, or publishing them in the newspaper. There are pro’s and con’s to each method, along with varying costs. Call us for more information or Click Here to Learn More.
Child support in Arizona is set by guidelines, These guidelines use facts including both parents’ incomes, the cost of medical insurance for the kids, daycare costs and how often each parent has the kids. Of course, sometimes these figures aren’t so factual (what does the person really make? how often is that parent really gonna see the kids?) and that’s where it can get complicated. Although most things people think will make a big difference, don’t. So not worth fighting over. But our office has been working with the guidelines since they were first implemented (longer than any document preparer in Tucson!) so we know the in’s and out’s. Call us for more information. Click Here to Learn More.
Arizona law changed in 2013 and we no longer use the term “custody”. Instead, we have “legal decision making” and “parenting time”. (The word “visitation” is used more for someone other than a parent, like a grandparent.) “Legal decision making” is the right and responsibility to make major decisions about the children. “Parenting time“ is how often each parent may have them. And while your papers can certainly say these things will be “as agreed upon”, the court requires a Parenting Plan detailing what happens if you later can’t agree. Click Here to Learn More.

We’ve been doing this in Arizona (and specifically in Pima County) for over 30 years. We know the laws and procedures here, most of the judges and many attorneys, and exactly what the court here wants. We know the laws and procedures here, know most of the judges, and know exactly what each and the court here wantsWe also handle ONLY divorce, so we do one thing and we do it right! Our owner has a degree as a paralegal and was one of the first to be certified in the state. We are an A+ member of the Better Business Bureau and in over 30 years, haven’t had one complaint filed. Most important, while professional, we’re not a bunch of stuffed shirts with fancy offices and expensive suits.– we’re people just like you! Divorce shouldn’t be scary, and we try to make you as comfortable as possible in this most uncomfortable of times.

We know your time is precious, especially while going through a divorce. Most firms have you either answer questions online or go to their office to meet and fill out a questionaire. (And isn’t the main reason you’re looking for help is you DON’T want to fill out any forms or questionaires?) Plus they make you come in numerous times to sign this or that. Whereas we meet with you just once and prepare your papers right then and there. So you’ll walk out with a copy that very day. And completely understanding the process. (And then if there are changes, we can do that by phone and/or email.) Yes, it may take 30 minutes to an hour, but its a very interactive process, so your papers say exactly what you want. Divorce isn’t one size fits all and neither are our papers.

Mostly to save money, but also to keep the divorce peaceful. An attorney’s job is to do what’s best for his or her client…but that isn’t always what’s best for the family as a whole. Attorneys are worth their fees when you need one. But in most Arizona divorces, because our laws are quite clear on so many issues, an attorney isn’t always needed. A legal document preparer can provide you with much of the same information and even discuss your options…just only an attorney can tell you WHICH options are best for YOU. But once provided with the proper legal information, most people can decide what is best for them. If you are uncomfortable or unable to make any decisions on your own, talking to an attorney first may be wise, but a simple consultation may be all you need (rather than hiring the attorney to do the whole divorce). So after consulting the attorney, you’d then come to us to prepare and process your divorce. This way you have the best of both worlds: the attorney’s advice and our inexpensive preparation and processing. Learn More Here

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