A petition is the document that initiates an Arizona family law case or requests specific relief from the court. In a dissolution case the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage is the foundational document that starts everything. It identifies the parties, states the grounds for dissolution, describes the children and property, and states what the petitioner is asking the court to order.

The petition is the petitioner's first statement to the court about the case. How it is framed, what it alleges, and what it requests set the tone for the proceedings that follow. A petition that is well-drafted, accurate, and complete serves the client better than one that is vague, overstated, or incomplete.

Other types of petitions in Arizona family law include petitions to modify parenting time, petitions to modify child support, petitions to enforce, petitions for legal separation, and petitions for an Order of Protection. Each has its own required content and its own procedural requirements.

Read the petition before you file it. Every allegation. Every request. Every attachment. A petition is a sworn document in some circumstances and a formal representation to the court in all of them. Accuracy matters.