Here’s something I hear constantly from people who finally call us: “I wish I had done this sooner.”
Not because their situation was unsalvageable. Not because they’d made some catastrophic mistake that couldn’t be fixed. Just because they’d been walking around for weeks or months carrying questions that had real answers, and instead they’d been Googling at midnight and working themselves into a very reasonable panic.
That’s what a legal consultation is for. Let me show you what I mean.
No — and this surprises a lot of people. When you file your initial documents, you don’t need a complete parenting plan. That comes later, with your final documents, no sooner than 60 days after service. If you’re using the Summary Consent Decree process, everything gets filed at once, so the parenting plan is part of that. But at the very beginning? You just need to get the case started.
That said, having some written agreement between both parents during the process is a genuinely good idea, even if it never gets filed with the court. Kids do better when they know what to expect. Parents fight less when the logistics are written down. The informal agreement doesn’t have to be fancy. It just has to exist.
The more detailed plan — holidays, school schedules, extracurriculars, phone time, travel, the week at grandma’s in July — usually gets worked out in coaching or mediation. That’s actually one of my favorite things to help parents with, because the courts can’t get into that level of detail and most families really need it.
Honestly? It usually doesn’t matter. File when you’re ready. When you’ve thought through what you want. When you’ve gathered your financial information. There’s no prize for filing first and no penalty for taking your time.
The exceptions worth knowing about: if spousal maintenance is going to be an issue in your case, the tax treatment of those payments can vary depending on when the divorce is finalized and what year you’re in. If you’re approaching the end of a calendar year and spousal maintenance is significant, the timing of your final decree could matter financially. Same goes for any major year-end financial event — a business transaction, a retirement distribution, a real estate closing.
When in doubt about timing, that’s a consultation conversation. Twenty minutes with me on that question could save you real money.
Arizona uses a formula. The good news is the Arizona Supreme Court puts the child support calculator right on their website, and both parents can run the numbers themselves. The formula takes into account both parents’ gross incomes, the number of children, how parenting time is divided, health insurance, and childcare costs.
The less good news is that the formula only works cleanly when both parents have straightforward W-2 income and an agreed parenting time schedule. The moment one parent is self-employed, receives bonuses, has variable income, or is mysteriously living a lifestyle that doesn’t match what they reported on their taxes — the calculator produces a number that has nothing to do with reality.
Bonus income is a big one. Courts can include bonuses in the child support calculation, but how they’re treated — averaged, excluded, partially included — depends on the facts and gets contested regularly.
This is absolutely a coaching session conversation. I can help you understand whether the numbers you’re looking at make sense or whether something smells off.
One more thing every parent with a child support order needs to know: the Arizona Support Payment Clearinghouse. Under A.R.S. § 46-441, child support payments in most cases go through the Clearinghouse — not directly from one parent to the other. The Clearinghouse keeps the official record of every payment made and received. Under A.R.S. § 25-503, support begins accruing on the first day of the month after the order is entered — not when you asked for it, not when you filed. And under A.R.S. § 25-510, unpaid support accrues interest at ten percent per annum. Paying cash directly to the other parent, Venmo, checks handed over at school pickup — none of that appears in the Clearinghouse records, and all of it creates disputes. Get it in the system.
Also: buying diapers, a car seat, or a baseball glove does not count as child support. I know that feels wrong. The law disagrees with your feelings on this one.
It depends entirely on where you are in the process, and this is one where getting it wrong has real consequences — so please, just call me before you buy the plane tickets.
Before you file, there’s generally no court order restricting travel. Go visit grandma. But do not move to another state with the intention of establishing residency there before filing — that’s a different situation entirely, and it will not go well for you when the divorce begins.
Once a divorce is filed, the court issues automatic preliminary injunctions that typically restrict both parents from taking the children out of Arizona without the other parent’s written consent or a court order. Violating those orders is contempt of court. It also tends to make judges very grumpy, which is not the impression you want to be making.
For vacation travel after filing — get written consent. If you can’t get it, ask the court. Do not just go and explain later.
For relocation — actually moving out of state with the children — A.R.S. § 25-408 governs this, and it requires at least 45 days written notice by certified mail if the other parent has any parenting time rights. The other parent then has 30 days to object. If they object, a judge decides. The burden is on you to prove the move is in the children’s best interests. Seriously. Call me before you do anything.
No. Full stop. Your name is your decision. Nobody makes you change it and nobody makes you keep it.
What I will tell you is this: if you want your name changed, do it in the divorce decree. It’s free, it’s fast, and the court handles it as part of the divorce. If you wait until after the decree is final, you have to file a separate civil name change petition with its own filing fee, its own publication requirement, and its own hearing. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s completely unnecessary extra work. Tell me during the divorce and we put it in the decree.
The honest answer is that it depends on your situation — whether you have children, whether you own real estate, whether you’re filing jointly or serving the other party. At minimum, you’re looking at a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, a Summons, a Preliminary Injunction, a Sensitive Data Cover Sheet, and the financial disclosure documents required under Arizona Family Law Rule of Procedure 49.
Rather than turn this into a ten-page checklist, I’m going to point you to a resource that was literally written for this purpose. Chapter [X] of The Divorce Coach Handbook walks you through the paperwork required at every stage of an Arizona divorce, written in plain English by two attorneys who have filed a lot of it. Download it free at bestlawaz.com/resources. And if after reading it you still have questions about what applies to your specific situation — that’s what the consultation is for.
Yes. Seriously. It’s mandatory for all divorcing parents with minor children in Arizona. Court rule. Not negotiable. Not something you can skip because your kids are teenagers, or because you and your spouse are handling everything amicably, or because you’re already an excellent parent. Everyone takes it.
The good news: it’s online, you can do it at your own pace, and most people find it more useful than they expected. Do it early and keep your certificate of completion, because you have to file it before your case can be finalized.
Why does it exist? Because kids whose parents manage conflict well after a divorce do measurably better. The research is clear on this and the courts take it seriously. Consider it two hours toward being a better co-parent. That’s not the worst use of a Tuesday evening.
TinCan is a landline phone service — and once I explain it, you’re going to wonder why everyone doesn’t use it.
Here’s the scenario I see constantly. Mom is the primary parent. Dad gets phone time with the kids. He calls mom’s cell while she’s playing tennis, or the boys are at baseball practice, or she’s trying to have five minutes of her own life. She stops everything to hand over the phone. The frequency creeps up. Texts start coming too — not always friendly ones. Now mom is effectively on call for the other parent’s communication schedule, her location is trackable through her cell, and she’s right in the middle of every conversation between dad and the kids.
TinCan solves this cleanly. It’s a dedicated landline that belongs to the kids. Dad calls the kids directly. The kids answer. They have their conversation. Mom is not involved, not notified, not on call. No texts to her phone. No GPS tracking. No mom in the middle.
It’s a simple solution to a dynamic that creates enormous ongoing conflict in a lot of post-divorce families. I recommend it regularly and I recommend it to you now if any of what I just described sounds familiar.
Get a certified copy of your marriage license from the county recorder’s office where you were married. It’s inexpensive and it eliminates all uncertainty.
I’m not being dramatic when I say this matters. I had a case once — very contentious, significant assets — where the wife discovered during the divorce that the brother-in-law who officiated their wedding had never filed the paperwork with the county. The ceremony happened. The marriage did not, legally. The financial consequences were devastating, because the protections that come with marriage never existed. She may have had a civil fraud claim against someone, but did not pursue it.
This is an extreme example. It’s also a real one. If you have any reason to wonder — an informal ceremony, an officiant you’re not sure about, a marriage in another country — verify it before you file. A certified copy of the license confirms the paperwork was filed. If it wasn’t filed, call me immediately, because that’s a completely different situation than a standard divorce.
Yes, in certain circumstances. Arizona law under A.R.S. § 25-503 allows modification of parenting time when there has been a substantial and continuing change in circumstances since the original order was entered.
Here’s the thing most people don’t read carefully enough in their own divorce decree: the mediation provision. Most parenting plans require you to attempt mediation before filing any motion to modify. If you skip that step and go straight to court, you risk having attorney fees assessed against you. Courts have very little patience for parties who bypass the dispute resolution process built right into their own agreement.
Also worth knowing: under A.R.S. § 25-411, courts generally will not modify legal decision-making or parenting time within one year of the last order unless the child’s health is seriously endangered. If you’re inside that one-year window, you need specific and serious facts to support your request.
Bring your decree and your parenting plan to a coaching session. I’ll tell you exactly what your agreement requires, whether mediation needs to happen first, and whether what you want to do is realistic before you pay for a court filing that may be premature.
Every one of those questions has a short answer. Every one of them also has a longer answer that depends on your specific facts, your specific county, and what the courts are doing right now.
The short answers above are a starting point. The consultation gives you the answer that actually applies to your life. Some people need one conversation and walk away with everything they need. Others come back for coaching as their case develops. Either way, you leave knowing more than you came in with.
And knowing more is almost always the thing that makes this whole process less terrifying.
How much does a legal consultation cost in Arizona?
At Best Law Firm, a legal consultation is for up to one hour with Tali Best Collins personally. There’s no retainer required, no commitment to ongoing services, and no obligation after the consultation ends. Every new client at Best Law Firm starts with this consultation — it’s the front door to every level of service the firm offers.
What should I bring to a divorce consultation?
Bring whatever you have that helps Tali understand the full picture: any documents you’ve already received such as filings, agreements, prenups, or parenting plans, a rough list of your assets and debts, a timeline of significant events, and a written list of your questions. Don’t worry about having everything organized perfectly — if you have it, bring it. If you don’t, the consultation still works. The goal is to leave with clarity, not to pass a homework check.
Can I get legal advice in a consultation, or just general information?
You get real legal advice. The 00 consultation isn’t a general information session — it’s an attorney-client conversation with Tali, covered by attorney-client confidentiality. She listens to your specific situation, evaluates the legal issues involved, and gives you a Game Plan based on Arizona law and what courts in your county are actually doing right now.
Do I need to file for divorce before I can have a consultation?
Absolutely not. A lot of people come to a consultation specifically to figure out whether they’re ready to file, or to understand what filing would actually look like before they decide. Pre-filing consultations are often the most valuable ones — you walk in with options, instead of reacting to documents that have already been served on you.
Is the consultation confidential even if I don’t hire the firm?
Yes. Attorney-client confidentiality applies the moment you start the consultation, whether you ever hire Best Law Firm for additional services or not. What you share stays between you and Tali.
What happens after the consultation?
That’s entirely your call. Some people leave with everything they needed and never come back — and that’s a perfectly valid outcome. Some return for ongoing coaching sessions as their case develops. Some decide to retain Best Law Firm for full legal representation. Tali will give you an honest recommendation about what level of help your situation actually requires, but the decision is yours and there’s no pressure.
Can the consultation be done virtually?
Yes. Consultations can be done in person at the Scottsdale office, by phone, or by video. The format that works best for your schedule and comfort level is the one to choose. The advice is the same. The convenience is your preference.
Ready to talk? Book your consult at bestlawaz.com/talk-to-tali or call (480) 219-2433.
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