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How Do You Modify Visitation or Parenting Time in Arizona

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Modifying Visitation or Parenting Time in Arizona

You may want to know how do you modify visitation or parenting time in Arizona. You should know you may ask the court to modify parenting time any time you can prove sufficient evidence exists to show modifying parenting time is in the best interests of your children. You may do so by filing a Petition for Modification of Parenting Time up until the child turns 18 years of age. 

However, Arizona law does impose some time limits for the amendment of a prior legal decision-making order. For example, a legal decision-making order cannot be modified for one year after the court last entered the order unless there is a threat of harm to the child.

Changes in the parental access schedule with the children, however, can be changed at any time. Almost all judges dislike seeing parents repeatedly going back to the court requesting changes in custody or visitation orders unless a real and significant change in circumstances has occurred.

You should read the in-depth analysis of the Arizona Supreme Court’s ruling on how a judge is to determine whether a substantial change in circumstances has been alleged to justify setting the case for a child custody modification trial by reading our summary of the Arizona Court of Appeals decision in the Pridgeon v. Superior Court decision.

Hildebrand Law, PC | Voted Best of Our Valley in Arizona Foothills Magazine.

Emergency Petition to Modify Child Custody

The Court also can grant an Emergency Petition to Modify Child Custody or Parenting Time if a parent raises allegations indicating the children are in imminent risk of serious harm. If so, the court can change or even eliminate all parenting time to a parent until such time an evidentiary hearing may be scheduled for the court to receive evidence from both parents to decide whether to keep the emergency orders in place, modify them, or cancel those emergency orders.

The Arizona Court of Appeals addressed the issue of whether a trial judge is required to modify child support if it changes child custody or visitation orders despite neither party requesting a modification of child support in the Heidbreder v. Heidbreder case. The Heidbreder court stated an Arizona judge is required to determine whether child support should be modified any time a court changes child custody or visitation, even if neither parent filed a request to modify child support.

If you need information about how do you modify visitation or parenting time in Arizona, you should seriously consider contacting the attorneys at Hildebrand Law, PC. Our Arizona child custody attorneys have over 100 years of combined experience successfully representing clients in child custody cases in Arizona.

Our family law firm has earned numerous awards such as US News and World Reports Best Arizona Family Law Firm, US News and World Report Best Divorce Attorneys, “Best of the Valley” by Arizona Foothills readers, and “Best Arizona Divorce Law Firms” by North Scottsdale Magazine.

Call us today at (480)305-8300 or reach out to us through our appointment scheduling form to schedule your personalized consultation and turn your Arizona child custody case around today.

How To Modify Visitation or Parenting Time in Arizona.More Articles About Child Custody in Arizona