Table of Contents
Arizona law only allows an actual parent to file custody and visitation actions. Can a stepmother seek custody when she has been the primary caregiver for years? The Court of Appeals considered this issue in Olvera v. Superior Court, 815 P. 2d 925 (1991).
Facts of the Case
Mr. Olvera and Mrs. Olvera were married in 1981. Mr. Olvera was the custodial parent for a daughter from a prior marriage. She was 3 years old when Mr. Olvera and Mrs. Olvera married. Mrs. Olvera was the primary caretaker of the girl for the nine years of the marriage. Mr. Olvera and Mrs. Olvera divorced in 1990.
The daughter was 12 years old. Mrs. Olvera claimed that it would be in the child’s best interest if she were awarded custody of the child. The court awarded her temporary custody, over Mr. Olvera’s jurisdictional objections. The Court of Appeals granted special action jurisdiction to determine whether the court could grant custody to a stepparent.
Arizona Law Regarding Custody
Two avenues exist in Arizona law for seeking custody of a minor child. One is domestic relations law. The other is the juvenile code. The requirements for maintaining an action, and obtaining custody, differ significantly in domestic relations court than in juvenile court. Domestic relations law is largely concerned with custody disputes between parents. The juvenile code deals with cases of neglect and child abuse that affect the welfare of children.
Stepparents Are Not Parents under Domestic Relations Law
Under the domestic relations law, only parents can file for custody of minor children. A non-parent can only seek custody if the child is not in a parent’s custody. This is consistent with the Uniform Marriage and Divorce Act from which Arizona law was derived. If a non-parent wants to acquire custody, she must commence proceedings under the stringent standards of the juvenile code. This protects a parent’s rights.
Intervention by the juvenile court only occurs when a parent neglects or abuses the child. The definition of “parent” does not include a stepparent in domestic relations cases. One Arizona case held otherwise: Bryan v. Bryan, 645 P.2d 1267, 1269-70 (1982). That case held the trial court had jurisdiction to award custody to a stepparent in a dissolution action.
However, the Court of Appeals, in this case, disagreed with the Bryan ruling. It found that the legislature intended to restrict divorce custody awards to children “common to” the couple. That means that courts can only award the custody of children to their natural or adoptive parents. In short, a court has no power to award custody to anyone but a parent under domestic relations laws.
Disposition
The Court of Appeals ruled that the trial court did not have jurisdiction to award custody to Mrs. Olvera. It reversed the judgment of the trial court. It remanded the case for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
You should be aware there is an exception to the ruling in this case, which is found in Arizona Revised Statute Section 25-409 if a step-parent or other person has been treated by the child as a parent.
If you have questions about how stepparents cannot obtain child custody in an Arizona divorce case, you should seriously consider contacting the attorneys at Hildebrand Law, PC. Our Arizona child custody and family law attorneys have over 100 years of combined experience successfully representing clients in child custody and family law cases.
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 or family law case around today.
More Articles About Child Custody in Arizona
- Access to a Child’s Medical Records in Arizona
- Adoption Attorneys in Arizona
- Required Affidavit in a Child Custody Case in Arizona
- Are Mothers Favored Custody Battles in Arizona
- Arizona Child Custody Attorneys
- Arizona Child Custody Statutes
- Arizona Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act Statutes
- Changing a Child’s Last Name in Arizona
- Changing Child Custody in Arizona
- Child Custody and Child Support in Arizona
- Child Custody In Arizona
- Child Custody Laws in Arizona
- Child Custody Rights in Arizona
- Co-Parenting After Divorce in Arizona
- Custody of a Child to Grandparent in Arizona
- Delegation of Custody Decisions in Arizona
- Divorce and Grandparents Visitation in Arizona
- Effective Co-Parenting in Arizona
- Emergency Child Custody in Arizona
- Emergency Child Custody Orders in Arizona
- Enforce Parenting Time or Custody in Arizona
- Enforce Visitation Non-Custodial Parent in Arizona
- Grandparent’s Rights in Arizona
- How is Child Custody Determined in Arizona
- How to Change a Child’s Last Name in Arizona
- How to Enforce Parenting Time in Arizona
- How to Get Sole Custody in Arizona
- How to Modify Child Custody in Arizona
- How to Modify Visitation in Arizona
- Joint Custody and School Decisions in Arizona
- Joint Custody vs Sole Custody Arizona
- Joint Legal Custody or Joint Decision Making in Arizona
- Modifying Visitation With a Child in Arizona
- Moving Children Many Times in Arizona
- Order of Protection and Child Custody in Arizona
- Parent Information Program Class in Arizona
- Parent Move Out of State With A Child From Arizona
- Parental Alienation in Arizona
- Prepare for Child Custody Evaluation in Arizona
- Presumption of Equal Parenting Time in Arizona
- Restrictions in Arizona on Taking Children to Another Country
- Sole Legal Custody or Sole Decision Making in Arizona
- Sole or Joint Custody in Arizona
- Temporary Child Custody in Arizona
- Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act in Arizona
- What Are the Child Custody Factors in Arizona
- What Determines Child Custody in Arizona
- What is a Child Custody Evaluation in Arizona
- What is a Parenting Coordinator in an Arizona Child Custody Case
- What Is Domestic Violence in Arizona
- What Types of Child Custody Are There in Arizona
- What Visitation or Parenting Time Schedules do Judges Order in Arizona
- Who Has Custody of Children When a Divorce is Filed in Arizona
- Who Is the Best Child Custody Lawyer in Arizona
- Withholding Child From Custodial Parent in Arizona
What’s Hot – Blog
About the Author: Chris Hildebrand has over 26 years of Arizona family law experience and received awards from US News and World Report, Phoenix Magazine, Arizona Foothills Magazine and others. Visit https://www.hildebrandlaw.com.