Legal guides
Know where you stand.
Plain-language answers to the questions people actually ask — grounded in the Arizona Revised Statutes, written by the attorney who defends these cases.
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Criminal Defense
What Happens After an Arrest in Maricopa County
The step-by-step process after an arrest in Maricopa County — the initial appearance, release conditions, arraignment, and how misdemeanor and felony cases move through Arizona courts.
Read the guide: What Happens After an Arrest in Maricopa County -
DUI Defense
First-Offense DUI in Arizona: Penalties and What to Expect
Arizona first-offense DUI penalties under A.R.S. § 28-1381 — mandatory jail, fines and assessments, the 90-day license suspension, ignition interlock, and how the court and MVD cases differ.
Read the guide: First-Offense DUI in Arizona: Penalties and What to Expect -
Domestic Violence Defense
Domestic Violence Charges in Arizona: How They Work — and Whether They Can Be Dropped
How Arizona domestic violence charges work under A.R.S. § 13-3601 — why the alleged victim cannot drop them, release conditions, mandatory treatment, firearm consequences, and custody impact.
Read the guide: Domestic Violence Charges in Arizona: How They Work — and Whether They Can Be Dropped -
Assault Defense
Aggravated Assault in Arizona: What Turns an Assault Into a Felony
What makes assault aggravated in Arizona — the A.R.S. § 13-1204 factors, felony classes, dangerous-offense sentencing, and the defenses that apply. By a former Maricopa County public defender.
Read the guide: Aggravated Assault in Arizona: What Turns an Assault Into a Felony -
Drug Possession Defense
First-Offense Drug Possession in Arizona: Prop 200, Diversion, and Your Options
What happens on a first drug possession charge in Arizona — Prop 200 mandatory probation under A.R.S. § 13-901.01, TASC diversion in Maricopa County, marijuana rules, and clearing your record.
Read the guide: First-Offense Drug Possession in Arizona: Prop 200, Diversion, and Your Options -
Criminal Traffic Defense
Driving on a Suspended License in Arizona
Driving on a suspended license in Arizona is a class 1 misdemeanor under A.R.S. § 28-3473 — penalties, the 30-day vehicle impound, the "didn’t know" defense, and how to get reinstated.
Read the guide: Driving on a Suspended License in Arizona -
Divorce
Arizona Divorce Laws: Process, Timeline, and Cost
How divorce works under Arizona law — no-fault grounds, the 60-day waiting period, community property, spousal maintenance, what it costs, and how long contested and uncontested divorces take.
Read the guide: Arizona Divorce Laws: Process, Timeline, and Cost -
Child Custody
Child Custody Laws in Arizona: Legal Decision-Making and Parenting Time
Arizona child custody law explained — legal decision-making vs. parenting time, the best-interests standard, whether courts favor mothers, 50/50 schedules, and custody for unmarried parents.
Read the guide: Child Custody Laws in Arizona: Legal Decision-Making and Parenting Time -
Family Law
Orders of Protection in Arizona: How They Work, on Both Sides
Arizona orders of protection (restraining orders) under A.R.S. § 13-3602 — who qualifies, how to file through AZPOINT, the contested hearing, firearm consequences, and the custody impact.
Read the guide: Orders of Protection in Arizona: How They Work, on Both Sides -
Car Accidents
Arizona Car Accident Laws: What to Do and What to Know
Arizona car accident law in plain language — your duties at the scene, the fault system, the two-year statute of limitations, insurance minimums, and the mistakes that damage claims.
Read the guide: Arizona Car Accident Laws: What to Do and What to Know -
Personal Injury
How Long Does a Car Accident Settlement Take?
The real timeline of an Arizona car accident settlement — why claims wait for maximum medical improvement, the demand-and-negotiation phase, what litigation adds, and what actually drives case value.
Read the guide: How Long Does a Car Accident Settlement Take? -
Car Accidents
Partially at Fault in a Car Accident? Arizona’s Comparative Negligence Rule
Arizona follows pure comparative negligence (A.R.S. § 12-2505): being partly at fault reduces your recovery by your percentage — it never bars the claim. How fault is assigned, and how insurers exploit it.
Read the guide: Partially at Fault in a Car Accident? Arizona’s Comparative Negligence Rule -
Car Accidents
Hit by an Uninsured Driver in Arizona: How UM and UIM Coverage Works
What to do when the at-fault driver has no insurance or too little — Arizona uninsured (UM) and underinsured (UIM) motorist coverage under A.R.S. § 20-259.01, hit-and-run claims, and why using your own coverage is not "suing yourself."
Read the guide: Hit by an Uninsured Driver in Arizona: How UM and UIM Coverage Works -
Criminal Defense
What to Wear to Court (and How to Act): A Defense Lawyer’s Advice
What to wear to court for men and women, what to leave at home, and how to act in an Arizona courtroom — practical advice from a Phoenix defense attorney who is there every week.
Read the guide: What to Wear to Court (and How to Act): A Defense Lawyer’s Advice -
Criminal Defense
Arizona Felony Classes: What Class 2 Through Class 6 Actually Mean
Arizona’s six felony classes explained — presumptive prison terms for first-time offenses, what a class 6 or class 4 felony means, dangerous-offense enhancements, and when probation is possible.
Read the guide: Arizona Felony Classes: What Class 2 Through Class 6 Actually Mean -
Criminal Defense
Class 1 Misdemeanor in Arizona: Penalties, Examples, and the Other Classes
What a class 1 misdemeanor means in Arizona — up to 6 months jail, $2,500 fine plus surcharges, 3 years probation — with examples, the class 2 and 3 penalties, and how misdemeanor cases actually resolve.
Read the guide: Class 1 Misdemeanor in Arizona: Penalties, Examples, and the Other Classes -
Criminal Defense
Diversion Programs in Arizona: Resolving a Charge Without a Conviction
How diversion works in Arizona and Maricopa County — who qualifies, drug diversion (TASC), felony and misdemeanor programs, what completion and failure mean, and why entry is a negotiation.
Read the guide: Diversion Programs in Arizona: Resolving a Charge Without a Conviction -
DUI Defense
Clearing a DUI in Arizona: Set-Aside and Record Sealing, Explained
Arizona has no expungement for DUI, but two real tools exist: the § 13-905 set-aside and § 13-3926 record sealing after a waiting period. What each does, what neither does, and the order to do them in.
Read the guide: Clearing a DUI in Arizona: Set-Aside and Record Sealing, Explained -
DUI Defense
The MVD Hearing After an Arizona DUI: The 15-Day Deadline Nobody Mentions
A DUI arrest starts a separate license case with the Arizona MVD — and you have 15 days to request a hearing or the suspension takes effect automatically. What the hearing covers and why it doubles as discovery.
Read the guide: The MVD Hearing After an Arizona DUI: The 15-Day Deadline Nobody Mentions -
Phoenix DUI Attorney
What Is the Legal BAC Limit in Arizona?
Arizona’s BAC limits — .08, .04 for CDL drivers, zero tolerance under 21, the extreme DUI tiers, and why you can be charged below the “legal limit.”
Read the guide: What Is the Legal BAC Limit in Arizona? -
Phoenix DUI Attorney
Arizona’s Open Container Law, Explained
Arizona’s open container law — who can be charged, the trunk and glove-box exceptions, passengers, penalties, and how it interacts with a DUI stop.
Read the guide: Arizona’s Open Container Law, Explained -
Phoenix Child Support Attorney
The Arizona Child Support Calculator, Explained
How Arizona’s child support calculator works — the inputs that move the number, parenting-time credit, attributed income, and what the output decides.
Read the guide: The Arizona Child Support Calculator, Explained -
Arizona Legal Separation Attorney
Legal Separation vs. Divorce in Arizona: What Actually Differs
Legal separation vs. divorce in Arizona — what each resolves, the marital status difference, insurance and benefits, cost and timing, and how to choose.
Read the guide: Legal Separation vs. Divorce in Arizona: What Actually Differs -
Phoenix Criminal Defense Attorney
Community Service Hours in Arizona: How Court-Ordered Hours Work
How court-ordered community service works in Arizona — when courts order it, where hours count, documentation, deadlines, and what happens if you fall short.
Read the guide: Community Service Hours in Arizona: How Court-Ordered Hours Work -
Phoenix DUI Attorney
Can You Get a DUI on a Bike or Scooter in Arizona?
Whether Arizona DUI law reaches bicycles, e-bikes, e-scooters, mopeds and golf carts — where the vehicle line actually falls, and what can still be charged.
Read the guide: Can You Get a DUI on a Bike or Scooter in Arizona? -
Phoenix DUI Attorney
How Long Does a DUI Stay on Your Record in Arizona?
How long an Arizona DUI follows you — the permanent criminal record, the 7-year prior window, MVD and insurance timelines, and what can be cleared.
Read the guide: How Long Does a DUI Stay on Your Record in Arizona? -
Phoenix Divorce Attorney
How to File for Divorce in Maricopa County: Step by Step
Filing for divorce in Maricopa County, step by step — the forms, where to file, the filing fee, serving your spouse, and what happens in the first 60 days.
Read the guide: How to File for Divorce in Maricopa County: Step by Step
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