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 -
Phoenix Criminal Defense Attorney
What Happens at an Arraignment in Arizona
What an Arizona arraignment is, when it must be held, what the judge does, the plea you enter, and what a missed date costs you.
Read the guide: What Happens at an Arraignment in Arizona
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