Posts Tagged ‘Family lawyer’

Arizona Dependency Deductions

Friday, October 12th, 2012

GILBERT, TEMPE AND MESA ARIZONA DIVORCE AND FAMILY LAW LAWYER DISCUSSES CLAIMING CHILDREN FOR TAXES

Submitted by Attorney Douglas C. Gardner

 I was recently honored by an invitation to speak before a large group of local accountants and todiscuss with them issues involving an overlap between their accounting and CPA practice and my legal practice as an Arizona divorce and family law attorney.

I had gathered several topics that I wanted to address with them, and was prepared to speak for my allotted time.  As I delved into the issues I had prepared, the questions that surged from the audience quickly led me to the one issue that they most wanted to discuss, who gets to claim the children as dependency deductions and credits in Arizona. 

The problem lies in the fact that tax law or IRS regulations are federal, and divorces in Arizona are governed by state law.  Generally, when federal law covers an issue, it trumps or overrides conflicting state law.  However, with regard to claiming children, the IRS law recognizes that in divorce cases the divorce court should have the discretion to divide the right to claim children.  In fact, IRS provides for the general rule, which is that the parent with whom the children reside with for more than 50% of the time claims the children.  The stated exception, however, is that a state divorce court can order this division to occur otherwise. 

To accomplish this, the IRS requires a parent that is able to claim the children pursuant to a Court Order, but that does not have the children at least 50% of the time, to complete a Form 8322.

IRS has over the past few years tightened its regulations and no longer accepts court orders as evidence of who can claim the child, but strictly requires the form 8322.

The accountants wanted to know what they should do or advise the client to do when the wrong parent claimed the children or refused to sign the form 8322. 

As IRS now strictly requires the Form 8322, the sole recourse is to return to Court and ask the Court to strictly enforce the prior orders regarding claiming the children. 

Many clients have concerns with the costs of returning to court.  Having done this many times, the best way is to narrowly draft the documents filed with the Court and try to limit it to a single prompt emergency hearing on this single issue.  Sometimes, this can be handled with a single demand letter from an attorney and court can be altogether avoided. 

 

Generally, the Court will not be at all pleased with a party who has willfully disobeyed a court order.  The Court will often impose sanctions upon such a party, which may include payment of some or all of the attorneys fees involved. 

If you are involved in a divorce case involving child support, tax issues regarding the children, or other simple or complex issues and want experienced legal representation, please call 800-899-2730 and ask to speak with Douglas C. Gardner, or visit our website at www.yourarizonadivorcelawyer.com.

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ARIZONA DIVORCE LAWYER: FATHER’S RIGHTS IN ARIZONA CUSTODY CASES

Monday, July 16th, 2012

Submitted by Attorney Douglas Gardner

 

East Valley Divorce Attorney Discusses Father’s Rights in Divorce Cases

 

 

Arizona has moved forward in terms of Father’s rights recently, which changes how cases should be handled whether you are the Mother or the Father.

 

In the 1970s and 1980s, a typical custody order would have the children reside with the Mother, and Father would see the children on alternating weekends and two weeks during the summer.  As we moved into the 1990s and the 2000s, Father’s rights and Father’s role in raising children received significant attention from mental health professionals, which trickled its way into state laws and into the courtroom practices of judges.  Weekday parenting time to the Father became more common, and alternating holidays, equal sharing of summer and Christmas school recess became more common.1155156

 

Over just the last two years, the Courts have moved beyond this, to much more often awarding equal parenting time when the parent’s live close enough to allow the children stability in school while residing with both parents. 

 

Moving to equal parenting time has its pros and cons.  Many children feel like they live at neither house, but “camp” at both houses and move back and forth.  Other children enjoy the significant relationship with both parents being much more involved.  Equal time parenting plans allow both parents to have their own time as well as parenting time, and can balance the various difficulties  in life including jobs and other responsibilities.  However, Equal time for many mother’s necessarily includes reduced parenting time. 

 

One difficulty often ran into is societal expectations.  While these changes are great for Father’s that want to be more involved, many mother’s feel that the Court has punished them because they are familiar with other families in which the Mother was named the primary parent, and they feel that they are as good or better of a parent than this other parent.  Such comparisons fail to account for the dramatic changes in the law over just the past few years. 

 

1345577While many Father’s enjoy this additional time with their children, some Father’s realize that having the children 50% of the time causes them to be away from work more of the time, as schooling, sick children, and other issues are now falling on their parenting time 50% of the time. 

 

Equal parenting time is not appropriate in all cases.  I still see many cases in which Father or Mother can provide a better life style, stability, safe environment, and other factors and in which we can persuade the Court to award my client’s more than 50%/50% custody.  However, proving that such is the case requires a solid case and a well prepared trial plan. 

 

If you are experiencing legal issues involving custody or other difficult issues, whether as part of a divorce, after the divorce has already been entered, or a custody battle in which the parents were never married, you should have experienced legal counsel on your side. Please call 800 899-2730 and ask to speak with attorney Douglas C. Gardner, or visit our website at www.yourarizonadivorcelawyer.com.

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Calculating A “Ball-park” Child Support Amount.

Monday, July 9th, 2012

 

Submitted by Attorney Karl Scholes

 

I will often have my divorce, or post-decree, clients ask me, “How much child support will I be receiving/paying?” My normal answer to them is a resoundingly, lawyerly, “It depends.”

 

When they press me for a more specific response, I tell them, “Well, we just need to apply the Arizona Child Support Guidelines.” I then proceed to instruct them as to what the Guidelines specify.

 

However, when they push back even more, I tell them, “Oh, you are looking for a “ball-park” calculation. That I can get for you.”

 

The remainder of this article is an explanation on how to come to a “ball-park[1] ” child support calculation.

 

First, one should understand at least a little of the background about child support in Arizona. It is important to understand that Arizona law requires custodial and non-custodial parents to provide “reasonable support” for their minor children. A.R.S. §25-501(A). A parent’s child support obligation has priority over all other financial obligations of the parent. A.R.S. §25-501(C).

 

In addition, the court receives the authority to award child support under A.R.S. §25-320. This statute also makes it mandatory for the court to issue an order of child support as per the Arizona Child Support Guidelines, (unless the court finds that a deviation is necessary… which is a subject matter for another day.)

 

The Arizona Guidelines follow the Income Shares Model, which means that the total child support amount approximates the amount that would have been spent on the children if the parents and children were living together.  The guidelines involve numerous intricacies, and for a full application, one should consult an attorney – who is experienced in using the Arizona Child Support Guidelines – as to how the guidelines apply to each individual case.

 

Second, to get a “ball-park” child support calculation, one must be able to answer the following questions:

 

1.      What is the gross income of both parties? (Note, this issue sometimes becomes complicated, especially if one party is self-employed, has an income that is not easily ascertainable, or if one party is unemployed. Consult an attorney if there are any complications in your case.)

2.      What is the number and ages of minor children involved? (Note, if this factor is complicated, please consult a mental health professional before seeking the advise of an attorney.)

3.      What is the cost of medical/dental/vision insurance for the minor child(ren): The key to this factor is to find the cost for medical insurance for just the minor children. (Note, at times, this factor can be complicated as well. Please consult an attorney if there are any complications in your case.)

4.      What are the monthly childcare costs for the minor children?

5.      Are there any extra education expenses paid for the minor children?

6.      Are there any extraordinary (gifted or handicapped) expenses for the minor children?

7.      How many days, out of a year, will the non-custodial parent have with the minor children?

 

Third, the next step is to plug the numbers from the answers above into their corresponding areas in the Arizona child support calculator, which can be found here:

 

Fourth, once you have plugged in the numbers above into the calculator, it will dispense a number under the heading “Child Support Obligation to be paid by____________”. This is where you will have your “ball-park” child support number.

 

If there are complications in your child support case, or to get an exact child support calculation, contact a family law attorney who is experienced in using the Arizona Child Support Guidelines.

 

If you are in need of legal counsel and would like to speak with an experienced attorney, please call 800 899-2730  or visit our website at www.yourarizonadivorcelawyer.com. or www.davismiles.com

[1] While a “ball-park” calculation of child support may be important for purposes of settlement, or setting expectations, one should note that a full child support calculation should be done by an attorney who is experienced in using the Arizona Child Support Guidelines.  

 

 

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A Financial Benefit to Paying Child Support

Monday, July 2nd, 2012

Submitted by Attorney Kirk Smith

 

There is a general discontent among those who must pay child support. The consensus among them is not that they are unwilling to financially support their children; but rather, that they seemingly overcompensate the primary physical custodian for the expenses of the children, as these expenses fall appreciably lower than the child support they owe. Notwithstanding this perceived inequity, there is some consultation for child support obligors, as their tax liabilities generally decrease due to paying child support.

 

When child support is calculated each parent will be obligated to pay a specific percentage of the total amount calculated. How this plays out typically is that the primary physical custodian will pay nothing directly to the non-custodial parent, but the non-custodial parent will pay a specified sum each month to the primary physical custodian. For the purpose of this discussion do not get caught up in the fact that the primary physical custodian typically pays nothing directly to the non-custodial parent despite being allocated a percentage of the child support obligation.

 

An example of how these percentages might be allocated is; the primary physical custodian would be obligated to pay 20% of the total amount of child support calculated and the non-custodial parent would be obligated to pay 80% of the total amount of the child support calculated.

 

The family law courts will use these percentages under Number 27 of the Appendix of Arizona Revised Statutes 25-320, to determine the allocation between the parties of the dependent tax benefit, for the years following the divorce or separation.

 

Number 27 of the Appendix of Arizona Revised Statutes 25-320 states;

 

All the federal and state tax exemptions applicable to the minor children shall be allocated between the parents as they agree, or, in the absence of their agreement, in a manner that allows each parent to claim allowable federal dependency exemptions proportionate to adjusted gross income…To implement this provision, the proportionate share of the combined adjusted gross income of both parents is rounded to the nearest fraction with a denominator no larger than 5 (i.e. 1/2, 1/3, 2/3, 1/4, 3/4, 1/5, 2/5, 3/5, 4/5).

 

Applying this statute to the above example, and assuming that the parties have only 1 child, the non-custodial parent would receive the dependent tax benefit 4 out of the next 5 years. Looking at the years following the divorce or separation, 80% of 5 years is four years. The percentage then used to determine each parent’s child support obligation is also used to determine who receives the dependent tax benefit each year.

 

Figuring out who receives the dependent tax benefit can become more complicated with multiple children between the parties, however, the aforementioned principles still apply. Child support obligors then can take a measure of solace that even though their finances will diminish due to their child support obligation; their finances typically increase when it comes to receiving their yearend tax refund. 

If you are in need of legal counsel and would like to speak with an experienced attorney, please call 800 899-2730  or visit our website at www.yourarizonadivorcelawyer.com. or www.davismiles.com

 

 

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ARIZONA DIVORCE LAWYER: COMMUNICATION ISSUES DURING AND AFTER DIVORCES (FOR THE CHILDREN’S SAKE)

Monday, June 18th, 2012

Submitted by Attorney Douglas Gardner

Tempe Arizona Divorce Attorney Speaks About Communicating With Spouse or Ex-Spouse About The Children

 

1339285Most expensive Arizona divorces become expensive because of poor communication about the children.  Other factors can occasionally cause cases to get expensive, but generally custody issues have a large impact upon the cost of a case.

   

Except in extreme cases, the Court will generally order that the parties share joint legal custody.  Joint legal custody requires that both parents work together to make major medical, educational, and religious decisions.  In both sole custody and joint custody cases, the parties will still be required to have some level of communications regarding the logistics, including exchange times, exchange locations, and holiday scheduling.

 

In many cases, the parties will quickly (or at least eventually) learn to get along in a business-like relationship.  While the emotion and romance are long since gone, the parties should learn to work together at the business of raising their children.  Even in a business-like relationship, in which both parties are seeking to receive a personal advantage, parties can learn that it is mutually advantageous to compromise and to acquiesce to the other parent’s requests, so that at other times the other parent will compromise and acquiesce to future requests needed. 

 

It is important in developing a business-like relationship that the compromise work both ways, and the acquiescence work both ways.  If one parent is constantly a taker, and the other parent constantly acquiescing, this will cause resentment and will eventually result in a breakdown of communications and an unwillingness of one or both parents to compromise. 

 

A good divorce attorney should be able to discuss with you and share with you ways to work on communications, ways to set appropriate boundaries so that you are not taken advantage of, and other methods for “training” your ex-spouse or your soon-to-be-ex-spouse to understand that compromise works both ways. 

 

It is also of vital importance to have a detailed and strongly worded parenting plan in place.  While it is beneficial to both parents to work together and cooperate, and while it would be wonderful if both parents got along so well that the parenting plan was never needed, the fact is the parents are divorced or divorcing, and this indicates that there is a good chance that at least occasionally communications break down.  A solidly written parenting plan or custody order provides a fall back position for times when compromise is not occurring.  The parenting plan should detail the rights and responsibilities as well as the parenting times.  The parenting plan serves as the tie-breaking vote for occasions when no agreement can be reached.  The parent wishing to follow the written parenting plan prevails at that time. 

 

If you are experiencing legal issues involving custody or other difficult issues, whether as part of a divorce, after the divorce has already been entered, or a custody battle in which the parents were never married, you should have experienced legal counsel on your side. Please call 800 899-2730 and ask to speak with attorney Douglas C. Gardner, or visit our website at www.yourarizonadivorcelawyer.com.

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Strategic Reasons for Being Nice-Custody Determination

Friday, June 8th, 2012

 

Submitted by Attorney Kirk Smith

Conflict in a family 3

 

In many cases, parents divorcing, or parents who were not married but are now separating, will fight a merciless custody battle for their children. The extreme acrimony attendant with such battles, in my experience, can have a very real impact on the children of these divorces. Increased cooperation between the parents lessens this emotional impact, and by itself, should be sufficient incentive for most parents to “play nice” during the subsequent legal process.  

 

None the less is there a strategic reason for one parent to be gracious to the other, outside altruism, that benefits them in the court’s final custody determination?  

 

In most cases one parent will become the primary physical custodian of the children, meaning that that parent will have the children at their residence the majority of the time each week. There are specific statutory factors the family law court examines when determining who becomes the primary physical custodian of the children. See Generally A.R.S. §25-403. 

 

One of the factors the court looks at in determining who should receive primary physical custodianship is;

 

Which parent is more likely to allow the child frequent and meaningful continuing contact with the other parent. This paragraph does not apply if the court determines that a parent is acting in good faith to protect the child from witnessing an act of domestic violence or being a victim of domestic violence or child abuse.A.R.S. § 25-403 (6)

Of course in some cases the other parent is a real danger to the children therefore it is necessary to diminish that other parent’s time with the children or ask that it be supervised. More often then not, however, both parents are usually suitable to care for the children, and an attempt to completely eliminate the other parent’s time with the children will be seen by the court negatively. The parent trying to “thwart” the other parent’s visitation with the children then could seriously and detrimentally effect that parent’s  chance of becoming the primary physical custodian because that parent did not “allow the child frequent and meaningful continuing contact with the other parent.”

If you are in need of legal counsel and would like to speak with an experienced attorney, please call 800 899-2730  or visit our website at www.yourarizonadivorcelawyer.com. or www.davismiles.com

A rule of thumb, assuming that the other parent is not a danger to the children, is to allow and encourage the other parent’s time with the children. This does not mean that you must have a half time schedule with the other parent, nor does it mean that anytime the other parent asks for time it must be provided. What it does mean is that going to extremes by trying to eliminate the other parent’s access to the children without good cause, strategically speaking, can backfire and decrease your chances of gaining the final custody determination from the court you wish.

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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HAPPY ANNIVERSARY DAVIS MILES MCGUIRE GARDNER

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012

 A customer is the most important visitor on our premises; he is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favor by giving us an opportunity to do so. Mahatma Gandhi 

This June marks our one-year anniversary of merging two strong law firms, Davis Miles and McGuire Gardner.

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Choosing to merge was not a difficult decision when you consider the benefits our clients now have available to them. The objective was and is to provide a convenient spectrum of legal services while maintaining our high standards.

Davis Miles McGuire Gardner now has over 50 attorneys in 27 practices including, Arbitration, Bankruptcy, Commercial Collections Corporate/LLC, Criminal & DUI, Estate Planning, Family Law, Immigration, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Mergers & Acquisitions, Real Estate, Tax Law, Trusts & Estates/Planning, and more.

A vital business practice is monitoring and measuring our success and recognizing what areas we need to improve.  At Davis Miles McGuire Gardner we are pleased that our commitment to professional standards of conduct was recognized by Martindale-Hubbell’s who awarded us the highest ratings.  Another litmus test is other firms and peers. In a peer review we ranked at the highest level.

As a result of our continued efforts to meet and surpass our clients expectations, DAVIS MILES MCGUIRE GARDNER continues to serve as the provider law firm for LegalShield (PrePaid Legal). Legal Shield continues to provide outstanding legal counsel to their growing clientele in New Mexico and Arizona.

The merger of these two firms is only part of the process in creating an all-encompassing firm for our clients and their needs. We will continue to seek out the best attorneys who are equally dedicated to serving our clients with integrity, consideration and respect. 

If you are in need of legal counsel and would like to speak with an experienced attorney, please call 800 899-2730  or visit our website at www.yourarizonadivorcelawyer.com. or www.davismiles.com

 

 

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ARIZONA DIVORCE: WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IF A DIVORCE IS COMING

Friday, May 18th, 2012

Tempe Arizona Divorce Lawyer Discusses Steps That Should Be Taken To Protect Yourself If A Divorce or Legal Separation Is Coming

 

 

Under Arizona law, as soon as the divorce case is filed and served upon the other person, and both parties are aware of the existence of the case, the Preliminary Injunction provides each party with certain protections such as preventing the other party from absconding with the children or assets. 

 

However, even before a case is filed, there are certain steps that should be taken to protect one’s self and to ensure that information remains available and obtainable.

 

Change PasswordsAs soon as you believe you will be going through a divorce, make sure you change your passwords to your computer, email accounts, blogs, cell phones, etc.  While some of the information on your electronic devices may need to be disclosed and provided, you will need to ensure that you have sole access to these lines of communication.  You want to ensure that if your attorney sends you attorney/client privileged communications by e-mail that only you will have access to these communications.

 

You should also ensure that you have safely written down the account numbers, account balances, and the name and address of any financial institution or retirement company with which you or your spouse have accounts.  This information can occasionally disappear once the divorce is filed, and while your attorney may be able to subpoena or otherwise obtain this information, this comes at a cost. 

 

You should also make a list of any valuable property that you brought into the marriage, or that you have received as a gift or as an inheritance.  Under Arizona law, these are likely to be determined to be your sole and separate property. 

 

You should make a separate list or inventory of every item of personal property that you and your spouse own.  This can be done with a video camera walking room to room and panning across each room to show the furniture and appliances in each room, or can be done by a spreadsheet or otherwise.  If for some reason you are unable to return to the marital home, you will want to have already completed this list ahead of time.

 

Finally, you will want to find a trusted friend or family member, with whom you can store this information and copies of any important documents that you do not want to disappear or become lost. 

 

If you are considering a divorce or legal separation, and would like to speak with an experienced family law attorney about your rights, responsibilities, and ways to protect yourself in your upcoming divorce, please call 800 899-2730 and ask to speak with attorney Douglas C. Gardner, or visit our website at www.yourarizonadivorcelawyer.com.

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TEMPE AND MESA ARIZONA DIVORCE AND FAMILY LAW LAWYER COMMENTS ON COMMON TAX ISSUES

Thursday, May 3rd, 2012

Arizona Divorce And Family Law Tax Issues Must Be Considered Year Around By Attorneys and Parties

In dealing with hundreds of divorce and family law cases, parties and even many lawyers often forget to include provisions regarding common tax treatment. These important financial issues should not be overlooked.  As the April tax deadline for 2011 is behind us, we must nonetheless continue to look at 2012 and future tax years in all settlement and trials.

The most common issues is the claiming of the children for tax exemptions.  Under the federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rules, the parent with whom the child resides the greater part of the year is entitled to claim the child as a general rule.  The Federal IRS rules do, however, allow for the State Court divorce judge to make a different allocation.  Under Arizona family law, the statute requires that in most cases the Judge must divide the claiming of the children proportionate to income.  As far as the IRS goes, this is taken care of by the use of form 8332 which can be found online or obtained through a tax preparer.

It is to the benefit of both parties to consider who will benefit most from the tax exemption.  In some cases in which one party will receive a substantially greater advantage than the other party, one party can be permitted to claim the child every year in exchange for an increase or decrease in child support.  This would be done by agreement of the parties and should be included in an Order signed by the Court.

Another common issue is whether to file jointly or separately.  It is often financially advantageous to file jointly, though in high conflict cases the difficulty in working together toward a common goal may outweigh the financial advantage.  The total tax return can be divided equally in some cases.  In other cases, it is more fair to calculate the two returns separately, and then determine how to split the incremental increase in the refund if the parties file jointly.  Talk with your tax preparer or CPA regarding filing jointly or separately, and work with your divorce or family law attorney to ensure that your agreement is written in such a way to maximize your tax benefit.

There are tax advantages to being able to file as the head of household.  Generally this can be claimed by the parent with the child the majority of the time.  If divorcing couples have more than one child, they may each be able to claim at least one child as the head of household.  This should be reviewed by your tax preparer or CPA, and worked through with your divorce and family law attorney.

In some cases, it may be advantageous to file single, rather than married filing separately.  Even if your divorce case has not concluded, there are specific rules that when applicable may allow a party to file a single.  These rules include maintaining a separate residence for all of the past six months of the taxable year, and maintaining over half of the cost of maintaining the home.  You should work through these issues with your tax preparer or CPA, and work with your divorce lawyer to ensure that any agreements or court orders permit you to file as you have been advised by your tax professional.

Because the tax issues can be complex, you should ensure that you work with an experienced family law attorney or divorce lawyer.  If you are involved in a divorce or custody case, and are looking for experienced representation involving tax issues or other complex issues, please call 800 899-2730 and ask to speak with attorney Douglas C. Gardner, or visit our website at www.yourarizonadivorcelawyer.com.

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