If your relationship with your child is at risk, our Gilbert father’s rights lawyers at Gillespie, Shields & Taylor can protect your rights as a parent.
Since 1985, our firm has represented Arizona families through difficult family disputes involving children and parenting. With more than 40 years in practice and over 100 years of combined experience, our attorneys understand the stakes of these cases and the importance of helping you preserve your relationship with your child.
Contact our firm to schedule a consultation with one of our Gilbert family lawyers to discuss your situation.
Your Rights As a Father in Arizona
As a father, you have the right to seek a meaningful role in your child’s life. Under Arizona’s parenting plan laws, courts cannot favor mothers over fathers based on the parent’s or the child’s gender. Instead, decisions are made based on your child’s best interests and other relevant facts surrounding your case.
If you are being denied time with your child or are being left out of major decisions, you have options. The court will look at your involvement in your child’s life, your ability to provide a stable environment, and your overall relationship with your child.
Our Gilbert father’s rights attorneys can help you understand where you stand and what steps you could take to protect your relationship with your child. If your parenting dispute is part of a divorce, understanding Arizona divorce laws can also help you see how custody and parenting decisions fit into the broader case.
For a free legal consultation with a Family Law lawyer serving Gilbert, call 602-870-9700
Establishing Paternity and Parental Rights
If you weren’t married to your child’s mother, we will need to legally establish paternity rights if you have not already done so. Just because you have been involved in your child’s life for years does not automatically mean you have legal paternity rights.
Depending on the circumstances, paternity could be established through:
- A birth certificate signed by you and the mother if the child was born out of wedlock.
- A signed and legally witnessed or notarized acknowledgment of paternity.
- Genetic testing showing that the probability of paternity is at least 95%.
- A court proceeding that establishes you as the child’s father.
Keep in mind that establishing paternity is only part of the process. If you don’t already have parenting orders, you can also ask the court to determine your legal decision-making and parenting time rights in the paternity case.
Our team can help you determine what has already been established and whether there is anything you still need to do or file. We can also help you develop a parenting arrangement that reflects your relationship with your child.
Modifying an Existing Parenting Order
If you have an existing parenting order that no longer works for you or your child, we can help you request a change from the court. However, Arizona does place limits on when modifications can be requested, so know that both the timing and the reason for the change can matter.
Our father’s rights lawyers in Gilbert can review your current order and explain the options available for your situation. We can also help you decide whether seeking a modification is appropriate.
On our website, we also offer Arizona Legal Resources, which can offer further insight into the laws surrounding parental and custody rights.
Gilbert Father's Rights Lawyer Near Me 602-870-9700
How Our Father’s Rights Attorneys in Gilbert Can Help
Our goal is to help you make informed decisions that honor your relationship with your child and their best interests. When you hire our firm, our legal team can assist with:
- Establishing paternity and requesting parenting orders.
- Seeking or modifying parenting time and legal decision-making.
- Enforcing an existing parenting order when the other parent is not following it.
- Responding to relocation requests that could reduce your time with your child.
- Addressing concerns involving substance abuse, domestic violence, or your child’s safety.
- Preparing for contested hearings when an agreement cannot be reached.
Your lawyer will look at the full picture to get an overall idea of your history with your child, issues you are facing, current orders, and your available options. From there, we can offer guidance and help you decide on the most effective course of action.
What You Can Expect From Gillespie, Shields & Taylor
Many of our attorneys and staff have worked together for years. We know each other well, which means we can communicate and approach your case as a team, rather than passing it from one person to the next. That type of continuity and synchronization improves our work and case outcomes.
When you hire Gillespie, Shields & Taylor, you can expect:
- Honest advice about your case: We’re not interested in running up fees or encouraging conflict that doesn’t serve you. We’ll focus on honest work that keeps your case moving in the right direction.
- A full team behind you: Our attorneys collaborate and bring different perspectives to difficult legal and factual issues.
- Persistence when cases get difficult: We don’t back down simply because a case becomes challenging or takes an unexpected turn. Our attorneys push through, looking for the most effective path forward that keeps your goals at the center of mind.
- Experience beyond the trial court: Our firm has a strong record of appellate success and is prepared to continue pursuing a case when further review is warranted.
- A team that cares: We understand that the decisions being made affect your relationship with your child and your family beyond the courtroom. Again, our goal is what’s best for you, your child, and your family, not what’s best for our bottom line.
For more than 40 years, our representation of Arizona families has been founded on this approach. We’ll take the time to understand your needs, providing realistic assessments of your options while staying focused on meaningful results.
We also offer online resources to help you manage this process, such as our Arizona Child Custody Resources Guide, which contains an overview of custody laws, information on how courts determine custody, and more. We also offer guidance on finding support groups and counseling services if you are interested.
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Talk With a Gilbert Father’s Rights Attorney Today
If your time with your child or your role as a parent is being challenged, getting legal advice early can help you avoid costly mistakes while helping you better understand your options.
Gillespie, Shields & Taylor is here to listen and offer advice. We pride ourselves on our caring and collaborative team approach, and we genuinely want to help you take the right steps toward a more meaningful relationship with your child.
Contact our father’s rights attorneys in Gilbert today to schedule a consultation.
Call or text 602-870-9700 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
