Arizona law
Family Laws in Arizona.
Arizona is a community property state and a no-fault divorce state — the sole ground is "irretrievably broken." The residency requirement is 90 days. Arizona replaced "custody" and "visitation" with "legal decision-making" and "parenting time" in 2013. Community property is divided equitably without regard to marital misconduct. Spousal maintenance has no formula — the court considers 13 statutory factors.
Last verified: 2026-02-25
State law
Statute of Limitations
One party must have been domiciled in Arizona for at least 90 days before filing the petition for dissolution.
State law
Key Arizona Statutes
Arizona is a no-fault divorce state. The court grants dissolution if it finds the marriage is "irretrievably broken." No showing of fault is required.
Arizona is one of 9 community property states. Property acquired during marriage is community property. Upon divorce, community property is divided equitably (though not necessarily equally), without regard to marital misconduct.
Arizona uses "legal decision-making" (not custody) and "parenting time" (not visitation). The sole standard is best interests of the child. Factors include the parent-child relationship, adjustment to home/school/community, child's wishes if mature enough, and which parent is more likely to allow contact with the other parent.
Child support is determined using the Arizona Child Support Guidelines considering financial resources, the child's standard of living, physical/emotional condition, and educational needs.
Spousal maintenance requires a threshold showing (e.g., insufficient property, unable to be self-sufficient, long marriage with age precluding employment). The court considers 13 factors including standard of living, marriage duration, age, earning ability, and the paying spouse's ability to pay. Maintenance is awarded only for the period necessary to become self-sufficient.
State law
Official Sources
Not Legal Advice
This page summarizes publicly available statutes and rules for informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created by viewing this content. Laws change — always verify with the primary source or consult a licensed attorney in Arizona.
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