Family Law

Written response in a civil case; in it the defendant admits or denies the allegations of the complaint of the plaintiff and states any defenses that apply.

An agreement made before marriage that indicates how property will be divided should the couple divorce or a person die.

A request made to a higher court to reverse or modify a decision made by a lower court.

Going to court.  By appearing in court you are agreeing to rules of the court.

The person/party appealing the judgment or decision of a court.

A court having jurisdiction (authority) to hear appeals.

The person against whom the appeal is taken.

One who applies for and receives AFDC, Medical Assistance or Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits or any other type of public assistance.

Arbitration is a dispute resolution system.  In arbitration the disputing individuals each present their side of an issue to an arbitrator who will act like a judge and decide the matter. There are two types of arbitration: binding voluntary arbitration and mandatory non-binding arbitration.

Binding Voluntary Arbitration is a process where the disputing individuals agree to settle their matter privately outside of the public court system using an arbitrator, a professional decision maker that is chosen by one or both of the disputing parties, to decide the dispute. Arbitration does not require the use of court rules or procedures and is viewed as a simplified private court proceeding. Each side will present their case to the arbitrator who will then decide the issue. Once the matter is decided the case is over and in most cases the court will enforce the arbitrators decision.

Mandatory Non-binding Arbitration is a process used by the court system where individuals who meet certain qualifications will have their case decided by a court appointed arbitrator instead of a judge. Decisions made in this type of arbitration are non-binding meaning that either individual may ask for a new trial in trial court.

An attorney selected to hear a case and settle the legal dispute without a formal trial.

The statewide system for IV-D child support cases for Arizona. An ATLAS number is the “Arizona Tracking and Location Automated System” number given to child support cases. This is the account number for support payments at the Support Payment Clearinghouse. The ATLAS case number begins with numbers rather than letters.

Court proceeding in which the defendant stands before the judge to answer criminal charges by entering a plea of guilty or not guilty.

An amount of money that is overdue; usually this refers to the amount of child support that has been ordered but has not been paid on time.

A written judicial determination of the amount of support past due for a specific period of time.

An eligibility requirement for TANF whereby the applicant or recipient must assign to the state all rights to support he or she may have in their own behalf or on behalf of a dependent child.

See Judge in this Glossary.

The act of seizing a person or property under the authority of a judicial order so that the person or property is before the court, subject to its judgment.

One who is admitted to the State Bar of Arizona and who may represent clients in legal proceedings. Also called lawyers or counsel.