Sometimes lawsuits take months or years before they’re resolved. In many family matters, custody of the children, division of property and debts, etc., you can’t wait until the case is final. Sometimes the orders issued in the automatic Temporary Restraining Order and from any Orders of Protection are not specific enough or do not address all of these other urgent issues. Therefore, the court will consider entering intermediate orders to clarify what should happen with these things while everyone is waiting for the divorce to be finalized. (A.R.S. 25-315 and A.R.F.L.P. 47 and 48).
You may want to consider asking the judge to make decisions on the following temporary issues:
1. Who will live in the house until it is sold or otherwise resolved; 2. How the cars and essential furnishings will be split when the parties are first living apart; 3. How much time the children will spend with each parent until long-range plans for them are made; 4. Who will make mortgage payments, car payments, credit cards, utilities, kid’s expenses, attorney’s fees and other ongoing bills until they are resolved; 5. Whether either person should receive temporary spousal support or child support until he or she can get full time employment or otherwise resolve his or her living situation; 6. Whether the parties will be required to stay away from each other because of possible violence (see questions about domestic violence). Back to Frequently Asked Family Law Questions
