It came on like a silent earthquake. You didn’t see it coming. You never felt it when it hit. But now the foundation of the place where you live has shifted. The cracks in the walls are becoming visible. And nothing will ever be the same. That is the effect of the 2018 Arizona appellate court case of NICAISE v. SUNDARAM, Before Nicaise, the Family Court was the final arbiter of disputes over matters like education, medical, religious, or other decisions that parents make. If the parties...

As a Family Law Attorney and a children’s advocate for 37 years, it angers me that our own government has taken more than three thousand children from their parents at the border. Some have been shipped to locations across the country, while their parents are deported. Separating immigrant children from their parents is cruel and inhumane. It’s a matter of basic human rights. Just imagine the horror of it happening to you and your kids. Today, little 3 and 4-year-old boys and girls are being...

May 31, 1985 To My Little Girl (6 months old): Since you were born, I have undergone a gradual transformation. What has changed is my entire definition of self – the way I view myself. The change is imperceptible to others. I look, dress, and act the same as I always have, but I feel different. I had a beautiful childhood. I felt safe in the knowledge that my parents loved me. This was, for me, a protective shield. My memories of those days are vivid and happy. I can still remember jumping in...

This morning your mother had a meeting, so I brought you to my office. I packed your diaper bag, dressed you, filled the car with the necessary items, and off we went. You looked puzzled but I smiled and assured you that this would be fun. We would get along just fine without Mom's help. We arrived at the office and I had Anne, my legal secretary and a great fan of yours, hold you while I ran back down to the car. This was going to be a breeze. I swung the diaper bag around my back, hoisted...

There has long been a debate among experts over whether Parental Alienation is really a “syndrome.” To which I respond: Does it matter? In our Family Law practice, we see Parental Alienation all the time. It occurs frequently in divorce and custody (now called Legal Decision-Making and Parenting Time) cases. Whenever a parent talks badly about the other parent to the children, or in front of the children, that’s an act of parental alienation. Why? Because children look up to their parents....

In 1962, eleven years before the court decided the landmark Rowe v. Wade case, Arizona was at the center of a national firestorm regarding the issue of abortion. The controversy raged around Sherri Finkbine, a local television host on the kiddie program, “Romper Room.” I was a young boy at the time and, like many other children, I had grown up in Phoenix watching the show. I still remember Miss Sherri, with her magic mirror, her pretty smile, and her soothing voice. The problem began when...

WHEN YOU COME IN for an initial conference at the Family Law Firm of Gary J. Frank P.C., what you get is a real legal consultation. Not a short sales pitch, like you, get from some other lawyers. In our first meeting, we will discuss your matter thoroughly and give you a solid understanding of your legal rights and how the court system works – and at the end of the meeting, we'll give you a "game-plan," so that you will know what you can do to reach your goals. Unlike most firms, our attorneys...