QUESTION
As the respondent in a paternity case, can I file a trial brief?
Asked on Sep 30th, 2013 on Child Custody - Arizona
More details to this question:
Arizona Family Court - If I understand correctly this will need to be done at least 30 days prior to our evidentiary hearing which is set for mid November. Anything else I need to be aware of? I have an attorney that I have paid $7500 to date and switching attorneys at this point is simply not an option. I am dealing with a small town in Arizona and it's a bit of a good ole boys club, there are few attorneys’s to choose from to begin with. There are a lot of moving parts to this case and my intention is to get a very clear depiction of my side of the case to the judge which is accurate prior to the hearing. My attorney is busy and has missed some major details that I have had to point out to him, missed some significant deadlines that the Petitioner has not met, has some errors in documents he has filed on my behalf, etc. I am concerned that he is not going to spend the time to really know my case and present the best case possible to the judge on my behalf. Thank you for taking the time to respond.
1 ANSWER
If your questions is whether you can both have counsel and represent your self the answer in no. You may, however, be able to work with your attorney to do some of the work yourself and minimize the work that he or she has to do. If you really want to protect yourself you should obtain a second opinion as soon as possible. I realize you already spent $7,500 to date, but whatever fees you will incur in the future going forward may have little to do with what had already been paid. Do you want to spend the fees with someone who you have confidence in, particularly since this is dealing with your child? Or, perhaps by speaking with someone for a second opinion you will learn to better understand your attorney and your opinion may improve. It should be worth paying someone an hour or two of their time to gain a better insight into what is going on.
Answered on Oct 02nd, 2013 at 5:44 PM