Child Support Lawyers In Maricopa County
Last updated on June 16, 2026
Child support is one of the most potentially contentious issues that parents face. You want to obtain a fair arrangement that upholds your child’s best interests while maintaining as amicable a relationship as possible with your co-parent.
To this end, we at Duenas Eden Cravatta, PLC, can help you. With more than 40 years of combined experience, our attorneys, Amy Duenas and Dori Eden, assist clients throughout Arizona with a spectrum of family law matters. With a combination of excellent service and litigation experience, we can help you reach your goals when it comes to child support.
How Do Arizona Courts Determine Child Support?
Arizona courts use the income shares model to calculate child support. This approach calculates support based on both parents’ combined income and the proportion each parent earns. Judges review several factors, including:
- Each parent’s gross income: Wages, salary, bonuses and other sources of earnings for both parents
- Spousal maintenance paid or received: Alimony payments that affect available income for each parent
- Parenting time: The number of overnight visits each parent has affects the calculation
- Medical and education expenses: Insurance premiums, out-of-pocket costs and school-related fees
Child support judgments are not necessarily permanent; you can seek a post-judgment modification if you or your co-parent’s circumstances change significantly. Moreover, navigating support on your own carries real risk. Without the right guidance, you may agree to terms that do not fully protect your child.
How Arizona Handles Child Support For High Earners
Arizona’s standard child support calculator applies to combined monthly gross income up to $20,000. For high-income families in Phoenix, standard guidelines often do not fully capture the financial picture.
When total income exceeds that threshold, courts apply guidelines to the capped amount, then use discretion for excess income. High-income cases commonly involve:
- Annual bonuses and commission-based pay
- Stock options and equity compensation
- Self-employment income and business ownership
- Investment income and rental properties
- Deferred compensation
These income sources fluctuate and require careful legal and financial analysis. Bonus structures, business equity and stock-based compensation each need thorough documentation. We help clients in Mesa and throughout Arizona present an accurate and complete financial picture to the court.
What Is Paternity? How Will It Affect Me?
Paternity is the legal term referring to a child’s biological father. When a child is born to parents who are married to each other, the state assumes that the man is the child’s biological father. However, when a child is born to unmarried parents, this is not so. One or both parents must establish paternity for one parent to obtain custodial rights or for the other to receive child support.
Can You Stop A Child Support Order In Arizona?
Child support in Arizona goes beyond calculating a monthly amount. Parents in Guadalupe and across Arizona sometimes need to stop, waive or eliminate a support obligation entirely and each situation follows its own legal process. Three specific situations parents commonly face include:
- Stopping current ongoing support: Courts require a formal agreement and court approval to end support before the child turns 18, or 19 if still in high school.
- Voluntarily waiving future support: Parents may request to waive support, but judges rarely approve waivers unless exceptional circumstances exist and the child’s needs are met.
- Dismissing back child support (arrears): Courts treat unpaid support seriously. You must establish specific legal grounds before a court will consider dismissing any amount owed.
We help clients in Tempe and across Maricopa County understand what the courts will and will not allow before making any decisions.
Get Legal Guidance For Your Child Support Needs
The best way to receive an accurate estimate of your amount of support is to consult an attorney. Reach out to us so that we can speak with you about your personal circumstances. Simply call our Phoenix office at 480-637-0668 or send us an email to schedule an initial consultation.