What This Statute Says
Findings of fact and conclusions of law are essential to a meaningful appeal of a contested family law ruling. This section ensures that Arizona parties know they can request them, by requiring the court to provide written notice of the right.
A. In all proceedings brought pursuant to this title, the court shall provide the following written notification to all parties:
A.R.S. § 25-331When This Statute Comes Into Play
This notice requirement applies to all Title 25 proceedings, but matters most when:
- Custody, relocation, spousal maintenance, community property, community debt, or child support is contested.
- A party is considering whether to request findings before judgment.
- An appellate strategy depends on having a record of the trial court's reasoning.
What This Means for Arizona Families
Family law rulings sometimes look unfair from the outside, but without a record of the trial court's reasoning, an appeal can be difficult. The findings notice in this section protects appellate rights and forces the court to articulate the basis for its rulings on contested issues.
If your Arizona dissolution involves contested issues, ask your attorney about requesting findings of fact and conclusions of law. Our FAQ on how divorce affects your Arizona estate plan covers the parallel estate planning concerns. An Arizona family law attorney can preserve the issues for appellate review while an estate planning attorney updates the revocable living trust, the will, and powers of attorney to reflect the new reality after dissolution. Even when a contested ruling stings, the trial court findings make the next steps easier to plan, whether the next step is appeal, modification, or simply moving forward with a refreshed estate plan.