What This Statute Says
This section is the operational heart of the conciliation court. Hearings are conferences, not trials. A trained designee leads them, reports to the director, who reports to the judge. And what is said in the room generally stays in the room.
A. A person designated by the judge of the conciliation court shall conduct an informal hearing as a conference or series of conferences to effect a reconciliation of the spouses or an amicable adjustment or settlement of the issues.
A.R.S. § 25-381.16When This Statute Comes Into Play
This rule controls when:
- A couple is participating in their first conciliation conference.
- The judge wants to bring in a child psychologist, addiction counselor, or other specialist.
- A later divorce or other case threatens to use statements from the conciliation hearing.
What This Means for Arizona Families
The confidentiality protection is essential to honest conversation. Spouses talking about money problems, infidelity, parenting failures, or substance use will only speak openly if they know the statements will not surface later. This section locks that protection into the statute itself.
Reconciliation is rare once a divorce filing is on the table, but the Court of Conciliation has helped many Arizona couples either repair the marriage or part on better terms. Either result has estate-planning consequences. Our FAQ on how divorce affects your Arizona estate plan covers the updates that follow a finalized dissolution; if you reconcile, the same plan needs a different review. The Arizona community property presumption and any premarital agreement the spouses signed both shape what is on the table during conciliation. An Arizona family law attorney working with an estate planning attorney can keep the two tracks coordinated regardless of which way the petition resolves.