Best Divorce Lawyers Tucson
Riisa
Divorce Lawyers
Born and raised in El Centro, California, Riisa Petersen has dedicated her carreer to protecting the rights of her fellow Arizonans. The Justice System can be difficult to navigate alone, and after nearly a decade practicing law Riisa has built a reputation based on experience, determination, grit and an unwavering dedication to YOU, her client.
Riisa attended law school at Tucson’s own James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona. After graduation, she was immediately hired as a prosecutor in the Pima County Attorney’s office, where she specialized in DUI and domestic abuse prosections. It was there that Riisa learned the “prosecutor’s playbook.”
In time, Riisa decided that her true desire was to defend the accused. She took her knowledge of the “prosecutor’s playbook” and was immediately hired into a prominent Tucson firm in the private sector. For the last seven years, she has been working to defend the accused using her firsthand knowledge of prosecutorial tactics. Riisa knows what moves the prosecutor will make against you, making her better able to defend you against them. In addition to criminal defense, Riisa successfully built and managed the Family Law and Domestic Relations wing of the firm in which she became second in command. It would continue to thrive throughout her tenure.
Today, Riisa operates her own practice based on the respect, experience and reputation that she has earned in Tucson’s legal community. Her philosophy is simple: YOU are her priority. Your defense is her duty and your right. When you retain the Petersen Law Firm, you won’t end up with a nameless first year attorney. You get Riisa, every time.
Don’t gamble your future on an “associate” attorney. Experience matters. As a successful trial attorney and litigator with firsthand knowledge on both sides of the criminal system and unparalleled leadership experience in family law, nobody is better prepared to defend your rights and fight for you and your family.
Andrew P. Meshel
Divorce Lawyers
Since graduating from the University of Arizona in 1994, Andy pursued a calling in public service as an officer in the U.S. military; first on Active Duty as an Aviator in the United States Navy, and more recently as a Combat Search and Rescue Pilot in the United States Air Force Reserve before retiring after 24 years. In the representation of his clients, Andy leverages an extensive career background as a leader, manager and Commanding Officer, and he brings the mature perspective that comes from a lifetime of personal and professional experiences as well as academic pursuits.
He returned to Arizona to earn his Juris Doctor from the James E. Rogers College of Law. While Andy practices in a variety of legal areas and is able to assist clients with many legal challenges, his current predominant focus is on Family Law. As a founding partner of RPM Law, Andy is absolutely committed to providing each and every client superior legal representation and unrivaled customer service. As a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Andy believes that the Air Force Core Value tenets of Integrity, Service, and Excellence translate directly to the necessary work ethic of an attorney, and he works diligently to live up to those values every step of the way – for every client, in every case.
Areas Of Practice
- Family Law
- Criminal Defense
- DUI/DWI
- Civil Litigation
Hector A. Montoya
Divorce Lawyers
For more than 20 years, Hector Montoya has helped resolve complicated and emotionally charged legal problems for Southern Arizona clients, finding solutions to divorce and specific issues and disputes involving custody and child support, and property division. He also remains available to his clients seeking modifications to child support, custody and relocations.
At the Law Office of Hector A. Montoya, P.L.L.C., Mr. Montoya can also navigate through the complexities of high-asset divorce cases and marital dissolution actions involving members of the military.
Areas Of Practice
- Divorce
- Child Support
- Custody & Visitation
- Family Law
Bar Admissions
- Arizona, 1994
Education
- University of Arizona College of Law, Tucson, Arizona
- 00/1993
Billie Tarascio
Divorce Lawyers
When I was 19 my parents went through a divorce. I hadn’t seen it coming, especially as the drama of the divorce and the resulting custody battle unfolded. My brothers and I were heartbroken. Our worlds were completely rocked.
At the time, I was all too aware of the role my parents’ attorneys played during this life changing transition for all of us. Their divorce changed the course of my life. That’s when I knew that I wanted to be a family law attorney.
What we do as family law attorneys affects people’s lives, and the lives of their children for decades and I absolutely love it.
After I graduated from Law School from the University of Oregon in 2005, I started seeing what many lawyers see. Most of the people who needed our help couldn’t afford attorneys and lawyers needed more work. In 2008, I went out on my own in search of a better way of doing things for attorneys and clients alike. My primary goal was to lower the cost of legal services for clients, and reduce accounts receivables for the firm.
Favorite Types Of Cases
Billie’s favorite types of cases involve complex custody and property division issues. Where some attorneys would prefer to fight easier battles, Billie enjoys the challenge of investigating, fully understanding and conquering the more intricate cases; showing clients who may have thought they’ve lost everything that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Education And Experience
Billie graduated the University of Oregon School of Law in 2005. She worked at the Department of Justice, Family Law Division, the non-profit A Family for Every Child and clerked at the Lane County Juvenile Court under Justice Kip Leonard. She practices exclusively in divorce and family law in Arizona. Billie is a skilled practitioner, national speaker, law firm business consultant and an honored attorney. She is also the author of Decode Your Divorce and a co author of Tiger Tactics, Powerful Strategies for Winning Attorneys.
Peter D. Axelrod
Divorce Lawyers
A University of Michigan Law School graduate, Peter D. Axelrod has practiced exclusively in the field of divorce and family law for the past 25 years. His experience includes trial work, collaborative divorce, and mediation
Peter believes that the personal nature of family law requires a great deal more from a domestic relations attorney. After practicing for a number of years, and in order to better respond to his clients needs, Peter earned a Master’s Degree in Counseling and Guidance from the University of Arizona. His counseling experience has helped him understand family relationships and ensured skillful communications with clients and opposing attorneys.
The focus of Peter’s family law practice is to help clients:
- Maintain strong ties with their children during and after the divorce
- Secure their financial future
- Gain more control over the divorce negotiations
- Use collaborative and cooperative strategies to resolve issues
- Complete their divorce efficiently and in less time
- Find the tools to facilitate the ability to move on with their new lives
- Encourage skillful communication
- Become educated and informed during all stages of the divorce process
- Ascertain what they need to move on in their new lives
While it is necessary to proceed to trial when reasonable settlement proposals are rejected, Peter has seen firsthand the difficulties and additional burdens the traditional adversary system can present to clients. After taking hundreds of contested domestic cases to court over the years, Peter has found that many Tucson divorce and mediation clients could be better served by providing them with a more collaborative approach to reaching divorce settlements.
In accord with his desire to help institutionalize a more cooperative negotiating process, Peter helped organize and became a founding member of the Collaborative Law Group of Southern Arizona (CLGSA). The attorney-members of this groundbreaking legal consortium offer a collaborative-based settlement process to divorcing spouses.
Divorce Mediation is another desirable alternative for parties who wish to settle their legal differences without going to trial. Peter is a skilled and experienced mediator and trainer in this form of dispute resolution. Many of Arizona’s mediators have completed the 40-hour divorce mediation training program designed by Peter and Phoenix mediator Joan Tobin.
Grant L. Stratton
Divorce Lawyers
Attorney Grant L. Stratton is a family law attorney based in Tucson, AZ. As a law student, he had the unique opportunity to intern with Judge Espinoza. He obtained his doctorate in 2012 from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. He worked as a county attorney working mostly in prosecution in a rural county starting in 2013. In 2015, he moved home to Tucson to begin working in private practice as a Family Law attorney. He opened his own practice in the summer of 2016. He became certified in Collaborative Divorce in 2018, and is currently one of only a handful of certified practitioners of Collaborative Divorce in all of Southern Arizona.
Attorney Stratton strives to provide peaceful and lasting solutions to problems, to reduce the time, expense and drama of divorce and to protect children and children’s relationships with appropriate parents. He recognizes that every divorce or custody case has long lasting consequences and strives to help his clients look at the long-term effects of their orders and past the pettiness and revenge that too often prolong an already painful and difficult process.
Outside of law, Attorney Stratton has five children of his own, and spends a lot of his time volunteering for local legal aid services. He also speaks fluent Spanish from time spent abroad in Nicaragua. In 2018 and 2021 he received the Top 50 Pro Bono Attorneys in Arizona Award from the Arizona Bar Foundation. .(See the below article from the Pima County Bar describing his volunteer work). He has most recently been named a Super Lawyers for 2021 and 2022 Southwest Rising Star. Please consider contacting Attorney Stratton to learn more about his services.
KETTI MCCORMICK
Divorce Lawyers
Attorney McCormick would not be where she is without the support of her amazingly strong mother, Barbara and her brother Bootsie, a retired Air Force Pilot. Their influence and support have provided her the inspiration and strength needed to face any situation on behalf of her clients.
EDUCATION
- University of Arizona College of Law, Tucson, Arizona
- J.D. – 1997
- University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
- B.A. – 1991
- Major: Creative Writing
BAR ADMISSION
- Arizona, 1997
- New Mexico, 2004
- California, 2004
- U.S. District Court District of Arizona
PUBLISHED WORKS
- The Color of Darkness, National Magazine, 1995
HONORS
- Judge John Sticht Memorial
CLASSES & SEMINARS
- Guest Speaker, James E. Rogers College of Law Prosecutorial Clinic, 2005 to Present
PRO-BONO ACTIVITIES
- Allied Defense Fund
REPRESENTATIVE CLIENTS
- Military Members with custody issues
- Professionals wanting fair division of assets
- Bread-winners objecting to spousal maintenance
- Parents needing fair child support and time
Linda
Divorce Lawyers
Linda has been handling divorces in Tucson and Southern Arizona for over 35 years, so knows the laws and procedures here quite well. (See FAQs below.) She was born in Phoenix, but then got smart and moved to Tucson. She is a graduate of the U of A and Pima College, her degree as a legal assistant (“paralegal”), with an emphasis in family law.
She worked several years for attorneys, but grew weary that in most divorces no one really “wins”. She created her firm for those seeking more control over their divorce, ie: a more “peaceful parting”. She was a pioneer in the concept of legal document preparation by non-lawyers, later selected by the Arizona Supreme Court to help write the rules that now govern legal document preparers. She continues to champion for consumer rights and regularly participates in seminars by both the local and state courts, bar associations and legal document preparer groups. Linda has two now-grown children and has been divorced herself, so she understands what her clients go through.
Having the best divorce lawyer in Tucson can be crucial for several reasons:
Expertise in Arizona Family Law: The best divorce lawyers in Tucson will have in-depth knowledge of Arizona’s family laws and regulations, including those related to divorce, child custody, property division, and spousal support.
Local Court Knowledge: They will be familiar with the Tucson court system, judges, and local procedures. This familiarity can be invaluable in predicting how your case may be handled and in effectively navigating the legal process.
Strategic Planning: A top divorce lawyer will develop a tailored strategy based on your unique circumstances, considering factors such as assets, liabilities, children, and your specific goals for the divorce.
Negotiation Skills: Many divorces are settled through negotiations. A skilled lawyer will be an effective negotiator, working to achieve the best possible outcome for you in terms of property division, alimony, child support, and custody arrangements.
Emotional Support and Objectivity: Divorce is an emotionally charged process. A seasoned attorney can offer objective guidance, helping you make rational decisions and navigate the emotional challenges.
Legal Paperwork and Procedures: A divorce involves a significant amount of paperwork, filings, and deadlines. A knowledgeable lawyer will ensure that all necessary documents are prepared correctly and submitted on time.
As for alternatives to divorce, there are several options that couples may consider depending on their unique circumstances:
Legal Separation: This allows couples to live separately while remaining legally married. It can address issues like property division, spousal support, and child custody, but without officially terminating the marriage.
Mediation: In mediation, a neutral third party (the mediator) helps couples communicate and reach agreements on issues like property division, child custody, and support. This can be a more cooperative and less adversarial approach than traditional litigation.
Collaborative Divorce: In a collaborative divorce, each spouse has their own attorney, but the process is focused on negotiation and settlement rather than litigation. It often involves other professionals like financial advisors and therapists.
Arbitration: This involves hiring a neutral third party (the arbitrator) who acts like a private judge. The arbitrator makes decisions on the issues in dispute, and these decisions are legally binding.
Annulment: An annulment legally voids a marriage, essentially treating it as if it never happened. This is different from divorce, which ends a valid marriage.
Marriage Counseling or Therapy: Seeking professional help to improve communication and resolve issues in the marriage can be an alternative to divorce.
It’s important to consult with a legal professional to understand which option is best suited to your specific situation. Keep in mind that the availability and suitability of these alternatives may vary based on jurisdiction and individual circumstances.