Arizona State Laws

Arizona Law

Arizona is known for being one of the hottest states in the country and has acquired many “snowbirds” because of this characteristic. Arizona is also the largest landlocked state in terms of its population.

Arizona law has recently been in the public eye for increasing illegal immigration stipulations and rejecting the amendment for same-sex marriage. Despite its higher climate, Arizona’s state laws are not too different from those of any other state. Arizona law includes labor laws, bankruptcy laws, divorce laws, felony levels, expungement laws, and many others.

Bankruptcy

Each bankruptcy case is to be filed in a local Arizona court. In previous years, bankruptcy could be filed at home through do-it-yourself programs. However, in recent years, the federal government created new laws regarding bankruptcy. All states, including Arizona, must comply with the increased requirements.

These laws were created to limit bankruptcy to only necessary cases, as bankruptcy was often used unnecessarily. Arizona now requires several forms of paperwork, three times as many from previous years, and normally requires professional assistance. Individuals who qualify for bankruptcy will either file through Chapter Seven or Chapter Thirteen. Each kind of bankruptcy has a different purpose and is divided by how much money an individual can pay each month against his or her debts.

Divorce

The United States requires individuals to file for divorce in their states of residency. Each state has a specific length of time individuals must reside within its borders to qualify as residents. Arizona, in turn, does not necessarily require its residents to be within its borders for a specific amount of time before filing but does require that at least one individual in the marriage be an Arizona resident.

Individuals petitioning for divorce must file a petition with the circuit court in their county of residency. A case will be thrown out if it is filed to the incorrect county.

Felony Stipulations

Arizona felonies are broken into different classes of severity. Not every class is the same as another state’s. For instance, one crime may be considered a lesser crime in Arizona than in a neighboring state, where it is moderate. Individuals are punished and imprisoned according to the severity of their crimes. Two individuals may have committed the same crime, but one individual may be punished with longer incarceration than the other because of the crime’s circumstances.

Expungement

Despite popular belief, most felonies and misdemeanors, especially those involving driving under the influence, cannot be expunged from an individual’s record. When an individual has his or her record expunged, his or her firearm privileges will be restored after a payment of seventy-five dollars.

Because most felony convictions cannot be expunged, probation can sometimes be terminated under specific circumstances. The court will not automatically grant an expungement upon request but will consider several things before deciding. These things often include criminal history, the severity of the crime, and the individual’s potential to benefit society later.