Category Archives: Family Law

On November 1, U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers announced their eighth annual “Best Law Firms” rankings. At DeShon Laraye Pullen PLC, we are proud to announce that we have been made the list of what they describe as an “elite and extremely impressive group.”

Law offices included in the 2018 “Best Law Firms” received the coveted designation for professional excellence combined with continuously impressive ratings from both clients and peers. In addition, ranked firms must have attorneys included in The Best Lawyers in America, a list that recognizes the top four percent of practicing lawyers in the country.

At DeShon Laraye Pullen PLC, we recognize one of our staff members with an Employee of the Month award for going above and beyond. In addition to doing their job, they help others while collaborating with their own team members to resolve client problems. Simply put, they serve as a role model for others.

This month, we are proud to announce that Jessica Hurley is our Employee of the Month winner for September 2017.

A celebrity divorce is all too commonly rife with petty disputes and angry words (now tweets) that create a bitter battle played out on a public stage. For many of the rich and famous, a life that was once blissful devolved into an abyss that comes with the demise of a high-profile marriage.

For those who choose to leave not only the rancor, but also the limelight, that all-important chapter can take many forms for the well-to-do. However, few have taken the trajectory of Katie Holmes.

We are proud to welcome two new employees who have joined DeShon Laraye Pullen PLC

Melissa Moy – Paralegal

Melissa Moy, a native to Arizona, attended Lamson College where she earned her Associates Degree in Business Administration. After graduation, she became a licensed Arizona Insurance Agent.

In 2007, Melissa began her legal career working in the areas of Family Law, Estate Planning, and Civil Litigation. After starting her career as a legal assistant, she was able to work her way up to Office Manager and Lead Paralegal. As her passion grew to help people with their legal needs, Melissa became certified by the Supreme Court as a Certified Legal Document Preparer.

Since 1983, April has been National Child Abuse Prevention Month. “Building Community, Building Hope” is the theme for this year’s month-long observance.

According to www.childwelfare.gov, the 2017 theme “acknowledges the tremendous power in communities to address the problem of child abuse and neglect.”

Divorce and other family law issues can be difficult for everyone, but it can be especially hard on children. It is a situation they cannot control, with the potential to change their lives and futures, so there is good reason to be concerned.

All too often, parents get so caught up in bad feelings toward each other that they forget what is most important: their children. Whether you are in a divorce or custody dispute, learn ways to ensure your children’s needs are coming first.

There’s romance in the air – if the arctic chill doesn’t cool things off. The weather forecast for this weekend calls for subzero temps in the Northeast and Midwest – a supposedly record-setting Valentine’s Day weekend, according to ABC News. We’re talking wind chills of 20 to 30 degrees below. But those here in Phoenix shouldn’t worry. With projected highs in the mid-80s, your Valentine’s Day looks warm and sunny.

Ah, Valentine’s Day: Love it or hate it, this billion-dollar holiday is a firmly established tradition in the hearts and minds of many Americans.

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

 – Martin Luther King, Jr.

MLK Day this year happens on a day that Dr. King led a march for voting rights. The would-be voters weren’t actually allowed to register to vote, as per the wayward prevailing attitude of the time, but this particular Jan. 18 march was one of the many Selma to Montgomery marches that ultimately led to the historic Voting Rights Act. This Act outlawed racial discrimination in voting.

Today, however, is Jan. 15, a few days before that march, but it is the date of Dr. King’s birth. Much has been written about the man who led the African American Civil Rights Movement and who was instrumental in broadening the scope of civil rights for all Americans.

Last week’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling marked the end of a long quest for many Arizonans to marry their partners. Same-sex couples in Arizona gained the right to marry in October, 2014, but there were legal possibilities for the law to revert back. The new Supreme Court decision virtually eliminates that chance because it recognizes the constitutional right of all Americans to marry the person they love.

All same-sex couples are now able to legally marry anywhere in the United States. All states must now recognize the marriage of gay couples who were lawfully wed in other states prior to the ruling.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey issued an order last week, effectively allowing qualifying same-sex couples to adopt children presently under the care of the state.

“With 17,000 children under the state’s care, we need more adoption in Arizona, not less,” Ducey said in a statement. “That’s why I feel strongly – as I have said many times before – that all loving families should be able to serve as foster parents and adopt.”