Paternity Mediation in Arizona
You don't have to be married to build a calm, clear plan for your child. For unmarried parents, paternity establishes each parent's legal rights and responsibilities, and it opens the door to the same important decisions every separated family faces: parenting time, decision-making, and support. At Aurit Mediation, we help you make those decisions together, putting your child first and keeping you in control of the plan, instead of leaving it to a judge or facing each other across a courtroom.
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What Paternity Means for Unmarried Parents in Arizona
In Arizona, when parents are not married, legal parentage is not automatic for the father the way it is within a marriage. Establishing paternity is the step that gives a father legal rights to parenting time and decision-making, and it secures a child's right to financial support from both parents. It also gives your child the security of a clear, recognized relationship with both of you.
Once paternity is established, the same core issues that arise in any separation need to be decided: a parenting plan, legal decision-making, parenting time, and child support. Those decisions can be reached in one of two ways: through contested court proceedings, where a judge imposes the terms, or collaboratively through mediation, where the two of you build a plan around your child with the help of a neutral professional. Mediation keeps you both in control and keeps the focus where it belongs.
What Paternity Mediation Covers
Paternity mediation addresses every practical question that comes with raising a child in two households:
A parenting plan
Day-to-day schedules, holidays, exchanges, and how the two of you will communicate and co-parent going forward
Legal decision-making
How you'll make the major decisions in your child's life, including education, healthcare, and religion.
Parenting time
A realistic, child-centered schedule that genuinely works for both households and grows with your child.
Child support
Support calculated using Arizona's Child Support Guidelines, with a clear worksheet so both parents understand exactly how the numbers were reached.
Why Mediation Works So Well for Never-Married Parents
Co-parents who were never married still need a working relationship for many years to come, often longer than some marriages last. Mediation protects that relationship instead of damaging it. The process is private, far less expensive than litigation, and it produces agreements parents are far more likely to honor, because they built those agreements together rather than having them handed down. Most importantly, it shields your child from the open conflict that research shows does the real, lasting harm. You set a cooperative tone now that pays off for years.
Free consultation:
We explain how the process works and provide your personalized flat-fee quote.
Establish the framework:
We confirm paternity status and identify exactly which issues need to be resolved.
Mediation sessions:
Together you build your parenting plan, parenting-time schedule, and support agreement, guided by a neutral attorney-mediator.
Court-ready documents:
We draft your agreement for review and file it with the court so it becomes a binding, enforceable order.
Is Mediation Right For You?
✓ Excellent Path When:
- Both spouses willing to negotiate in good faith
- Financial & parenting issues can be collaborative
- Privacy, speed, and cost savings are important
✕ Not Ideal When:
- Ongoing, severe domestic violence or coercion
- One spouse is refusing to participate
- Complex jurisdictional issues exist
Mediation Costs
At The Aurit Center, we believe in transparent, flat-fee pricing that avoids the extremely high and unpredictable costs of litigation.
Traditional Divorce
Divorce Mediation
How Aurit Mediation Supports You
Paternity rarely involves just one question. We help unmarried parents work through every related matter together, in one guided process centered on your child:
Parenting Plan Mediation
Build a clear, court-ready plan covering schedules, decisions, and the flexibility your family will need over time.
Child Custody Mediation
Establish arrangements that put your child first and meet Arizona's best-interest standards.
Child Support Mediation
Resolve support transparently using Arizona's guidelines, so both parents understand the numbers.
Post-Decree Mediation
Adjust your plan down the road as your child grows and life changes.
Online Mediation
Take part from wherever you are in Arizona, through secure, confidential virtual sessions.
Ready to discuss?
Schedule consultation →Frequently Asked Questions
Mediation resolves the parenting and support issues that follow paternity. Where paternity itself must be formally established, we'll explain exactly how that works in Arizona and make sure your agreement is filed correctly.
Yes. A clear, court-recognized parenting plan protects both parents' time with their child and gives your family the stability and predictability that children need to thrive.
Through Arizona's Child Support Guidelines. Your mediator walks you both through the calculation so the result is transparent and feels fair to everyone.
That's exactly what mediation is for. Your mediator helps you work through the sticking points one at a time until you reach a plan that works for your child and both households.
Meet Our Founders and Mediators
Michael Aurit, JD, MDR, and Karen Aurit, MA
Aurit Mediation is dedicated to transforming divorce through compassion. They have guided thousands of families to peaceful resolutions. Our licensed attorney-mediators are experts in Arizona family law, ensuring every agreement is legally compliant and protects your interests.
Meet the full team →Serving Families Across Arizona
We help unmarried parents through paternity mediation in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Chandler, Tempe, Gilbert, Glendale, Goodyear, Tucson, Flagstaff, and across Arizona, entirely online or at a location near you.
