Legislative Committee Releases Report Identifying Needed Reforms in Arizona Family Court System

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                               

Monday, November 3, 2025

Legislative Committee Releases Report Identifying Needed Reforms

in Arizona Family Court System

PHOENIX, ARIZONA – Arizona families are raising serious concerns about the state's family court system, where children's safety, parental rights, and financial stability are often at stake. The Joint Legislative Ad Hoc Committee on Family Court Orders is releasing an analysis report today outlining widespread issues identified through more than 40 hours of public testimony and expert review, along with recommended legislative reforms to increase accountability, transparency, and consistency in family court practices.

The bipartisan committee is co-chaired by Senator Mark Finchem and Representative Rachel Keshel, with Senator Carine Werner, Senator Theresa Hatathlie, Representative Lisa Fink, and Representative Betty Villegas also serving as members. The committee examined practices within Arizona's family court system relating to court-ordered behavioral interventions, reunification programs, guardian ad litem appointments, behavioral-health evaluations, and the overall prioritization of child safety in custody-related decisions.

Across more than 6,000 combined in-person attendees and online viewers, the committee heard recurring themes regarding:

• Inadequate oversight of court-ordered evaluators and treatment providers

• Significant financial burdens tied to reunification programs and mandated services, often exceeding tens of thousands of dollars

• Inconsistent application of standards guiding guardian ad litems and representation of the voice of the minor

• Lack of transparent data, training requirements, and accountability mechanisms across systems that intersect with family court proceedings

• Lack of a standard of practice for psychologists

• Setting limits on quasi-judicial immunity

"The testimony we heard made one thing exceptionally clear: child safety must be the top priority in every family court proceeding," said Senator Finchem. "Right now, inconsistent oversight, extensive court-ordered programs, and fragmented accountability structures are placing families in impossible positions and, in some cases, putting children at risk. Arizona can and must do better. These findings will guide meaningful legislative solutions to protect children and ensure due process for every family."

"When the system prioritizes process over people, children get lost in the middle," said Representative Keshel. "The purpose of this work is to ensure that every decision made in family court begins with one question: is this in the best interest and safety of the child?"

"We heard deeply personal and painful testimony from families whose lives were upended by inconsistent court practices," said Senator Werner. "Their courage in speaking out will help drive needed reform to protect future children and parents."

"Families should not be forced into financial ruin simply to maintain parental rights or to keep their children safe," said Representative Fink. "We need transparency, cost controls, and oversight to prevent abuse and restore trust in these proceedings."

"Every family's story is different, and our state must recognize cultural, community, and trauma-informed factors when determining child safety," said Senator Hatathlie. "Reform cannot be one-size-fits-all. It must be grounded in the realities Arizona families face."

The committee's report synthesizes testimony, transcripts, agency input, and policy review to provide legislative options for improving Arizona's family court structure. Proposed areas of reform include:

• Strengthening oversight and licensure requirements for court-appointed evaluators and therapeutic providers

• Establishing statewide standards for guarding ad litem appointments and child-voice representation

• Creating clear evidentiary guardrails and accountability measures

• Increasing transparency, data reporting, and specialty training requirements

• Reducing unnecessary financial burdens associated with mandated programs

These recommendations will now inform legislation being prepared for the 2026 legislative session.

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For more information, contact:

Kim Quintero

Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus

kquintero@azleg.gov