What This Statute Says
This section is a construction rule. It says the conciliation article exists alongside divorce law, not in place of it.
Except as specifically and expressly so provided, nothing in this article is intended or shall be construed to repeal, modify, or change in any respect whatsoever the laws relating to annulment of marriage, dissolution of marriage, or legal separation, and the court of conciliation shall, when application for such relief is made as provided in this article, apply such laws in the same manner as if action had been brought thereunder in the first instance in the superior court, but the conciliation procedures of the conciliation court shall be applied to arrive at an amicable settlement of all issues in controversy.
A.R.S. § 25-381.21When This Statute Comes Into Play
The rule applies when:
- A conciliation court ends up granting dissolution or annulment relief.
- A party argues that the conciliation procedure changes a substantive divorce rule.
- An attorney is reading the conciliation article alongside the dissolution chapter for a hybrid case.
What This Means for Arizona Families
Couples sometimes assume that going through conciliation will change the substantive rules of property division, child support, or spousal maintenance. It does not. The conciliation track adds a procedure for reconciliation and amicable settlement, but the rules that apply if the case ends in divorce are the same rules that apply in any other Arizona divorce.
Reconciliation is rare once a divorce filing is on the table, but the Court of Conciliation has helped many Arizona couples either repair the marriage or part on better terms. Either result has estate-planning consequences. Our FAQ on how divorce affects your Arizona estate plan covers the updates that follow a finalized dissolution; if you reconcile, the same plan needs a different review. The Arizona community property presumption and any premarital agreement the spouses signed both shape what is on the table during conciliation. An Arizona family law attorney working with an estate planning attorney can keep the two tracks coordinated regardless of which way the petition resolves.