What This Statute Says
This section gives each county that has established a conciliation court room to expand the program. The local conciliation judge may require mandatory conferences, subject to the presiding judge's approval.
In those counties in which the superior court has by rule or order established a conciliation court, the judge or judges of the conciliation court may, by local rule, with the approval of the presiding judge of the superior court in that county, require one or more hearings or conferences at which the parties must attend in order to further the purposes of this article. The court may also grant exemptions from such a local and mandatory rule if to do otherwise would cause undue hardship.
A.R.S. § 25-381.23When This Statute Comes Into Play
The option matters when:
- A county's conciliation judge sees enough volume to justify required conferences in qualifying cases.
- A presiding judge is considering approving a mandatory local rule.
- A party affected by a mandatory rule needs to request an exemption based on undue hardship.
What This Means for Arizona Families
The mandatory option lets a county lean into the conciliation framework when local needs and resources support it. Built-in exemptions protect parties for whom mandatory participation would cause real harm, including those facing domestic violence or geographic barriers.
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.