In Matter of Establishment of the Committee

Full title: In the Matter of: ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COMMITTEE FOR THE QUADRENNIAL…

Court: Supreme Court of Arizona

Date published: Feb 26, 2008

Administrative Order No. 2008-22 (Ariz. Feb. 26, 2008)

Opinion

Administrative Order No. 2008-22

February 26, 2008.

RUTH V. McGREGOR, Chief Justice.

Pursuant to the Arizona Revised Statutes § 25-320 (D), the Supreme Court shall establish guidelines for determining the amount of child support and review the guidelines at least once every four years to ensure that their application results in the determination of appropriate child support amounts.

In accordance with Arizona Code of Judicial Administration § 1-104, the Chief Justice may establish advisory committees to the Arizona Judicial Council to assist the council in carrying out its responsibilities. Therefore, pursuant to Article VI, Section 3, of the Arizona Constitution,

IT IS ORDERED that the Child Support Guidelines Review Committee is established to review the current statewide child support guidelines and make recommendations as provided below:

1. Limited Purpose.

PHASE I:

The Committee shall review updated information regarding economic data on the cost of raising children, and conduct case file review and analysis to determine if adjustments to the current child support schedule are needed. The Committee shall then report its recommendations for changes to clarify and/or simplify the guidelines.

PHASE II:

Contingent upon available funding as determined by the Administrative Director, the Committee shall investigate and report its findings and recommendations on the advantages and disadvantages of implementing a forward-looking method of calculating child support and its potential impact on the courts. Issues to be considered may include costs of implementation, training, and programming changes or costs associated with the development of a child support calculator.

2. Membership and Term.

The individuals listed on Appendix A are appointed as members of the Child Support Guidelines Review Committee beginning upon entry of this Order. The terms of the committee and the members shall expire at the conclusion of the project, scheduled for June 2009.

3. Meetings.

Committee meetings shall be scheduled at the discretion of the Committee Chair. Pursuant to Arizona Code of Judicial Administration § 1-202, all meetings shall comply with the public meeting policy of the Arizona Judicial Branch.

4. Administrative Support.

The Administrative Office of the Courts shall provide staff for the Committee who may conduct or coordinate research as requested by the Committee.

5. Reports.

The Committee shall prepare a preliminary report regarding its work under Phase I to the Child Support Committee, the Committee on Superior Court, and the Arizona Judicial Council on or before October 23, 2008. The Committee shall submit a final report to the Arizona Judicial Council at the June, 2009 meeting.

Appendix A CHILD SUPPORT GUIDELINES REVIEW COMMITTEE Chair

Rebecca Albrecht David Horowitz Bowman and Brooke LLP Dodge, Anderson, Mableson, Steiner, Jones Maricopa County Horowitz Maricopa County Robert Barrasso Gloria Pearson Attorney University of Phoenix Pima County Maricopa County Helen Davis Commissioner Rhonda Repp The Cavanagh Law Firm P.A Superior Court in Yavapai County Maricopa County Ira Ellman Commissioner Michala Ruechel Professor of Law Superior Court in Navajo County Arizona State University Kim Gillespie Honorable Sally Simmons Staff Attorney Superior Court in Pima County Arizona Attorney General Cele Hancock Honorable Kevin White Favour, Moore Wilhelmsen P.A. Superior Court in Pinal County Yavapai County