When a co-parent moves to Buckeye during a custody case

New Buckeye neighborhood at school time, relevant to a custody case and a private investigator

Buckeye's population was 50,876 at the 2010 census and 91,502 at the 2020 census, according to the Census Bureau, and plenty of the newcomers are parents. Sometimes one of them is a parent who has just separated. A parent moves from Mesa or Chandler out to Verrado or Tartesso, and suddenly the drive between homes is an hour each way and the kids' school is on the other side of the Valley.

If you're the parent left wondering how the new arrangement is actually working, this article is for you. It covers what Arizona courts look at, what a licensed private investigator can lawfully document, and what they can't.

What the court cares about

Arizona decides custody and parenting time based on the child's best interests, under A.R.S. 25-403. The statute lists factors the court considers. Several of them are directly affected by a move:

the child's adjustment to home, school and community
the child's relationship with each parent, siblings and others who significantly affect them
which parent is more likely to support meaningful contact with the other
the mental and physical health of everyone involved

A move to Buckeye isn't a problem in itself. Lots of children thrive there. What matters is the facts on the ground: who is driving the kids to school, how long they're in the car, who's caring for them on the parent's work days, and whether parenting time is actually happening as agreed.

Family court cases in Maricopa County are in the Superior Court. For West Valley residents, the nearest regional Superior Court facility is the Northwest Regional Center in Surprise.

What a private investigator can document

A private investigator doesn't decide anything, and doesn't take sides on what's best for your child. They gather facts and report them, ideally in a form your family law attorney can use.

In a case involving a move, that might include:

Confirming where the other parent actually lives. Sometimes the Buckeye address is real. Sometimes it's a relative's house and the parent is mostly elsewhere.
Documenting the school run: when the kids leave, who drives, when they arrive, and how often they're late. From the far west edge of the Valley, the commute can be a real part of a child's day.
Identifying who is looking after the children during the other parent's working hours, whether that's a relative, a new partner or nobody.
Observing whether exchanges happen on time and whether parenting time takes place as ordered.
Checking the background of a new partner who now lives with the children, through public records.

All of this happens from public places or places the private investigator is lawfully allowed to be. Usually that means public streets, not private yards or HOA amenity areas.

What a private investigator won't do

There are firm limits, and a professional will raise them before you do.

No recording conversations they're not part of. Arizona's interception statute, A.R.S. 13-3005, makes it a felony to intercept a conversation without a participant's consent. That rules out hidden recorders in a child's backpack or the other parent's car.

No trespassing. They won't enter the other parent's home, yard or vehicle.

No pretending to be someone else to get records from a school, doctor or employer.

No involving the children. A good private investigator stays well away from the kids and doesn't try to question them.

Evidence gathered unlawfully can hurt your case, and in a custody matter it can make you look like the parent who doesn't support the other's relationship with the child. Factor six in A.R.S. 25-403 is exactly about that.

Thinking about the long drive

Before you hire anyone, ask yourself and your lawyer what you're trying to show. "The other parent moved and I don't like it" isn't a case. "The children are in the car for two hours a day and arrive late to school twice a week" might be. A private investigator can save money by focusing on a specific question rather than following someone around in general.

Also think about visibility. Buckeye's newer neighborhoods have long, open streets and a lot of eyes. A strange car parked for hours may get noticed. Ask the private investigator how they'd handle that.

Choosing someone

Look for a private investigator who has done family law work before and has testified, or is willing to. Ask your attorney whether they have someone they trust. Check the license through the Arizona DPS Public Services Portal. Our guide to verifying an Arizona private investigator license walks through it.

Every private investigator listed on Served & Found in Arizona is a member of the Arizona Association of Licensed Private Investigators. You can browse private investigators in Buckeye or start from the Buckeye page. If your case needs new papers served on the other parent at a new address, see our piece on serving papers on new Buckeye streets.

We can't give legal advice. Before you hire a private investigator for a custody case, talk to your family law attorney about what evidence will actually help.

See the board: everyone in Buckeye · private investigators only.