Dickinson Wright PLLC

183 Best Lawyers awards

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Awarded Practice Areas

Family Law

Biography

Steven D. Wolfson is an equity member of Dickinson Wright PLLC (formerly Mariscal, Weeks, McInytre & Friedlander, P.A.) His practice focuses on all areas of domestic relations, including custody and parenting-time disputes, business valuations, spousal maintenance and child support determinations and pre and post-nuptial agreements. Mr. Wolfson received his B.A. degree from Occidental College in 1985 and his Juris Doctor from Arizona State University College of Law in 1991.

Mr. Wolfson is certified as a specialist in family law by the State Bar of Arizona Board of Legal Specialization. He has been selected to be included in the Best Lawyers in America in the area of family law every year since 2010. He was selected by the Arizona State University, Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, as the outstanding alumnus for the Class of 1991.

Mr. Wolfson is a Judge Pro Tem in the Maricopa County Superior Court for family law cases. He is currently a member of the Arizona Supreme Court Child Support Guidelines Review Subcommittee (2020-present). He served on the Arizona Supreme Court Task Force to revise the Rules of Family Law Procedure (2017-2019). He was also the representative of the State Bar Family Law Section to the Domestic Relations Committee of the Arizona Legislature (2002-2012). He is also a member of the Maricopa County, State Bar of Arizona and American Bar Associations. He is a past chair of the State Bar of Arizona Family Law Section and is currently the Legislative Liaison of the Family Law Section. He is also admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the District of Arizona and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Mr. Wolfson is a frequent speaker on family law issues over the past 20 years. He presented at the seminar titled “Child Custody and Co-Parenting in Arizona” in December 2000. In July 2001, he provided the annual case law update at the State Bar of Arizona CLE-By-the-Sea. In November 2002, he spoke on “Custody Evaluations” at the State Bar of Arizona Family Law Mini Conference. In June 2003, he presented “Video and Audio Tape Recording of Children” at the State Bar of Arizona Convention. In January 2010, he spoke on “Children and Passport Issues” at the American Academy of Matrimonial Attorneys annual seminar. In June 2011, he presented "spousal maintenance calculations" at the State Bar of Arizona Family Law annual convention. In January 2012, he presented on "Child Support Deviations," at the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers annual "Better or For Worse Worse" seminar. In January 2014, he spoke at the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Family Law institute on family law legislation. In January 2017, he presented at the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Family Law Institute on gender dysphoria issues. In January 2018, he presented "Child Support Deviation Revisited" at the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Family Law Institute. In January 2019, he presented at the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Family Law Institute on testimony by children. In January 2020, he presented at the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Family Law Institute on child support deviations. In January 2021, he presented at the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Family Law Institute on representing clients with diminished capacity. He also provides television and radio commentary on family law issues.

Dickinson Wright PLLC

183 Best Lawyers awards

Dickinson Wright PLLC logo

Overview

  • Arizona State University, J.D., graduated 1991
  • Occidental College, graduated 1985
  • Arizona State University, graduated 1991

  • Arizona, State Bar of Arizona

  • Arizona Supreme Court Child Support Review Subcommittee - Workgroup Chair
  • Arizona Legislature Domestic Relations Committee - Family Law Section Representative
  • State Bar of Arizona / Family Law Section - Legislative Liason
  • Arizona, State Bar of Arizona
  • Arizona Supreme Court Child Support Review Subcommittee - Workgroup Chair
  • Arizona Legislature Domestic Relations Committee - Family Law Section Representative
  • State Bar of Arizona / Family Law Section - Legislative Liason
  • Arizona State University, J.D., graduated 1991
  • Occidental College, graduated 1985
  • Arizona State University, graduated 1991

Client Testimonials

Awards & Focus

Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
  • Family Law
Awards:
  • Certified Family Law Specialist
  • Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law Outstanding Alumnus Class of 1991

Case History

Cases
  • Bobrow v. Bobrow, 1 CA-SA 15-0280, February 4, 2016
Husband's request for special action relief from family court order requiring that he post a supersedeas bond, pending his appeal of the parties' Decree of Dissolution, denied.
  • Bobrow v. Bobrow, 1 CA-CV 14-0806 FC, decided March 9, 2017
Court decided two issues: (1) that a divorcing spouse is entitled to equitable reimbursement for payment of community obligations with his separate property while the petition for dissolution is pending and (2) parties may not stipulate to a prevailing party standard for attorney's fees in a premarital agreement.
  • DeFrancesco v. DeFrancesco, 1 CA-CV 19-0055 FC, December 5, 2019
Court decided that Husband's World Series bonus, received after the filing and service of the petition for dissolution, was his separate property.
  • Nash v. LeClaire, 1 CA-CV 12-0012, February 9, 2012, Memorandum Decision
Court declined special action jurisdiction regarding the trial court order prohibiting the parties from disseminating information about the case through social media.
  • Bentley v. Thompson, 1 CA-CV 15-0557 FC, September 13, 2016 (Memorandum Decision)
Court affirmed trial court decision regarding modification of spousal maintenance.
  • Nash v. Nash, 1 CA-CV 12-0039, 1 CA-CV 12-0076, 1 CA-CV 12-0077 - July 23, 2013
Court held that the trial court may not limit child support to an amount required to meet the child's minimal needs. Court also affirmed the trial court order prohibiting the parents from posting disparaging remarks about each other on social media.
  • Paul E. v. Courtney F., CV-18-0111-PR, filed April 25, 2019 (Arizona Supreme Court)
Court held that when one parent is designated as sole legal decision-maker, unless the parties agreed otherwise, the trial court may limit the decision-maker's authority only as necessary to prevent endangering the child's physical health or significantly impairing the child's emotional development.
  • Walkling v. Bartels, DR 1996-03686; appeal No. 1 CA-CV 99-0098
The Walkling case was a highly contested custody and parenting-time dispute involving the relocation of minor children to another state. The case was significant because it involved the Court''s review of the admission of recorded telephone conversations between father and the minor children.

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