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Arizona family law is unpredictable, and Samantha Gilchrist knows it firsthand. After the bar exam knocked her down more than once, she earned her Arizona Legal Paraprofessional license and now represents families in divorce and child custody cases. Host Billie Tarascio talks with Samantha about setbacks, the emotional weight of family court, and why clients need an advocate who truly listens.

Samantha Gilchrist is a Family Law Legal Paraprofessional at Modern Law. She moved from Chicago to Phoenix in 2019 to attend law school at Arizona State University, then spent two years as a paralegal under attorney Maleah Woodward before earning her LP license. Her mix of empathy and honesty has already earned praise from attorneys across the Arizona legal community.

Key Takeaways:

- Discover the Arizona Legal Paraprofessional license as a real path to practicing family law

- Compare the LP exam to the bar exam: Arizona-specific, scenario-based, and practical

- Protect your mental health when a test or career path drains you

- Understand why family court outcomes stay unpredictable, even with strong preparation

- Consider settlement so a judge does not decide your children's future

- Expect Arizona laws to change, like the spousal maintenance calculator

- Recognize the vicarious trauma family law attorneys carry for their clients

- Lead with empathy first, then give honest legal advice

- Solve problems with a whole-life lens that goes beyond court filings

- Prevent burnout with therapy, community, and time outdoors

- Separate what you control from what the court system controls

- Push for more empathy and fewer personal attacks between opposing counsel

Chapters:

00:21 Introduction to Samantha Gilchrist's Journey

02:07 Navigating Law School and the Bar Exam

05:48 Transitioning to Legal Paraprofessional

09:20 Experiencing Family Law Challenges

13:05 The Emotional Toll of Legal Practice

16:33 Self-Care and Coping Strategies

20:05 Planning a Wedding Amidst a Legal Career

23:41 Empathy in Legal Practice

27:01 Advice for Gen Z Lawyers and the Legal Profession

Connect with Samantha Gilchrist:

Work with Samantha at Modern Law: https://mymodernlaw.com/our-team/samantha-gilchrist/ 

Call 480-649-2905 to talk about your Arizona divorce or custody case.

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The first year as a licensed attorney brings a learning curve far steeper than law school prepares you for. Billie Tarascio sits down with Modern Law family law attorney Paige Bryson to unpack her first year of practice in Arizona: managing a caseload, explaining family court to clients, avoiding burnout, and using AI in law the right way.

Paige Bryson is a family law attorney at Modern Law who just marked one year as a licensed lawyer. Before law school, she ran her own wedding flower business, working weddings on weekends and classes during the week. She started at Modern Law's legal clinic as a law student, giving her nearly three years inside Arizona family court and an honest view of what it takes to grow into the job.

Key Takeaways:

- Translate client stories into the facts a judge needs to hear

- Separate what matters to the client from what matters to the court

- Explain the limits of the legal system to clients with honesty

- Know your limits and take on a caseload you can handle well

- Treat your paralegal as a resource who knows things you don't

- Protect your workouts, your diet, and your social life to stay sharp

- Give the bar exam everything you have

- Expect about three years to feel competent in one area of law

- Build strong cases through disclosure and discovery

- Use AI for research and double checks, then verify everything

- Ask AI for counterarguments and weak spots during trial prep

- Ask for help and learn from colleagues, even in a hybrid remote firm

Chapters:

00:21 Navigating the First Year of Law Practice

03:10 The Challenges of Client Communication

05:39 Workload Management and Paralegal Relationships

08:12 Maintaining Work-Life Balance

11:01 Transitioning from Business to Law

13:50 The Role of AI in Legal Practice

16:31 Building Relationships and Seeking Guidance

Connect with Paige Bryson:

https://mymodernlaw.com/our-team/paige-bryson/

For help with divorce, child custody, or any family law matter in Arizona, call Modern Law at 480-649-2905 or visit mymodernlaw.com.

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Raising body confident kids gets harder when they split time between two homes with two sets of food rules. Pediatrician Dr. Whitney Casares joins Arizona family law attorney Billie Tarascio to share practical co-parenting tips that protect your child's body image. Billie explains why Arizona family courts rarely let you control what happens at the other parent's house, and Dr. Casares shows you what still works.

Dr. Whitney Casares is a board-certified pediatrician with nearly 15 years in practice and the founder of Modern Mommy Doc and Raising Body Confident Kids. She wrote Raising Body-Confident Kids for parents and My One-of-a-Kind Body for kids ages 7 to 12, created with the American Academy of Pediatrics. The New York Times, NPR, Newsweek, and Time have all featured her work.

Key Takeaways
- Stop talking about your own diets, weight loss, or "working off" food in front of your kids
- Drop "good food" and "bad food" labels and teach food literacy instead
- Ask "tell me more" before you rush to reassure a child who feels bad about their body
- Let kids sit with hard feelings instead of brushing them off
- Solve body image problems together with your child
- Focus on sleep, movement, and screen time, not the number on the scale
- Ask your pediatrician to share health guidelines with both co-parents
- Use books from trusted experts so the message does not come from you
- Restate your family's values at home when a stepparent or grandparent talks diet culture
- Watch for boys pulled into muscle culture, protein powders, and supplements
- Know that eating disorders now start as early as age 8
- Sit with your kids and watch what they watch online


Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Body Positivity and Parenting
02:47 The Impact of Social Media on Body Image
05:29 Addressing Negative Body Talk
08:28 Supporting Self-Confidence in Children
11:16 Handling Weight Concerns and Healthy Habits
14:11 Co-Parenting and Nutrition Standards
17:14 Dealing with External Influences on Body Image
20:03 Understanding Boys and Body Image Issues
22:58 Recognizing Eating Disorders in Children
25:53 Conclusion and Resources for Parents

Connect with Dr. Whitney Casares:
Website: raisingbodyconfidentkids.com
Social: @modernmommydoc | @raising.body.confident.kids
Books: Raising Body-Confident Kids and My One-of-a-Kind Body, on Amazon and wherever books are sold

Get help with your Arizona divorce or child custody case. Call Modern Law at 480-649-2905 or visit mymodernlaw.com.

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A high-conflict custody battle in Arizona family court tests every parent. Randall Keith, founder of Present Father, joins attorney Billie Tarascio to share what he learned fighting for his two young kids, and the mistakes that cost fathers the most in child custody cases.

Randall is the founder and host of Present Father, a Show Low-based fatherhood and family court advocacy organization for parents in high-conflict custody cases. He is a law enforcement officer, a father of two, and a parent who lived through a long custody battle himself. He turned that experience into a platform that reaches hundreds of thousands of parents each month through social media, his podcast, and free educational content. His mission is to teach parents, promote shared parenting, and keep kids at the center of every family court decision.

Key Takeaways

- Stop reacting to texts built to provoke you

- Wait 24 hours before you answer a hostile message

- Use OurFamilyWizard or email to slow down conflict

- Skip personal attacks that have nothing to do with your kids

- Learn why Arizona's Alex and Lydia Act raises the stakes for parents

- Know when 50/50 custody fails high-conflict families

- Challenge weak modification petitions before they reach a hearing

- Protect your house and retirement in the divorce settlement

- Avoid big decisions made out of guilt or fear

- Build your own childcare village when money runs thin

- Leave your work self at the door when you come home to your kids

- Expect some friends to pick sides, and let it go

Chapters

00:21 Introduction to Present Father and His Mission

02:07 The Impact of High Conflict Custody Battles

05:45 Common Mistakes Fathers Make in Custody Cases

09:17 Communication Strategies for Co-Parents

11:25 Building a Supportive Community

12:19 Navigating Court Battles and Their Effects on Children

17:01 The Role of Gender Bias in Custody Decisions

20:15 Financial Mistakes and Decision-Making in Divorce

24:05 The Emotional Toll of Custody Decisions

26:49 Transitioning to Single Parenthood

29:42 Balancing Work and Parenting Responsibilities

31:54 Finding Strength in Community and Support

37:05 Conclusion and Resources for Fathers

Connect with Randall Keith:

Website: present-father.com

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: Present Father

Instagram: @present.fathers

TikTok: Present Father

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@present-father

Sunday coffee hour: 9 AM Arizona time, sign up at present-father.com

Get help with your Arizona custody case. Call Modern Law at 480-649-2905 or visit mymodernlaw.com.

If you are in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

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Arizona's Alec and Lydia Act now defines coercive control as domestic violence, and family courts across the state are racing to catch up. Host Billie Tarascio, founder of Modern Law, sits down with one of the country's leading coercive control experts to break down what the new law means for child custody, parenting time, and anyone facing an Arizona divorce where abuse is part of the story.

Dr. Lisa Fontes holds a doctorate in counseling psychology from UMass Amherst, spent 31 years as a college professor teaching courses on child abuse, sexual violence, and intimate partner abuse, and has worked as an expert witness in family, criminal, civil, and immigration courts for 11 years. She has testified in more than 20 states, including on Modern Law cases, which makes her the right person to explain how coercive control laws actually play out in court.

Key Takeaways:

- Why experts consider coercive control the core of almost all domestic violence

- How the Alec and Lydia Act shifts the burden of proof onto the abusive parent

- What happened in states like Maine, Massachusetts, and California after their laws passed

- How DARVO works: deny, attack, reverse victim and offender

- Recognize the "provoke and record" tactic abusers use against their victims

- How to tell a victim's reaction apart from a true pattern of abuse

- Why 1 in 5 domestic homicides had no prior physical violence allegation, only coercive control

- What "spiteful disregard" means when abusers harm children to punish an ex

- Why intimate partner sexual violence stays hidden, even from attorneys

- How to vet an expert witness and spot fake credentials or AI-written reports

- What judges should ask before an abuser rebuts the custody presumption

- Where attorneys can find real training on abuse and coercive control

Chapters:

00:21 Introduction to Coercive Control and Expert Witnessing

03:01 The Impact of the Alec and Lydia Act in Arizona

06:02 Coercive Control in Family Law: Insights from Other States

09:06 Challenges in Proving Coercive Control in Court

11:27 Understanding Lethality Indicators and Child Safety

14:12 The Role of Experts in Domestic Violence Cases

17:11 Rebutting Presumptions: The Journey of Abusers

19:45 The Complexity of Domestic Violence Dynamics

22:35 Recommendations for Legal Professionals

24:52 Conclusion and Future Directions

To connect with Dr. Fontes, visit https://lisafontes.com/

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Long distance parenting plans, blended families, and Arizona child custody look very different from the inside. Billie Tarascio talks with Modern Law attorney Eilen E. Castellano Tatis, who spent her childhood moving between her mom's home in New York and her dad's home in Utah after her parents divorced. Eilen explains what her parents did right, why she still credits them at 26, and how that experience shapes the way she guides Arizona families through divorce and custody today. 

Eilen E. Castellano Tatis is a family law attorney at Modern Law, serving clients across Arizona in divorce, child custody, and parenting plan matters. She started her career as a homicide prosecutor in Maricopa County, moved to civil litigation at a 170 plus attorney Phoenix firm, and chose family law because it lets her advocate for people instead of entities. She earned her law degree at the University of Arizona and brings courtroom experience plus lived experience to every case.

Key Takeaways:

- Long distance parenting plans can still build close relationships with both parents

- Kids carry the memory of how their parents handled the split

- Keep children out of the middle instead of using them as messengers

- Remarriage and stepfamilies change the dynamic more than the divorce itself

- Parents who protect the other parent's relationship give their kids stability

- Zealous advocacy and de-escalation work together in family law

- Winning one argument today can cost your client the next ten years

- Ask what you are actually trying to accomplish before you escalate

- Family law rewards emotional intelligence as much as legal skill

- Separate what feels upsetting from what needs a legal response

- Criminal cases end at sentencing while family cases shape the future

- Choose mentors who want you to outgrow them

Chapters:

00:00 Meet Eilen Castellano Tatis

00:58 Growing up between two households

04:31 How her parents kept her out of the conflict

07:41 The moment that led her to law

10:29 Homicide prosecution and the toll it takes

13:44 Why she moved to family law

15:42 When to fight and when to de-escalate

22:34 Cycling, mentors, and life outside court

28:37 The clients and cases she wants most

Connect with Eilen E. Castellano Tatis:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eilen-e

Modern Law: https://mymodernlaw.com/our-team/eilen-e-castellano-tatis/ 

Talk to a Modern Law attorney about your divorce, custody, or parenting plan. Call 480-649-2905 or visit https://mymodernlaw.com to schedule a consultation.

Note: this episode includes a first hand account of a violent death the guest witnessed as a young child. Listener discretion advised.

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Arizona just passed a coercive control law, and the family bar, the bench, and the litigants are all figuring it out in real time. Billie Tarascio sits down with returning guest Dr. Cocchiola to look at what actually happened in Connecticut, where a nearly identical statute has been on the books since 2023. The answer matters for anyone facing an Arizona divorce, a custody fight, or a family court judge who has to sort out who holds the power in a relationship.

Dr. Cocchiola is a therapist, expert witness, and coercive control researcher with almost four decades in the field. She testified in support of Connecticut's Jennifer's Law, trains judges and court professionals nationally through AFCC, runs a support group for male survivors, and co-authored a collection of survivor accounts from inside the family court system. She also lived it, which shapes how she talks about children, attachment, and what recovery actually takes.

In this episode:

- Understand why coercive control sits underneath domestic violence instead of beside it

- Learn how Connecticut's Jennifer's Law has played out three years in

- Spot the abuser traits that read as calm and credible in a courtroom

- See how abusers flip the script and file coercive control claims against protective parents

- Recognize post-separation escalation as the clearest signal courts overlook

- Question the automatic 50/50 custody model and who it actually serves

- Protect attachment when a child aligns with the controlling parent

- Weigh the real risks of reunification camps and forced repair therapy

- Document patterns with parenting apps and written records that hold up

- Negotiate with an abuser who needs to believe the outcome hurt you

- Rebuild your child's sense of safety as the parent who repairs

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Coercive Control and Domestic Violence

02:43 Understanding Coercive Control as a Trajectory of Behavior

05:46 The Impact of Coercive Control Legislation

08:18 Challenges in Family Court and the Weaponization of Laws

11:13 The Role of Children in Coercive Control Dynamics

13:58 Systemic Issues in Family Court and Child Safety

16:49 Expert Testimony and the Nuances of Coercive Control

19:47 The Complexity of Parenting Time Decisions

24:01 The Role of Court Professionals in Family Dynamics

27:02 Challenges in Family Court and Child Safety

28:44 The Importance of Documentation and Boundaries

31:27 Understanding Power Dynamics in Relationships

34:41 Therapeutic Interventions and Their Complexities

38:58 Advice for Family Law Professionals and Litigants

Modern Law helps Arizona families through divorce, custody, and high-conflict cases across Phoenix, Mesa, and Scottsdale. Call 480-649-2905 or visit mymodernlaw.com to talk with our team.

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A high conflict divorce can stretch on for years, drain your savings, and leave your children caught in the middle. Glee Nahon spent six and a half years in litigation, worked with four different attorneys, and fought a spouse who hid business assets and refused to settle. She joins family law attorney Billie Tarascio to break down what she wishes she had known before filing.

Glee Nahon spent 26 years in a marriage before filing for divorce with five children at home. What followed was six and a half years of litigation, four attorneys, a spouse who emptied their joint accounts and filed for reconciliation as a delay tactic, and a court that found no fraud despite fabricated financial documents. She is not a lawyer or a coach. She is someone who lived it and is willing to say exactly what went wrong.

Glee wants listeners to know two things she did not get to say fully on the recording. First, she filed in large part to show her daughters what a strong woman looks like and to teach all five of her children that marriage and family life should not be toxic. Second, she maintains a caring, loving relationship with all five of her children today. The divorce brought them closer, not further apart.

What you will learn in this episode:

- Recognize when emotional abuse escalates after filing for divorce

- Identify the red flags that mean it is time to change attorneys

- Interview divorce lawyers properly instead of just telling your story

- Build a divorce strategy before you file, not after

- Understand why delay tactics and false reconciliation drain your case

- Gather financial records before filing, since joint account access disappears fast

- Understand how moving out of the marital home affects settlement leverage

- Value a spouse's business when they control all the financial records

- Decide when to stop chasing hidden assets and negotiate instead

- Weigh the real cost of fighting for a fair split versus settling

- Protect your children when temporary orders are not in place

- Push for court-ordered therapy when co-parents disagree

- Understand the limits of child interviews in Arizona family court

- Know that court-ordered fee shifting is not always enforced

- Build financial and emotional support before litigation starts

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Glee's background

01:30 Reasons for the divorce and initial challenges

02:24 Escalation of conflict during divorce

03:36 Living apart and emotional toll

04:00 Duration of the divorce and reasons for delay

05:20 Outcome and lessons learned from the lengthy process

06:10 Litigation tactics and court challenges

07:21 Changing lawyers and communication issues

08:45 Advice on lawyer selection and red flags

10:46 Final strategy and successful lawyer selection

12:01 Settlement process and asset discovery

13:24 Dealing with dismissive lawyers

14:12 Nuancing settlement terms

15:07 Impact on children and therapy

17:03 Children's relationships post-divorce

18:17 Handling hidden assets and financial uncertainty

19:50 Acceptance and moving forward

20:58 Mediation considerations

22:48 Surprises and insights from the process

23:41 System flaws and potential improvements

24:17 Proposed system changes and child voice

25:03 Lessons learned and advice for others

27:11 Managing costs and emotional support

28:15 Celebrating resilience and family support

If you are facing a high conflict divorce in Arizona, Modern Law can help you build a strategy before you file. Call 480-649-2905 or visit mymodernlaw.com.

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Criminal charges and Arizona family court collide more often than most parents realize, and one guilty plea can quietly reshape a custody case. Billie Tarascio sits down with criminal defense attorney Ryan Cummings to break down how DUIs, domestic violence charges, and even a teenager's bad decision online can follow an Arizona family through both courtrooms at once.

Ryan Cummings is the founding partner and lead attorney at R&R Law Group, where he focuses exclusively on criminal defense across Arizona. Raised by a 27-year detective, he brings a rare view from both sides of the badge and a mission built on giving clients safety, clarity, and hope through the hardest moments of their lives.

What you'll learn:

- Why pleading guilty to domestic violence can cost you decision-making over your kids

- How the domestic violence "tag" gets added to charges like disorderly conduct or assault

- Why a strangulation charge can whittle down to non-DV disorderly conduct, and what that means for custody

- How pending criminal charges collide with family court testimony and the Fifth Amendment

- Why crime in Arizona runs in seasonal waves tied to heat, holidays, and big events

- How marijuana, alcohol, and drug offenses differ in charges and consequences

- What the new wave of e-bike and Lime scooter citations means for Arizona kids

- Why Snapchat and "deleted" posts keep resurfacing in criminal cases

- How AI-generated nude images of classmates can become CSAM charges

- What Arizona's Romeo and Juliet laws do and don't protect

- How the Maricopa County Attorney decides whether to press charges

- The single best conversation to have with your teenager tonight

Chapters

00:26 Meet Ryan Cummings

03:04 Balancing Competing Interests in Law

04:29 Why Crime Runs in Seasonal Waves

08:58 Domestic Violence and the DV Tag

11:13 Guilty Pleas, Diversion, and Custody

12:14 Criminal Charges Meet Family Court Testimony

14:02 E-Bikes, Scooters, and Teen Safety

20:02 How the County Decides to Press Charges

25:26 What to Tell Your Teenager

29:09 Nudes, AI Images, and CSAM Risk

33:31 Where to Find Ryan

If you're facing a family law matter in Arizona, Modern Law is here to help. Call 480-649-2905 or visit mymodernlaw.com.

Connect with Ryan Cummings:

- Website: rrlawaz.com

- Email: [email protected]

- Phone: 480-400-1355

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Most divorce attorneys study the law. Richard Nedlin lived it. The Arizona family law attorney joins Billie Tarascio to talk about how his own custody battle, his years as a prosecutor, and an unconventional path through racing and criminal justice shape the way he handles complex custody and divorce cases today. They also dig into how AI is changing the practice of family law and what it means for clients.

Richard Nedlin is a family law attorney at Modern Law who began his legal career as a prosecutor in Colorado before moving to Arizona. He brings rare empathy to divorce and custody work because he has been through it himself, and he handles some of the toughest cases involving children, domestic violence, and high-conflict legal decision-making.

What you will learn:

- How personal experience builds empathy a casebook never could

- Why family law is about reducing harm, not winning

- How perspective keeps clients focused on outcomes instead of spiraling

- Why separating logic from emotion protects clients

- How AI is changing the way family law gets practiced

- What makes complex custody and legal decision-making cases different

- How judges are weighing mental health and safety in parenting time

- Why best interest rulings vary more by judge than by county

- How an attorney carries trauma without taking it home

- Why there is real hope and a future after a hard divorce

Chapters:

 00:00 The Unconventional Journey of Richard Nedlin

 03:20 Life Experience and Empathy in Family Law

 06:05 Navigating Divorce: Logic vs. Emotion

 08:22 The Role of Technology in Modern Law

 11:07 Understanding Complex Custody Cases

 13:59 Judicial Discretion in Family Law

 16:41 Coping with Trauma in Family Law Practice

 19:22 Finding Hope After Divorce

If you are facing divorce or a custody dispute in Arizona, Modern Law is here to help. Call 480-649-2905 or visit mymodernlaw.com.