Rule 33 Third-Party Rights and Other Claims in an Existing Action

If you are not a legal parent but want to be part of a family court case that is already happening, you may be able to ask the court to let you join. For example, a grandparent or stepparent might have rights under Arizona law that allow them to get involved in a custody or visitation case.

The State of Arizona can also join an existing family law case under certain conditions, usually when issues like child support enforcement are involved.

If someone wants to add new claims, bring in new parties, or get involved in the case in other ways, they have to follow the standard Arizona civil court rules. The rule points to several specific procedures that cover things like counterclaims, adding new parties, and other ways of joining a case.