The state-level rules are in the Arizona guide, which covers ER 7.1 and the specialist rules. This page covers what is different about Phoenix: a county of many cities, a court spread across many buildings, and a probate process that mostly runs without a judge.
Maricopa County is the search area
Maricopa County's own list of cities and towns includes Phoenix along with Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale, Glendale, Gilbert, Tempe, Peoria, Surprise, Goodyear, Avondale, and Buckeye, among others. People search with the name of the place they live, not the county seat.
That does not mean a page for every city. A city page earns its place only when it has something distinct to say, such as a different court location or a different client mix. Otherwise one strong Maricopa County page that names the cities you serve does more than a stack of near-copies.
Getting the court facts right
The Superior Court in Maricopa County lists its downtown Phoenix buildings by department. Criminal and family matters are listed at the Central Court Building, 201 W Jefferson St. Probate and mental health, along with civil, are listed at the East Court Building, 101 W Jefferson St., and probate and mental health also at the Old Courthouse, 125 W Washington St. The South Court Tower, 175 W Madison St., is listed for criminal matters and jury service.
Family cases are not only downtown. The court also lists family departments at the Northeast Regional Center in Phoenix, the Northwest Regional Center in Surprise, and the Southeast Justice Center, 222 E Javelina Ave. in Mesa. A family law page that sends every reader to Jefferson Street is wrong for part of the county.
What differs from a statewide page
The Arizona guide explains informal probate through a registrar. Maricopa County adds local color: the court's Probate and Mental Health Department says it works with several probate registrars and that the vast majority of its cases are resolved informally, without a judge or court commissioner. A Phoenix probate page can say that plainly, with the source behind it.
We verify court names and locations against the court's own pages before they go on yours.
What we build for Phoenix firms
- Practice-area pages that name the right Maricopa County court location for each case type
- A Maricopa County page set covering the cities you serve, split only where the content differs
- Answer posts for the local questions clients ask before they call
For the probate side of this market, see the estate planning guide; for divorce and custody, the family law guide. Whether separate city pages still pay off is covered in our answer on city pages.
Common questions
Should a Phoenix firm build a page for every city in Maricopa County?
Only where the page has something distinct to say, such as a different court location or a different set of client questions. One strong county page that names the cities you serve is usually the better first step.
Which courthouse should a Phoenix family law page name?
It depends on the reader. The Superior Court in Maricopa County lists family departments downtown at the Central Court Building and at regional centers in north Phoenix, Surprise, and Mesa. Name the locations that match where your clients live.