Tiffany Benz

Journey To Family Law

Tiffany stumbled upon family law when representing herself through her own divorce at 22 years-old. She was a single mother scraping by as a criminal and tax law paralegal at the time. A co-worker, who worked for a family law attorney, helped Tiffany navigate her way through what could have been a devastating outcome

That’s when she realized that she wanted to make the switch in the area of law from criminal/tax law to family law. “So, I went back to college and got my associates degree in the fall of 2016, and then transferred to ASU to finish my bachelors degree,” she says.

In January 2017, a family member had their 4 children removed from their care due to neglect and substance abuse. The children were placed with me and my husband. She went from three kids to seven in an instant, with ages ranging from 13 years old to 11 months. When it became apparent that this person had no intention to get their children back, she had to turn the children over to DCS for placement. During their placement, she acted as the advocate to ensure they stayed connected to family and each other.

After a long two years, all the children were adopted into loving homes.

On the same day the children were officially adopted, Tiffany graduated from ASU with a bachelors in criminology and criminal justice with a minor in social welfare. “It was a bittersweet day in so many ways,” she says. “I believe that everything happens for a reason. Without these experiences, I would not have realized that family law is where I belong. Now I get to help other families, not just my own.”

Favorite Types Of Cases

Her favorite cases continue to be helping men and women advocate for their families. She has found a niche helping male clients. “There is a myth that Arizona is a Mother’s State, and that’s just not the case,” she says. “It is so rewarding when both parents get joint decision-making and equal parenting time.”

Getting a client through the challenging divorce process is easier, she says, when the client knows what they want for an outcome. Then the path is clear. “There is nothing more challenging than to create a strategy and switch it up in the middle of the case. It ends up costing the client more money and it also draws out the process longer.”

Tiffany also shines when representing survivors/victims of domestic violence, abuse, substance abuse, etc. She enjoys creating legal arguments and advocating for the protection and safety of the victim and/or children.

Education And Experience

A product of Denver, Colorado, her own parents divorced when she was 6, calling it a toxic and traumatic experience. Her early childhood involved DCS, and she was separated from her siblings and placed out of the home for periods of time.

One summer just before she was to enter junior high school, her mother packed her up to move to Tempe, Arizona. “I think the move was a smart one because once my parents had a fresh start in a new place, they were able to adapt and overcome their issues. They still struggled to get along, and that was annoying but overall I had a good childhood,” she recalls.