This article will cover a few important discovery tools used in practically every divorce. Although the rules of court vary from state to state, they share the same basic discovery procedures. In Arizona, the family court rules are found in the Arizona Rules of Family Law Procedure (ARFLP), which refers to the gathering of evidence as “disclosure and discovery.”

Discovery procedures involve discovering evidence in the case, whatever the case may be. During the discovery process, the parties determine what evidence is needed to support their respective claims on the issues. Both parties will identify their witnesses and exchange documents and the like for evidentiary purposes. The tools of discovery are used to acquire information from both parties and from third parties.