Modern Arizona

Brought to you by Arizona Divorce Attorney Billie Tarascio of Modern Law, and the Modern Divorce Navigator, our mission is to help all families navigate life and law in Arizona.

Modern Arizona is a kids podcast hosted by Attorney Billie Tarascio, with 271 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Attorney Billie Tarascio hosts Modern Arizona, a kids show with 271 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #29

  What Co-Parents Get Wrong About Food, Weight, and Body Image

  Oct 1, 202630 minS9

  Send us Fan Mail 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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  Episode #28

  A Father's Custody Battle, and What He Learned Fighting for His Kids

  Sep 25, 202638 minS9

  Send us Fan Mail 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: info@present-father.com 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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  Episode #27

  Coercive Control 101: What Every Parent and Attorney Needs to Know

  Sep 10, 202633 minS9

  Send us Fan Mail 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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  Episode #26

  Raised Between Two Homes: An Attorney's Personal Take on Custody Done Right

  Aug 20, 202631 minS9

  Send us Fan Mail 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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  Episode #25

  Arizona’s New Coercive Control Law: What It Means for Your Custody Case

  Aug 6, 202645 minS9

  Send us Fan Mail 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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