The Escalation Zone (Arizona)
High-pressure moves get a governor, not a green light. Arizona already wrote three into the rules: the tier caps budget the aggression (Rule 26.2), the good-faith consultation certificate makes you talk before you move (Rule 7.1(h) — attached to every compel), and the only lawful road past the caps is Rule 26.2(g)'s own overlimit machinery — the motion with necessity and proportionality, or the filed stipulation. The platform adds the record below. Red conduct never approves, in any lane, for anyone.
The 10-element record — before any escalation exports
- 01
The objective — what this move is FOR, in one sentence.
- 02
The facts that justify it, each with a record cite.
- 03
The current authority (verbatim units, not memory).
- 04
The lighter alternatives tried or considered first.
- 05
The opponent's best response — written before they write it.
- 06
Proportionality: burden vs. the stakes and the issues.
- 07
The fallback if the court narrows or denies it.
- 08
The cost (fees, time, goodwill) stated plainly.
- 09
The exit — how this de-escalates if it should.
- 10
A named human approver. No record, no export.
The 26(c) lever — both directions
Ariz. R. Civ. P. 26(c)
The same order that shields your client governs your aggression: apex depositions, invasive inspections, and duration abuse are 26(c) fights — “The same lever governs both directions: it shields your client, and it polices your own aggression.”
The protective-order lane is walled off entirely: the platform never drafts against a protective order — for anyone. Arizona's AZPOINT portal exists to protect petitioners; that lane only ever points there.