Lodestar
Historically, this term referred to a star that is used to guide the course of a ship at night. The most notable lodestar was, of course, the North Star. The term is used in Arizona’s family in the context of best interests, i.e., the best interests of the child are the lodestar for determining parenting time and legal decision-making. In other words, the child’s best interests are the paramount concerns and trump any other factor, including parental rights.