In re K.A.S. – 2023 UT App 138 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF UTAH, IN THE INTEREST OF K.S., A PERSON OVER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE.

STATE OF UTAH, Appellee, v. K.S., Appellant. Opinion No. 20210291-CA Filed November 16, 2023 Third District Juvenile Court, Salt Lake Department The Honorable Mark W. May No. 1108274 Monica Maio,…

Continue ReadingIn re K.A.S. – 2023 UT App 138 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF UTAH, IN THE INTEREST OF K.S., A PERSON OVER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE.

In re A.S.G.-R. – 2023 UT App 126 – permanent custody and guardianship

In re A.S.G.-R. - 2023 UT App 126 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF UTAH, IN THE INTEREST OF A.S.G.-R., A PERSON UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE. G.R., Appellant,…

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In re H.M. – 2023 UT App 122 – termination of parental rights

In re H.M. - 2023 UT App 122 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF UTAH, IN THE INTEREST OF H.M. AND D.M., PERSONS UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE. G.B., Appellant, v.…

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In re D.S. – 2023 UT App 98 – reversal of termination of parental rights

In re D.S. - 2023 UT App 98 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF UTAH, IN THE INTEREST OF D.S. AND K.S., PERSONS UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE. S.S.,…

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John v. John – 2023 UT App 103

John v. John - 2023 UT App 103 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS LUCAS ALLEN JOHN, Appellee, v. CASSANDRA KATHLEEN JOHN, Appellant. Opinion No. 20210506-CA Filed September 14, 2023 Third…

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In re M.M. – 2023 UT App 95 – termination of parental rights

2023 UT App 95 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF UTAH, IN THE INTEREST OF M.M., A PERSON UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE. A.M., Appellant, v. STATE OF UTAH,…

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Can the Mom End up Paying Child Support to the Father if He Was Abusive?

There are so many things wrong with this question. But thank you for asking it because it can be the start of a beneficial conversation and lead to a better…

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In re K.R. – 2023 UT App 75 – termination of parental rights vs. guardianship

In re K.R. - 2023 UT App 75   THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF UTAH, IN THE INTEREST OF K.R. AND R.B., PERSONS UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE.…

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The Father of My Child Has Visitation Rights Ordered by Court, Yet He Will Be in a Different State During His Visitation Time, but Wants His Aunt to Take Over. Do I Have to Allow His Aunt Visitation While He’s on Vacation?

This is a good question and one that arises frequently in one form or another; a parent either can’t or won’t provide personal care and supervision of the parties’ children…

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2023 UT App 65 – State v. Meyer – Parent Charged With Child Abuse

2023 UT App 65 - State v. Meyer THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF UTAH, Appellee, v. ELIZABETH LYDIA MEYER, Appellant. Opinion No. 20210718-CA Filed June 15, 2023 First…

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What Can I Legally Do if My Child’s Mother Refuses to Use Car Seat When Traveling With Our Little Child?

What can I legally do if my child's mother picks up our child in an Uber without a car seat? She is 5 years old, about 50 lbs. She is…

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Do Abusive Parents Get Custody of Their Children? Can Relatives Get Custody Instead?

Do abusive parents get sole custody of their children, even when their children don’t want them to have it? If the children want to stay with a relative who can…

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What Should I Do When a Family Court Judge Refuses to Look at My Evidence?

What should I do when a family court judge refuses to look at my evidence of abuse because my ex's lawyer lied about me bringing it to him when I…

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State in Interest of P.J.R., 2023 UT App 27

THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF UTAH, IN THE INTEREST OF P.J.R., A PERSON UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE. C.S., Appellant, V. STATE OF UTAH, Appellee. Opinion No. 20220264-CA…

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In Re K.K. – 2023 UT App 14 – Abuse and Neglect Adjudication

In re K.K. - 2023 UT App 14 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF UTAH, IN THE INTEREST OF K.K., S.K., AND S.K., PERSONS UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE.…

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In re K.K. – 2023 UT App 13

In re K.K. - 2023 UT App 13 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF UTAH, IN THE INTEREST OF K.K., S.K., AND S.K., PERSONS UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE.…

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From Pro Publica: Barricaded Siblings Turn to TikTok While Defying Court Order to Return to Father They Say Abused Them

There is far more to this story than the headline reveals. From Pro Publica: Barricaded Siblings Turn to TikTok While Defying Court Order to Return to Father They Say Abused…

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In Re A.H. – 2022 UT App 114 – Termination of Parental Rights

2022 UT App 114 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF UTAH, IN THE INTEREST OF A.H., J.H., J.H., L.H., N.H., S.H., AND E.H., PERSONS UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE.…

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If a Mom Is Abusing Her Children, and the Dad Doesn’t Want Sole Custody Because Child Support Is Cheaper, What Can the Court Do?

Thank you for your question, and forgive me for approaching this question in a way that may not answer your question as directly as it could be; I hope you…

Continue ReadingIf a Mom Is Abusing Her Children, and the Dad Doesn’t Want Sole Custody Because Child Support Is Cheaper, What Can the Court Do?

In Re J.E. 2023 UT App 3, Voluntary Declaration of Paternity

2023 UT App 3 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF UTAH, IN THE INTEREST OF J.E., A PERSON UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE. D.E., Appellant, v. STATE OF UTAH,…

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In Re K.T. 2023 UT App 5 – Substantiation of Child Abuse

2023 UT App 5 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF UTAH, IN THE INTEREST OF K.T., A PERSON UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE. J.K., Appellant, v. STATE OF UTAH,…

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How can I reveal my soon-to-be ex as having NPD in our custody case?

How can I reveal my soon-to-be ex as having NPD in our child custody case? You're asking the wrong question. You shouldn't be asking how you can prove your spouse…

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How can I help my stepdaughter get away from an abusive mother?

How can I help my 12-year-old step daughter get away from an emotionally abusive mother?  Tell the child’s father (your husband) about the trouble and have him handle it. It’s…

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I’m 14 and my mom is making me live with my dad. How do I stop this?

I'm 14 and my mom is making me live with my dad and is giving him custody. What can I do to prevent this from happening?  I’m a divorce and…

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How do you win a case against your ex for false accusations?

If you find an attorney who knows a sure-fire, fail-safe way to defend an ex-spouse or an ex-boyfriend/ex-girlfriend against “false accusations,” that attorney is likely a multimillionaire because possessing such…

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How can I help my step-child get away from an abusive mother?

How can I help my 12-year-old step-daughter get away from an emotionally abusive mother? Tell the child’s father (your husband) about the trouble and have him handle it. It’s not…

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In re J.L… 2022 UT 12 – termination of parental rights

2022 UT 12  IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF UTAH  STATE OF UTAH, in the Interest of J.A.L. and J.O.L., Persons Under Eighteen Years of Age  J.L. and…

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These Moving Companies Move Domestic Abuse Victims for Free

Today's blog post is a guest post from Hire A Helper. This is not a paid placement. We hope you find it useful, if you or a loved one need this kind…

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In re J.P. – 2021 UT App 134 – termination of parental rights

In re J.P. - 2021 UT App 134 2021 UT App 134 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF UTAH, IN THE INTEREST OF J.P. AND T.P., PERSONS UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS…

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T.W. v. S.A. – 2021 UT App 132 – child custody

2021 UT App 132  THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS  T.W., Appellant, v. S.A., Appellee.  Opinion  No. 20200397-CA  Filed November 26, 2021  Third District Court, West Jordan Department  The Honorable Dianna…

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In re J.P. – 2021 UT App 134 – termination of parental rights

2021 UT App 134  THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS  STATE OF UTAH, IN THE INTEREST OF J.P. AND T.P., PERSONS UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE.  T.L., Appellant, v. STATE OF…

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In re Z.C. W. – 2021 UT App 98 – Utah Court of Appeals

In re Z.C.W. - 2021 UT App 98  THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS  STATE OF UTAH, IN THE INTEREST OF Z.C.W. AND C.C.W.,  PERSONS UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE.  R.D., Appellant, v.  C.L.W., Appellee.  Opinion  No. 20200039-CA  Filed September 23, 2021  Third District…

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Can a narcissist get custody of a child?

Of course. First, even if one could prove a parent suffers from narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), merely suffering from this condition wouldn’t automatically disqualify a parent from being awarded sole…

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In re A.B. – 2021 UT App 91

THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS  STATE OF UTAH, IN THE INTEREST OF A.B., A PERSON UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE.  K.T.,  Appellant,  v..  S.T. AND T.T.,  Appellees.  Opinion  No. 20200342-CA  Filed August 26, 2021  Third District Juvenile Court, Salt…

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How can you win with the abduction of your own children? I took my children to New Zealand without the permission of the father.

I don’t know the laws of New Zealand, but I can tell you this: morally, you have no right to do that, unless, perhaps, you absconded with the children to…

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Should a child whose rights are not protected be held accountable?

If one’s rights are not protected, then one’s rights are being denied. And one whose rights are not protected cannot, in one sense, be held accountable/responsible for his/her exercise of…

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In re A.H. – 2021 UT App 57, Ineffective Assistance, Reasonable Efforts

ttps://www.utcourts.gov/opinions/appopin/In%20re%20A.H...20210528_20190846_57.pdf  In re A.H. - 2021 UT App 57  THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS  STATE OF UTAH, IN THE INTEREST OF A.H. AND N.H., PERSONS UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE.  K.H., Appellant,  v.  STATE OF UTAH, Appellee.  Opinion  No. 20190846-CA  Filed…

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Can I legally stop talking to my dad if he has custody (I live with my mom full time, but he’s still legally my parent as well)?

This is a good question because it deals with an issue that the law either has not addressed or cannot effectively address.  First, is there any legally permissible and practicable…

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Do you agree with Brad Pitt winning joint custody of his children with Angelina Jolie?

I normally don’t comment on popular culture matters dealing with divorce, but for this question I will make an exception.  I have no idea what kind of parents Angelina Jolie…

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What are the grounds for filing for a divorce in Utah?

First, you need to understand that Utah, like every other state in the U.S. has what are known as a “no-fault divorce law”. No-fault divorce means that you don’t have…

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Do you automatically lose your kid if CPS takes you to court?

No, but if CPS or DCFS or DFS or whatever your jurisdiction calls that particular agency of the state filed an action in court to place your children in foster…

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After a divorce, should my kids be with me or with the mom?

First, you need to understand that you’re asking the wrong question. Child custody is not a zero-sum game; otherwise stated, when parents divorce, or when unmarried parents separate, where you…

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Do judges sometimes feel overburdened by the responsibilities of their job?

Yes, and for good reason. First, let me be unusually but sincerely candid: many judges and many of the actions that judges take disappoint me. There are some excellent judges…

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Does a spouse have the right to see a DUI report?

First, if you are referring to a police report of a DUI citation and/or arrest, in most jurisdictions such records are public record, and thus available not only to your…

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I have custody of my child. He’s refusing to come home. What now?

I have custody of my child. He left to go to his mom's last Friday for the weekend. He is refusing to come home because he wants to live there.…

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Child refuses to leave noncustodial parent’s house. What happens now?

I am the noncustodial parent. Our child came to my house for parent-time and now refuses to leave because he wants to live with me. What happens now? I will…

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Custody order says mother and child can’t leave the state. Is that legal?

If custody order says mother and child are not allowed to leave the state, is there any chance the court would allow them to go on a vacation to another…

Continue ReadingCustody order says mother and child can’t leave the state. Is that legal?

Does a spouse have the right to see a DUI report?

Does a spouse have the right to see a DUI report? First, if you are referring to a police report of a DUI citation and/or arrest, in most jurisdictions such…

Continue ReadingDoes a spouse have the right to see a DUI report?