Is appointing a guardian ad litem helpful in custody cases?

Is appointing a guardian ad litem a positive tool to help with custody cases?  [I will respond to your question based upon my experience with guardians ad litem in Utah,…

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What are the chances of a mother getting full custody?

In my experienced opinion:  If the fight is over which parent will be awarded sole (full) custody of the children, and if no other factors are considered: the chances of…

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How will it affect children to switch schools every other school year?

How will it affect children to switch back and forth to schools every other school year due to child custody agreement between parents who live in different states?  Probably not…

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If both parents are wonderful, will the court still favor the mother?

If both parents are wonderful, will the court still lean towards full custody to the mother? [Note: I am a divorce lawyer of 25 years. I am not bitter about…

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What should the child support award be if my ex makes $1,200 per week?

Should I be receiving more than $300 a month in child support if my ex-husband makes $1,200 per week?  Each jurisdiction has different child support laws and rules, but I…

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What if your client gets custody when they should not have, due to you?

What should you do if you represented a client in a divorce who should not have gotten the kids, but got them due to your ability?  We have a word…

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What is the argument for hearing a child’s view in a custody decision?

What argument supports taking the views of a child into account when making custody determination? The argument is this: the judge cannot determine if such evidence is relevant if the judge never…

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Can a parent take kids out of state while divorce is pending?

Can a parent who has filed for divorce and moved out with her 2 children now take her children for a week to another state for Thanksgiving, or will it be…

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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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Why isn’t 50/50 custody the default resolution in child custody cases?

I have studied this question throughout my career, and I've been a divorce and family lawyer for 25 years. If there is one family law question to which I know…

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In a divorce, should children live with their favorite parent?

I can’t speak for all jurisdictions, but I can tell you that in the jurisdiction where I practice divorce and family law (Utah), currently the child’s preference for one parent…

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Twitchell v. Twitchell – 2022 UT App 49 – child custody and support

Twitchell v. Twitchell - 2022 UT App 49 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS JAZMIN S. TWITCHELL, Appellee, V. JOSEPH N. TWITCHELL, Appellant. Opinion No. 20200546-CA Filed April 14, 2022 First…

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Widdison v. Widdison – 2022 UT App 46 – custody modification

Widdison v. Widdison - 2022 UT App 46   THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS  NICOLE WIDDISON, Appellant,  LEON BRYANT WIDDISON,  Appellee.  Opinion  No. 20200484-CA  Filed April 7, 2022  Third District…

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How easy is it to change your child’s last name?

I cannot answer this question as it applies in all jurisdictions, but I can answer the question as it applies in the jurisdiction where I practice divorce and family law…

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Why do kids talk and text online so freely with strangers?

Why do kids talk and text online so freely with strangers? Don’t they understand how potentially dangerous that is? Why? Because kids that age aren’t very smart or wise. Don’t…

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Do you lose child custody if you have a bench warrant?

Not merely for having a warrant out for your arrest, no.  Utah Family Law, LC | divorceutah.com | 801-466-9277   https://www.quora.com/Do-you-lose-child-custody-if-you-have-a-bench-warrant/answer/Eric-Johnson-311  

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How can I enforce my power when I have final say in joint custody?

My sons father and I have joint custody but I have final say over his well being health and education. How can I enforce my power?  If you are asking: “How do I enforce in good…

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Our agreement says no child support, can my ex ask for it anyway?

Can my ex ask for child support? I have a 50/50 custody and no child support divorce agreement, but his mother alienated him against me and now he refuses to visit…

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Why are child support and custody attorneys so expensive?

Because the work:  requires a lot of knowledge of both the written (and unwritten*) rules that most people don’t have the time, interest, or ability to learn and apply correctly;…

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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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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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Hinds v Hinds-Holm – 2022 UT App 13 – child custody award factors

Hinds v Hinds-Holm - 2022 UT App 13 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS BRADLEY HINDS, Appellee, v. RACHEL HINDS-HOLM, Appellant. Opinion No. 20200586-CA Filed January 27, 2022 Third District Court,…

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What to do when child won’t comply with the custody award?

What will happen if the court ruled in favor of a mother to have the custody of her child but the child refuses to go with her and she prefers…

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How do we counteract the adverse effects of trusting custody evaluators?

The question was asked: In a study in 2012 proved many custody evaluators falsely believe most DV victims lied & alienated kids. So How do you prevent that evaluators report from…

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Do letters vouching for one’s character really matter?

My lawyer asked me to get letters of my character from my friends for family court to introduce as evidence, but do they really matter and is 12 enough? Do…

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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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The way UT courts conduct custody evaluations nowadays is indefensible

The way courts in Utah conduct custody evaluations nowadays is indefensible. There is nothing in UCJA rule 4-903 (the rule governing custody evaluations) that requires a custody evaluation to consist of little…

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What kind of “damage” can untreated BPD in a parent cause children?

What kind of "damage" can an untreated single parent with BPD/shared custody/ cause to the kids in the long term? Plenty.  Children of BPD parents often struggle with trusting others…

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How do I pursue child visitation when I don’t know where the child is?

I’m preparing to begin pursuing child visitation. However, the child’s mother has moved and never told me where, and has cut off contact with me. How can I find out…

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What is it like to battle for custody with a narcissist?

Miserable.  Narcissists know how to game the system, to exploit its weaknesses, to exploit all that is good in human nature and institutions for destructive ends.  It’s virtually impossible to prove that a narcissist is engaging in such misconduct because one of the things that makes a narcissist a narcissist, and so maddeningly effective…

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Christmas/Winter Break for Parents Under the Utah Code

Christmas/Winter Break for Parents Under Utah Code § 30-3-35 or (§ 30-3-35.5 for a child 18 months and older) If your Christmas/Winter break starts December 17, 2021 and ends January…

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How do I best explain to my daughters that I am divorcing their stepmom?

What is the best way for me to explain to my 3 daughters that the reason in which I am divorcing their Assistant Prosecutor stepmother is because I wouldn’t let…

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How do I get custody back of my child if the custodial parent is not keeping the child safe?

The best way to phrase this question is as follows, “How do I get an order awarding custody of our child to me, if I assert as the basis for…

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I have no money and a non-cooperative ex, how do I get legal help?

How can I obtain assistance in a custody matter when I have no money and my ex-husband is not following the current court order?  In some jurisdictions there are legal…

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If two unwed people have a child and split up, is it treated like a divorce?

If two people have a child out of wedlock, and they split up, is it treated like a divorce?  I will answer this question for the jurisdiction of Utah.  The…

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If you have 50/50 custody, how much vacation time from kids is approriate?

If you're separated and have 50/50 custody, how much vacation time away from your kid is appropriate? Too many variables to consider to give you an intelligent answer.  How old is the…

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How do I get an attorney to represent me against my abusive ex narc?

How do I get an attorney to represent me in court against my abusive ex narc who is filing for emergency custody of our children? Two things (if the lawyer…

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How do you go through a custody battle and the only thing they can use is making up lies, manipulating the children to tell lies?

If you want my answer, skip to paragraph three. 1. First, it may be the case (and it may be that you need to acknowledge) that the problem is not…

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If a married couple divorces and neither one wants their child, what happens?

Great question. I have discussed this question with others. Their first reaction to the question is along the lines of “Oh, that’s terrible!,” but then we discuss the fact that…

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How Courts Can (and often do) Ensure There’s No Proof Joint Equal Custody Can Work

Here is an example of an important gotcha factor to be on guard against, if you are a good father being forced by the legal system to fight for joint…

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I’m a child whose parents are divorcing and fighting over custody. What can I do?

I’m 15, about to be 16, and my parents are getting a divorce. My father has full custody, but he doesn't want to take me to court to present my…

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In Utah is there a minimum age at which minor children can be left at home or allowed to walk to school by themselves?

No. There is no minimum age at which child can be left unsupervised in Utah. Child and Family Services uses the following definition to evaluate each situation: Non-Supervision – The…

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What is one thing you wish you would have added in your divorce parenting plan?

Here are some provisions that I have seen divorce litigants who did not include them in their divorce settlement agreements wish were included:  a “loser pays” clause for 1) when…

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If the father got the child custody, will the mom pay for child support?

In Utah, the answer is: it’s likely that Mom will pay child support to Dad. Generally, unless the primary joint custodial parents makes orders of magnitude more than the other…

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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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My ex is a nut job. I was served with court papers for paternity, child support, and custody for unnamed yet to be born child #1 & #2. Problem is I’m not pregnant. What do I do?

Thanks for the laugh.  In 25 years of family law practice I’ve never heard of a man seeking custody of children (plural) that do not exist, nor have I ever…

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How can I get an emergency hearing for custody and child support?

I will answer this question based upon the law of the jurisdiction where I practice family law (Utah). So the question is: How can I get an emergency hearing for…

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