This question perennially arises at graduation time, and it’s graduation time when I write this post. Unless your Utah-issued decree of divorce contains provisions for child support that deviate from…
There are actually three different but related types of child support in Utah for divorced and unmarried parents who obtain child support orders either through administrative means or through a…
Several important provisions are frequently overlooked in divorce decrees, despite their significant impact on post-divorce life. If you are contemplating divorce, but have not considered these issues yet, thinking them…
If a parent has sole or primary physical custody of the children, then not only does that parent typically not end up having to pay child support to the other…
In divorce litigation, strong, compelling evidence is the cornerstone of successfully navigating critical legal determinations. When significant issues such as child custody, child support, property division, marital debt allocation, and…
Good point, and good question. Although the amount of time fathers are being awarded with their children is increasing in child custody dispute cases (and has been for the past…
2024 UT App 169 - Ward v. McGarry THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS SARA WARD, Appellant, v. MEREDITH MCGARRY, Appellee. Opinion No. 20230365-CA Filed November 15, 2024 Third District Court,…
Wallace v. Wallace - 2024 UT App 164 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS JAMES DOUGLAS WALLACE, Appellee, v. JOANNA JUNE WALLACE, Appellant. Opinion No. 20220559-CA Filed November 15, 2024 Third…
How is child support calculated in Utah? How long does child support last? How is child support enforced? How child support in Utah is calculated. I will explain it both…
2024 UT App 156 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS AMANDA GODFREY, Appellee, v. RANDY GODFREY, Appellant. Opinion No. 20210871-CA Filed October 31, 2024 Third District Court, Silver Summit Department The…
Lunt v. Lunt - 2024 UT App 148 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS MEGAN LUNT, Appellee, v. DREW E. LUNT, Appellant. Opinion No. 20220596-CA Filed October 18, 2024 Third District…
In Utah, a parent is not required to have a job and it's likely that a court cannot order a parent to get a job and earn money. If that parent…
Corn v. Groce - 2024 UT App 84 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS JANETTE CORN, Appellee, v. BLAKE GROCE, Appellant. Opinion No. 20220526-CA Filed May 31, 2024 Second District Court, Farmington…
2024 UT App 84 - Corn v. Groce THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS JANETTE CORN, Appellee, v. BLAKE GROCE, Appellant. Opinion No. 20220526-CA Filed May 31, 2024 Second District Court,…
If you find yourself involved in a Utah divorce action (whether child support will be an issue or not) or an action over the support of minor children in Utah…
Recently a Quora.com reader commented on my answer to this question: Is there a primary parent in joint custody in Utah which is also known as “equal” or “50/50” custody? They…
When those who will be ordered to divide assets with a spouse and/or pay child and/or spousal support (alimony) confront the matter, many try to lie about and to misrepresent their…
Some people believe that child support is the same for all parents. They believe that every parent who is ordered to pay child support pays the same amount of money…
When those who realize they may be ordered to pay child and/or spousal support (alimony) confront the matter, many try to lie about and to misrepresent their income in the hope…
Today’s blog post treats House Bill 20, one of several proposed family law-related pieces of legislation for the 2024 Utah legislative session. H.B. 20 is entitled “Parental Rights Amendments” According…
Here is a list of the current proposed family law legislation for the 2024 Utah State Legislative session, along with a (very) brief description of the proposed legislation. If you…
Whether you “get the child” (meaning whether you will be awarded physical custody of the child) has little to no relevance to the fact that your spouse is seeking child…
In my time as a legal assistant in the family law profession, I have observed many different kinds of client behaviors, some better than others. Those behaviors that cause the…
Many people complain (justifiably) about child support in this regard: parents who qualify to receive child support or to receive more child support by being unemployed, underemployed or who deliberately…
This is a subject that comes up frequently. It comes up frequently not because misappropriating child support is a hard problem to mitigate but because the courts don’t have the…
I think I know why you think it’s weird. Why have the children live with one parent instead both parents on an equal custody basis? In other words, “I’ll bear…
I think I know why you think it’s weird. Why have the children live with one parent instead both parents on an equal custody basis? In other words, “I’ll bear…
I really don’t understand why this question gets asked, and it is asked frequently. Actually, that’s not true. I do know why. The people who usually ask this question are…
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…
Blake v. Smith - 2023 UT App 78 2023 UT App 78 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS DEJUAN BLAKE, Appellee, v. JILLYN SMITH, Appellant. Opinion No. 20210779-CA Filed July 20,…
This is a more complex question than it might at first appear. First, we need to address the matter of people who confuse beliefs with facts. If I had a…
Good question. First, there are federal laws and regulations that govern the states in setting their child support calculation and collection laws. Second, any parent (father or mother) can be…
It appears that your question is: can child support be awarded to a parent even if a divorce or child support action has not yet been filed? If that is…
I will answer this question in the context of Utah law because Utah is the jurisdiction where I practice divorce and family law. It could be that other jurisdictions have…
Free or inexpensively? Yes, there are ways. Each jurisdiction has different ways of providing these free and/or inexpensive legal services. With rare, if any, exception, these free and/or inexpensive legal…
If you’re smart, yes. If you’re cautious, yes. If you’re not penny wise and pound foolish, yes. Why? The law and the legal system are not intuitive. Courts are generally…
I cannot answer this question for all jurisdictions, but I can tell you how the law applies in the jurisdiction where I practice divorce and family law (Utah). Many things…
Are Couples in which the husband didn’t have a full-time job had a chance of divorcing the following year, compared to couples in which the husband did have a full-time…
Good morning, I am a divorce and child custody lawyer. I have a question that all of my clients ask me that I don't have the answer to: "Why does…
Do you think it's acceptable for the non-custodial parent to have to pay more child support because the custodial parent chooses to barely work or not work at all? Generally,…
How should the child support payment system in the U.S. be changed to make it more fair? What is unfair about child support for the child support payor (also known…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Law from a legal assistant’s point of view, week 18: Financial Declarations and Initial Disclosures By Quinton Lister, legal assistant My minimal exposure to the legal profession as a legal…
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…
No. I do support that idea that one’s own child support entitlement should be an insurable interest in the amount of the entitlement itself (meaning that if you are the…
The FIRST questions most frequently asked of me are: “How much can I expect it to cost me in total to get a divorce?” “What is your hourly rate?” “What…
Child support in the jurisdiction where I practice divorce and family law (Utah) is, in my experience and estimation, not too high or too low. I’ll explain (in basic terms)…
Black and white, plain and simple. We really mean that here at Utah Family Law, LC. What you normally hear about divorce and family law is all over the map–even when you hear it from lawyers.
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