I’ll assume that what you mean by “my ex and I have joint custody” is you and your ex share physical custody of your child. I’ll also assume that in…
Are you a churchgoer? Are you a member of a church? If so, your church may have resources available to members to help them with various legal concerns or problems.…
In Utah, if you have not had your parental rights terminated, but instead you simply agreed to your child’s parent having custody of the child (with you having little to no…
I don’t know in what country you reside, but if you can safely consult with a divorce attorney there, you need to start your research into whether a realistic path…
“I want more time with my children.” “Our children want to spend more time with me.” “My ex-spouse does not exercise the time he/she was awarded with our children.” What…
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,…
Make sure you understand the terms you and others may be using in asking and discussing this question. If you are a parent of minor children, and you are involved…
This question is literally asked on a daily basis. It comes up so often. But that means it’s a burning question. I’ll bet it has been answered literally at least…
An accusation that gets thrown around a lot in a divorce action is that a parent doesn’t actually want to spend time with his or her children. Usually it's an…
Always? No. Frequently? Yes. Usually. Yes. Whether they deserve it or not? Usually, yes. Are mothers awarded custody of children as much as they used to be a generation or…
I am not licensed as an attorney in Indiana, but I will give you my personal opinion (it’s not legal advice) as it applies to the law in the jurisdiction…
Like many people, I am a child of divorce. While I may not understand every reason why my parents chose to end their marriage (I was too young to understand…
I can give you my personal opinion (not legal advice, but my personal opinion) from my perspective as a lawyer licensed in Utah and who practices divorce and family law…
For lawyers and parents (and perhaps even commissioners and judges) who hate child custody determinations (temporary or otherwise) based upon proffer, I share this with you: This court has previously…
Have you ever heard that having a child will fix certain problems in marriage? That it will help bring a couple in a strained marriage closer together and thus fix,…
After you ask, “Is there anything I can do for winning custody after the GAL report is favoring my ex? Is paying more to my attorneys worth it or no?,”…
First, you need ask a different question before you get to the question of a father’s chances of winning full or primary custody of children in divorce. The question should…
When a PGAL (private guardian ad litem) is appointed to represent children in a child custody dispute in a Utah divorce case, it would sure be good to know what…
Without knowing more about your criminal record, I can still safely predict that having almost any kind of chronic or significant criminal record reduces your chances of being awarded custody…
Yes. Many women (not all, but many more than we'd like to believe unquestionably lie and make outright false or grossly exaggerated domestic violence claims. The temptation to tell such…
One of the arguments that some fathers make when they encounter the double standard applied to mothers and fathers in child custody disputes (resulting in a denial of equal legal…
Can it be overturned? It is possible. Will it be overturned? The odds don’t favor Dad. While some fathers who are falsely accused do obtain vindication, the odds are against…
We all know the aphorism, "If it looks/sounds to good to be true, it probably is [not true]." This also means, however, that if it looks/sounds too 𝙗𝙖𝙙 to be true, it…
When a custody evaluator and/or private guardian ad litem is/are appointed in a divorce case in which custody and parent-time of the children is disputed, they usually interview the children…
Recently an attorney posed a question on a forum for fellow Utah family law attorneys. The question involved how to find out what the children’s experiences have been with one…
Whether you believe that everyone needs (or could benefit from) therapy or that it is only for the most dysfunctional families, you, like most people, likely agree some therapy has…
Do you want to know where the real money is most often made in divorce and family law cases? Child custody and parent-time disputes, hands down. Rarely do the parents…
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…
Thomas Sowell said (in a discussion of politics and governance), “There are no solutions. There are only tradeoffs, and whatever you do to deal with one of man's flaws it…
Thomas Sowell said (in a discussion of politics and governance), “There are no solutions. There are only tradeoffs, and whatever you do to deal with one of man's flaws it…
Utah, like many states, has struggled with the very concept of equal (“50/50”) custody of children for years. While progress has been made (especially in the past few years), we…
What do I do If custody order says visitation is from 4 - 8 meeting at police station when there is no school but if there is school that day…
What are the child custody factors that judges consider when determining what's in a child's best interest in custody disputes according to Utah’s family law statutes? The main factors are…
2024 UT App 16 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS JOSEPH EARL LAMB, Appellee, v. SONYA ELIZABETH LAMB, Appellant. Opinion No. 20210787-CA Filed February 8, 2024 Third District Court, Salt Lake…
There are plenty of things you can do (plenty of activity in which you can engage), but whether any of it will do any good is the question. The answer…
Another bill under consideration during the 2024 Utah legislative session is House Bill 193 (HB0198 (utah.gov)). This bill would, if passed into law, 1) make clear that a “totality of…
This post discusses another proposed family law bill under consideration for the 2024 Utah legislative session, House Bill 157 (HB0157 (utah.gov)), “Child Custody Factor Amendments”. This bill, if passed, would…
Another potential law up for consideration in the 2024 Utah legislative session is H.B. 194. This bill would, if passed, amend provisions relating to adoption and child placement by amending the…
Today’s post on proposed family law legislation under consideration during the 2024 Utah legislative session is House Bill 140 (HB0140 (utah.gov)), “Amendments to Custody and Parent-Time”. This bill, according to…
Today’s blog post treats another proposed law that is up for consideration during the 2024 Utah legislative session: House Bill 129 (HB0129 (utah.gov)), entitled “Child Support Requirements”. This bill would,…
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's a very, very short news report on the subject of when allegations of child abuse are countered with allegations of parental alienation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44hJ8zWRrik I welcome sincere and rational comments…
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…
Divorce is already hard enough on the parties involved, but it is even harder on the children of the recently separated family. I speak as a child of divorce, who…
According to the "General Description" of H.B. 272, what's not to like?: Highlighted Provisions: This bill: ▸ defines terms; ▸ in certain proceedings involving child custody: specifies requirements for the admission of expert…
I have been asked by a reader to answer two questions. The first: whether I believe courts generally apply a double standard in the treatment of mothers and fathers when…
I will start out my answer by acknowledging that reasonable minds can differ on the merits of a “parenting app,” also known as a “co-parenting app”. I will continue my…
Most attorney websites that contain “articles” on prenuptial agreements aren’t really articles but thinly veiled sales pitches for prenuptial agreements. This post is not one of those. I have always…
Regardless of your feelings towards your ex-spouse, if you have children, you will have to talk or otherwise communicate to your ex (and do so often) about the minor children…
I can’t speak for all jurisdictions, but in the jurisdiction where I practice divorce and family law (Utah), child support awards are generally, in my opinion, 1) too high, 2)…