I generally don't recommend books on divorce or particular strategies articulated in these books because, while the advice is often (not always) good, it gets lost in the excessive number…
I can answer this question as the law applies in the jurisdiction where I practice divorce and family law (Utah), and you may find my answer useful in conducting the…
Allow me to start my answer to your question by acknowledging how unfair it is to children of divorce when courts refuse to hear from the children and refuse to…
The father has primary custody but left our child with me and left the child with me 60 days ago with no indication of when or whether he will return,…
Unless a statute, court rule, or court order provides otherwise, yes (you will want to ensure you consult the governing law for your particular jurisdiction). That power to travel out…
We have joint custody in Nevada. I’m in California now. Is it wrong to ask them to take my child to me because of my location? Do mean to ask,…
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…
I will assume that your ex-husband (the children's father) arriving to pick up the children earlier than his court ordered scheduled time is a hardship on, or at least an…
I had a weird experience as a lawyer in a situation kind of like the one you’re asking about. The ex-spouse didn’t end up with sole custody of the children,…
I cannot speak for all jurisdictions, but I can tell you what my experience has been in Utah, which is the jurisdiction where I practice divorce and family law: There…
There can be many aims. Such as (in no particular order of popularity): gaining or saving money If the children “side” with a parent, that could influence the child custody…
2023 UT 4 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF UTAH TAYLOR LYNN SCOTT, Respondent, v. SARAH CATHERINE BENSON, Petitioner. No. 20210922 Heard October 3, 2022 Filed April 20,…
Generally speaking (you will need to confer with an attorney who knows the law governing this question in the jurisdiction where you, the other parent, and the child reside), if…
Answers to this question could take up an entire book (actually, it could take up many entire books, and it does—literally millions of pages have been written on this subject).…
Great question (and it’s good to see questions from children). No one can give you “the” answer to this question without knowing the laws of the jurisdiction involved and what…
From KSL.com: New Utah law brings confusion, contention for some divorced parents this holiday season https://www.ksl.com/article/50538686/new-utah-law-brings-confusion-contention-for-some-divorced-parents-this-holiday-season Utah Family Law, LC | divorceutah.com | 801-466-9277
I cannot speak to what the law is and how it is applied in every jurisdiction, but I can answer this question on this topic as it applies to the…
You’ve picked a good topic of discussion, but your question is poorly phrased. Your claim that only one parent can properly raise children after a marital breakup is false. Not…
The question is: I’m a stay at home mom, my BD is always working unreliable and inconsistent hours, he wants 50% custody of our son. Will he be granted 50%?…
Who do you pick, your father who has been there your whole life or your mother who was never there until now and wants custody of you? Assuming that 1)…
If a father in this position can’t figure this out on his own, he’s probably not in a position to be entrusted with exercising 50/50 custody. If a father wants…
So many people believe (and I don’t know how or why they have come to this belief) that “if I can show that the other parent has this flaw, I…
Can being a noncustodial parent improve the child’s relationship with the noncustodial parent? Recently, a reader on Quora, where I comment regularly, commented on a post of mine with this: …
Teenager Child (16) refuses to see me after spending a month with my ex. I have 50% custody. What can I do about it? I'm a stricter parent unlike my…
Should I get sole custody of my children if their dad does not want to be involved with them? Or try to talk it out before I go through with…
My husband cheated on me and we're getting a divorce. He begged me not to take his children away, but I want him to suffer. How can I make sure…
What are the primary concerns of the courts in determining parenting issues? Why? In Utah (and in no particular order), the court must consider the factors articulated in these sections…
What can you do if your husband does not want to pay school fees for his children when you are divorced? First, it is not necessarily a given that a…
My parents are divorced, my father has no savings, he didn't work for the entire period of their marriage, we were estranged for a while and now we are back,…
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,…
There are “expert” witnesses for virtually any and every issue in legal actions. Can judges be bamboozled by pseudo-scientific expert witnesses? Without question. Do some judges who know that the…
Can a parent with full custody refuse to allow visitation due to unsanitary living conditions? Good question. I will answer this question in the context of some applicable law for…
So I want to ask my dad to divorce my mom. She has a troublesome personality, to say. I'm currently 16 and the relationship between not just me and my…
I don't want anything to do with my child's father. Can I gain full custody if I'm bipolar? First, thank you for being so candid and blunt. This is a…
What are the primary concerns of the courts in determining parenting issues? Why? In Utah (and in no particular order), the court must consider the factors articulated in these sections…
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…
Taking your question literally: Can? Yes. You can file a lawsuit for any “reason” or no reason at all. Crazy and/or malicious people file crazy/malicious/frivolous/unintelligible lawsuits all the time. Just…
As a child with divorced parents, I find it hard to answer questions such as, “What is the importance of marriage?” How can I better understand the importance of marriage?…
Yes, and the IRS has provided this summary (among other publications) to show non-custodial parents how: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4449.pdf Here is an excerpt from that IRS publication: Claiming Your Child as a…
When someone wins custody of a child, does the child come to the courthouse to be taken by whoever is awarded custody or do they go to the home of…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
After a bitter divorce, is it possible to stay on friendly terms with your now ex-in-laws? Likely? No. But that doesn’t mean you should abandon hope. Indeed, some divorces end…
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…
What would you think of a parent who makes the last child support payment prorated 7 days because the child’s 18th birthday falls on the 7th? I see nothing illegal…
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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