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…
What is the biggest mistake a lawyer makes when making closing arguments? Being long-winded and/or obnoxious, repetitive, rambling, imprecise, boring. But here’s the kicker: if you are clear and concise,…
What are some examples of how to not appear judgmental (or worse) as a lay witness in court? Tell the !@#$% truth, not stories you hope will dupe the court…
What are some of the biggest mistakes lawyers make when presenting their case to a jury? Being long-winded, repetitive, rambling, imprecise, boring. But here’s the kicker: if you are clear…
By Quinton Lister, legal assistant I think one of the least understood facets of the legal system by lay people (like myself, a new legal assistant) is the concept of…
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…
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…
Unless the child support order provides for a change in the child support obligation or benefit in the event and due to the parents moving out of the country, then…
I don’t know, and I doubt that statistics are kept on such a question. If there are such statistics, I do not know of them. Generally, the reputation appointed counsel…
First, whether you “truly believe” something or “find it hard to believe,” testifying to something you believe or don’t believe, as opposed to testifying as to something you know, is…
I will answer this question as it applies in my jurisdiction (Utah). First, no one has a right simply to choose your judge or choose to change the judge assigned to…
No, mothers are not being treated "worse" by the legal system these days, with more and more states leaning toward awarding joint custody to fathers more. Mothers do not have…
Rarely, and when the judge does know, it’s usually because the other parent’s malicious behavior is so way over the top as to be impossible to detect or ignore or…
This is a general response because every jurisdiction may be a little different, but the principles that I discussed below are pretty uniform throughout the United States. Make sure you…
By Quinton Lister, Legal Assistant I attended my first trial this past week. I did not question any witnesses or argue the case at the trial or anything like that because I am not a lawyer…
It is sad, but I think that becoming a legal assistant has made me want to be more engaged with civic processes. It is not sad that I want to…
Last week I reported that I am a complete neophyte when it comes to the practice of law (this is my second week as a legal assistant), and that remains…
With the COVID-19 crisis essentially behind us now (please don't start on the Delta variant) the Utah courts are re-opening the courthouses. And there's nothing wrong with that . .…
Nakkina v. Mahanthi - 2021 UT App 63 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS SIREESHA NAKKINA, Appellee, v. PRODEEP KUMAR MAHANTHI, Appellant. Opinion No. 20190750-CA Filed June 17, 2021 Third District…
Ward v. McGarry - 2021 UT App 51 NOTICE: THIS OPINION HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED FOR PUBLICATION IN THE PERMANENT LAW REPORTS. UNTIL RELEASED, IT IS SUBJECT TO REVISION OR WITHDRAWAL. …
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…
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.…
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…
Recent thoughts about family law I’ve been prompted recently to express my thoughts and opinions about the judiciary generally in the family law context. Here are a few thoughts I…
Why is child support and alimony rooted in revenge, power, and humiliation? The full question was actually: "Why is child support and alimony rooted in revenge, power, control, and humiliation over…
Can a mother lose custody even if the child is still very young? Are there any situations where a mother can lose custody even if their child is still very…
Do parents who share joint equal physical custody of their children pay child support? If my spouse and I were to agree to share joint equal physical custody (50-50) of…
In court cases, how does taking an oath make any difference? From what I can tell, yes, it appears that taking an oath or affirming to tell the truth before…
Do you need a reason to get a divorce? Not really, at least not in the jurisdiction where I practice divorce law (Utah). Even if you get a “no fault”…
I was divorced and lied to during my divorce and I am disabled can I take my ex back to court for spousal support? Can you try? Yes. Will you…
I was divorced and lied to during my divorce and I am disabled can I take my ex back to court for spousal support? Can you try? Yes. Will you…
If I can’t find an attorney, can it honestly be said I got a fair trial? If a person seeks legal representation in a court, and every attorney they tries…
Why does someone need an attorney when they can just defend themselves in court (pro se)? Why does someone need an attorney when they can just defend themselves in court?…
2020 UT App 171 - Miller v. Miller THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS RYAN MILLER, Appellant, BRENDA MILLER, Appellee. Opinion No. 20190748-CA Filed December 24, 2020 Second District Court, Farmington…
This post is the tenth in series of 15 posts on the subject of custody evaluations and the appointment of guardians ad litem (“GALs” for short) in Utah child custody…
If everyone agrees that the judge needs to know what the child is experiencing, observing, and feeling, why won’t the judge interview the child? This post is the seventh…
This post is the eighth in series of 15 posts on the subject of custody evaluations and the appointment of guardians ad litem (“GALs” for short) in Utah child custody…
Does having the judge interview the children traumatize the children? This post is the second in series of 15 posts on the subject of custody evaluations and the appointment…
Utah Divorce Case Timeline Summary The greatest influence on how long a divorce case takes is usually how much and how severely the parties fight over the issues. The more…
There is a proposal to make more Utah court records "private" that are currently public. Here is the proposed amendment to Utah Code of Judicial Administration Rule 4-202.02 (Records Classification):…
2020 UT App 100 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS JOSHUA J. YOUNG, Appellee, v. MICHAELA M. HAGEL, Appellant. Opinion No. 20190661-CA Filed June 25, 2020 Second District Court, Farmington Department…
How can we change the court system in order to make divorces easier on the children? In my opinion: Institute a “loser pays the prevailing party’s attorney’s fees” rule. make divorce…
Must I engage in all-day mediation in my divorce action, or for some other specific time period? No, there is no mandatory minimum period of time you must spend in…
2020 UT App 14 - THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS REGGIE ANN PECK, Appellee v. KEVIN SCOTT PECK, Appellant. Opinion No. 20180732-CA Filed January 24, 2020 First District Court, Logan…
2020 UT App 16 - THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS NOUR AL-SALEH, Appellee v. ASAAD AL-SALEH, Appellant. Per Curiam Opinion No. 20191013-CA Filed January 30, 2020 Third District Court, Salt…
It depends upon the court rules of the jurisdiction in which you would be filing your divorce documents are to be filed. In Utah, where I practice divorce and family…
Here's a "one-stop shopping" reference to the basic court rules you'll want to know about in a Utah divorce case: Utah Rules of Civil Procedure https://www.utcourts.gov/resources/rules/urcp/ Utah Rules of Evidence…
UPDATE on new Utah Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 109: Utah Court Notices notices@utcourts.gov via usblists.utahbar.org 8:57 AM to utahstatebarnews Subject: [UtahStateBarNews] Notice of new effective date for Rule 109…
2019 UT App 106 - Janson v. Janson - setting aside stipulation THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS DEIDRE SUE JANSON, Appellant, v. JEFFREY ALAN JANSON, Appellee. Opinion No. 20170541-CA Filed…
2018 UT App 210 - Silva v. Silva THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS DAVID SILVA, Appellee, v. BONNIE SILVA, Appellant. Opinion No. 20160171-CA Filed November 8, 2018 Third District Court,…