When parents separate, two instruments immediately begin to shape a child's future: the calendar (time) and the calculator (money). Both matter. Neither is optional. And neither compensates for the absence…
When the interviews that shape custody decisions remain inside a black box, the court is asked to trust what it cannot independently verify. In Utah child custody disputes, custody evaluations…
If you are stationed at Hill Air Force Base and facing divorce, do not assume your case is “standard.” It isn’t. Military status layers federal law on top of Utah…
Utah’s 2026 legislative session includes a proposal that deserves attention well beyond juvenile court. House Bill 372—particularly its substitute versions—revisits Guardian ad Litem (GAL) duties and standards in child welfare proceedings.…
Bahsoun v. Mooney - 2026 UT App 18 2026 UT App 18 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS MAZEN BAHSOUN,Appellee, v. COLLEEN ELIZABETH MOONEY, Appellant. Per Curiam OpinionNo. 20251317-CA Filed February…
In court, neither a party nor one of that party’s witnesses can simply claim to repeat what someone else said and expect the judge to treat it as proof. As…
In Utah, "joint physical custody" doesn't have to mean a perfect 50/50 split, though that is increasingly common (increasingly common, not the default—the system still treats mothers more favorably than…
The "Rules for Thee, But Not for Me" Phenomenon The legal system is built on procedure. For an attorney, failing to file a motion on time or improperly authenticating a…
In child custody disputes, the judge acts as the final arbiter, but they rarely get to see the daily reality of a child's life. This is where appointing an attorney…
Divorcing homeowners in Utah frequently run into mortgage servicer roadblocks when trying to refinance or have a spouse removed from a loan, even when the divorce decree says so. This blog explains…
Divorce is hard enough on its own. Add in legal paperwork packed with unfamiliar terms, and it can feel like you’re suddenly expected to speak a completely new language. For…
In the prior discussion, I described a common feature of Utah custody and parent-time proceedings: courts routinely make findings about a child’s needs, attachments, and lived experience without hearing directly…
Seth Godin observed that every important medical innovation of the last several centuries—handwashing, antibiotics, acknowledging the dangers of smoking—was initially resisted by the medical establishment. Not because the ideas were…
Every year, I watch people bring “important” documents to court that the judge will never read. Emails. Text messages. Financial records. Therapist letters. Receipts. Recordings. Sometimes the most important material…
In discussions about protective orders and alleged domestic violence, I often hear a familiar refrain: “Protective orders should be granted liberally even when the question comes down to one person’s…
A constitutional critique of Utah Code § 81-9-204(5)(a) Utah, like every state, bears a solemn and compelling responsibility to protect children involved in custody and parent-time disputes. That responsibility is…
I. The Founding TraumaIn the Meadow, everyone agreed on one thing: voices were dangerous.It hadn’t always been so. Long ago, animals spoke plainly. Some spoke well, somepoorly, some too much.…
This post is the first in a four-part series examining Utah courts’ reliance on guardians ad litem (GALs), private guardians ad litem (PGALs), and custody evaluators, beginning with the strongest…
The Danger of Interpretation When Courts Refuse to Hear from the Child Directly When the court relies on a child custody evaluator or Guardian Ad Litem (GAL), it is not…
Klein v. Klein - 2025 UT App 170 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS AMBER KLEIN, Appellee, v. MELVIN JAMES KLEIN, Appellant. Opinion No. 20240231-CA Filed November 20, 2025 Sixth District…
Utah law allows a child to be represented by an attorney—either a guardian ad litem (GAL) when there are allegations of child abuse, or by a private guardian ad litem…
A candid, experience-based guide for parents who need the truth without varnish or theatrics. Not every case involves manipulation. Not every professional fails. But when these problems occur—and they do—the…
This is not unusual: a spouse suddenly “doesn’t own anything,” yet somehow pays the taxes, insurance, maintenance, or mortgage on a house that’s titled in Mom’s name. Or money gets…
If you have spent any time searching for information about alimony, you already know the truth: most people hate the idea of paying it, most people love the idea of…
Utah’s child support statutes—now consolidated under Title 81, Chapter 6 of the Utah Code use the term “verification” repeatedly when describing a parent’s duties to provide proof of child health insurance coverage and…
When Utah courts face high-conflict custody disputes, one common suggestion is to appoint what is known as a Private Guardian ad Litem (PGAL)—an attorney ostensibly tasked with “representing the best interests of…
Stephenson v. Stephenson - 2025 UT App 149 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS SHAUNA H. STEPHENSON, Appellee, v. KERRY KAY STEPHENSON, Appellant. Opinion No. 20220469-CA Filed October 17, 2025 Third…
Once discovery closes in your Utah divorce, child custody, or support case, it’s supposed to stay closed. The court expects both sides to be finished gathering evidence and ready for…
When discovery closes in your Utah divorce, child custody, or support case, you can’t keep gathering (or using at trial) new evidence unless it fits a very narrow exception.Many people…
When discovery closes in your Utah divorce, child custody, or support case, that’s the official end of the evidence-gathering phase. You can’t send out new discovery requests, And you can’t…
Utah judges and commissioners can—and many often do—bend or ignore laws/rules and facts. Learn how this happens, why appellate oversight rarely corrects it, and what litigants can do to protect…
Utah divorce and family courts sometimes wander into nanny-court social engineering, issuing orders that treat parents like fools and/or helpless children who can’t be trusted to act sensibly without judicial…
Disappointment Is Not Synonymous with Misunderstanding Divorce and custody cases are full of hard choices, unfamiliar rules, and outcomes no one loves. It’s normal to be disappointed when a judge…
Divorce is hard enough without turning it into a credibility war. Alimony — what Utah law calls “spousal support” — exists to help a financially disadvantaged spouse transition without being…
In Utah, you can share in your spouse’s lottery winnings if the divorce is still pending. After the divorce is final, you cannot reopen the property settlement, but the winnings…
“Remember that most people will pretend to operate in your interest while operating in their own.” —Ray Dalio Dalio wasn’t talking about family courts when he wrote this, but he…
Utah law does not impose a mandatory “standard parent-time” schedule. The schedules in Utah Code § 81-9-302 are only possible options for courts to consider. In practice, however, judges often adopt them with little…
The explosion of text messages, emails, and social media has had a significant impact on divorce litigation. The Shift: From He Said/She Said to Digital Receipts Not long ago, custody…
One’s divorce case rarely falls apart just because it is legally or factually weak. More often, it’s the divorcing parties themselves who complicate their cases through avoidable mistakes. Courts in…
In Utah, as in other states, courts deciding child custody and parent-time disputes are charged with applying the “best interests of the child” standard. That standard is necessary, but it…
Don’t divorce lawyers make mediation harder and more expensive? I'm a divorce lawyer, and I'll be the first to admit it: sometimes lawyers can do more harm than good in the…
World War II’s silk shortage forced the military to abandon a comfortable default; nylon parachutes—stronger, cheaper, and mass-producible—started as a substitute and became the superior standard. COVID-19 did the same…
When people discover that his or her husband or wife is committing crimes or has been convicted of crimes, they often panic. One of the first questions we hear in…
One of the most painful parts of a divorce can be if children seem to pull away from you. It’s a situation many divorced and separated parents face: after a…
In Utah custody disputes, Guardians ad Litem (GALs) and custody evaluators can have enormous influence over the outcome, often so much so that it’s far more than the law actually…
Forgiveness is a deeply personal decision, and in the context of abuse it can be a life-altering one. But understand that “forgiving” your spouse for abusing you or your children…
TL;DR: If you can’t afford your Utah divorce attorney anymore, tell him/her immediately. You may be able to arrange a payment plan, switch to limited scope services, or proceed on your…
Are you thinking about offering a settlement in your Utah divorce or child custody case? Here is what you should consider before you make the first move — including how…
Do you wonder whether your divorce lawyer is ignoring what really matters in your divorce or custody case? With this post you will learn why your concerns may be legally…
Divorce or custody litigation often brings out the worst in people. Some spouses can't resist the urge to play the victim or the hero in every story they tell, especially…