Can I serve my spouse with divorce papers in person and have them notarized?
Can I serve my spouse with divorce papers in person and have them notarized? In Utah, no. But here is how (see Utah Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 4(d)) you…
How unemployment or under-employment affects child support
QUESTION: I was looking into child support laws, I am confused about how involuntary vs. voluntary unemployment or under-employment affects the child support obligation. If a non-custodial parent wants to…
Yes, there is a bias in favor of mothers in child custody disputes, but not for much longer.
Wednesday, March 7, 2018 I recently saw this post on a child custody Facebook group: If [fathers] want to piss and moan, and whine online about injustice and not being…
Can the divorce go through if you have not been served divorce papers?
Question: Can the divorce go through if you have not been served divorce papers? Answer: No divorce action can be decided and a judgment entered unless the defendant or respondent…
Can I represent myself in a child custody dispute and win?
Can I represent myself in child custody matters of my own children and win? What you really mean is, “Can I represent myself in child custody matters of my own…
My ex claims snow days and teacher development days are all his. How does Utah law govern this?
QUESTION: My ex keeps bringing up snow days and teacher development days and claims he gets them all. How does Utah law govern this? ANSWER: First, do unto others as…
Sandusky v. Sandusky – 2018 UT App 34 (23-Feb-2018) – bifurcation, separation agreement, court discretion
2018 UT App 34 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS KYLEE J. SANDUSKY, Appellee, GEORGE A. SANDUSKY, Appellant. Opinion No. 20160131-CA Filed February 23, 2018 Third District Court, Silver Summit Department…
What happens if a child does not sleep in another room?
What happens if a child does not sleep in another room? I am a divorce lawyer who encounters this (rather silly) “issue” in child custody cases frequently. And here is…
Is the money I earn at my job during the marriage marital property?
Are my earnings from my job that I earned during the marriage marital property? Almost certainly. Black’s Law Dictionary defines “marital property” as follows: Property that is acquired during marriage…
Paulsen v. Paulsen (2018 UT App 19) – alimony modification
2018 UT App 19 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS LYNESSA MICHELLE ANDERSON, Appellee, LOREN PRICE ANDERSON, Appellant. Opinion No. 20160507-CA Filed February 1, 2018 Fourth District Court, Provo Department The…
Paulsen v. Paulsen (2018 UT App 22 ) – modification of alimony
2018 UT App 22 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS HOLLY PAULSEN, Appellee, KEITH PAULSEN, Appellant. Opinion No. 20151014-CA Filed February 1, 2018 Second District Court, Farmington Department The Honorable Robert…
What divorce does and does not do
What divorce does and does not do. What divorce does. There can be no divorce without a marriage. Well, not exactly.[i] Let’s put it this way instead: if you are…
What if I don’t want custody of my child post-divorce?
What if I don't want custody of my child post-divorce? If the other parent is 1) fit to exercise custody of the child(ren) and 2) willing to take custody of…
What is the best way to get the courts to follow the laws already on books and the constitution for custody battles?
What is the best way to get the courts to follow the laws already on the books and the constitution for custody battles? To be frank, in my opinion there…
As a divorce lawyer, what is the most petty thing one of your clients had you do?
QUESTION: As a divorce lawyer, what is the most petty thing one of your clients had you do? ANSWER: Thanks for the question. The answer is: nothing. Legal whores do…
Why does the mom usually win custody of her kids in a divorce?
Why does the mom usually win custody of her kids in a divorce? Why are mother's awarded child custody so often? There is one main reason, and many ancillary reasons,…
Cool as a Cucumber: How to Testify Successfully at Your Deposition or in Court in a Domestic Relations Case
Cool as a Cucumber[1]: HOW TO TESTIFY SUCCESSFULLY AT YOUR DEPOSITION OR IN COURT IN A DOMESTIC RELATIONS CASE [1] This phrase (c. 1732) derives from ancient folk knowledge confirmed by…
Look, I know you want to believe mediation is the magic pill for divorce but you’re missing a crucial point
Way too many mediators (whether of the collaborative stripe or other persuasion) insinuate that 1) divorce without mediation is doomed to anger and misery; and 2) merely engaging in mediation…
What if two divorced parents have joint legal custody, but one parent has physical custody of the children more than 50% of the time?
Question: What if two divorced parents have joint legal custody, but one parent has physical custody of the children more than 50% of the time? What effect can this have…
My ex just announced he’s taking the children during my parent-time.
QUESTION: I have a question about parent-time inference. My ex-husband is taking the children out of town last minute and his plans overlap and will interfere with my holiday parent-time.…
5 Things Divorce Will Never Save You From
5 Things Divorce Will Never Save You From Make sure you know what you're doing before you make a decision you can't undo. Are you feeling frustrated, unsatisfied, and even…
Can I sue for the child support I paid after our child started living with me?
QUESTION: Can I sue my child's mother for the child support that was deducted from my pay after our child started living with me, in my home? ANSWER: Utah Code…
Why get a divorce lawyer who thinks and acts like a judge, not like a spouse, and not like a hired gun?
Why get a divorce lawyer who thinks and acts like a judge, not like a spouse, and not like a hired gun? The best divorce lawyer is not someone who…
How can I call my 10-year-old as a witness to say where she would like to live?
QUESTION: How can I call my 10-year-old as a witness in family court to say where she would like to live, and why? ANSWER: First, you may want to re-think your…
Why do Utah divorce courts rarely award attorney fees to the prevailing party?
Why do Utah divorce courts so rarely award attorney's fees to the prevailing party? Such a great question, and one that I have to answer with every case, every client.…
What if my spouse won’t complete the divorce orientation and education courses?
What if my spouse will not complete the divorce orientation and education courses for parents? Can the judge still grant the divorce? Yes. You can file a motion notifying the…
Can a Child Be Held in Contempt of Court for Non-compliance with Child Custody and Parent-time Orders?
A minor child of divorced parents need not be a party to the divorce action to be subject to the court’s contempt power. See Crank v. Utah Judicial Council, 20…
McQuarrie v. McQuarrie – appealable order
2017 UT App 209 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS MELVIN MCQUARRIE, Appellant, JANETTE COLLEDGE MCQUARRIE, Appellee. Per Curiam Opinion No. 20170720-CA Filed November 16, 2017 Third District Court, Salt Lake Department…
How long is too long for a court to take a family law case under advisement?
In Utah, where I practice, the period of time that a judge has to render a decision on a matter that is submitted for final determination is provided in Utah…
Today the court ordered me to pay child support, leaving me $6/month to spend feeding myself. What can I do?
Is it really true that the child support award leaves you literally with $6 per month? Let me explain why I ask. In Utah, where I practice, we have statutory…
Are Settlement Negotiations in a Divorce Case Admissible Evidence?
Is there a legal remedy where an ex-husband and wife in the middle of a custody battle can speak freely and off the record through their lawyers without fear of…
What is the function of bailiff in court?
What is the function of bailiff in court? In Utah, where I practice, they are officers of the county sheriff or city police department who are in the courtroom to…
Do you think current divorce laws are biased against men?
Do you think the current divorce laws are biased against men? In my experienced opinion, yes (and I speak as one who represents both women and men in divorce where…
The court gave Mom full custody of me; can I live with Dad instead?
QUESTION: The court gave my mom full custody of me, can I live with my father without her doing anything about it? ANSWER: First, we start with the obligatory “don’t…
Christmas Break Parent-time 2017 – how it works
NOTE: this will explain how to calculate Christmas break parent-time for any period, in any year (but we'll use 2017 as an example). QUESTION: I'm trying to figure out what day…
Defending Yourself Against a Protective Order
My friend is a good man. His wife is crazy. She put a protection order against him, to help manipulate the court proceedings. What should he do? Defend himself with…
What do the police think of lawyers?
What do the police think of lawyers? Generally, we don’t like or trust each other. And for good reason. I’m an attorney. I don’t like most law enforcement officers because…
Vesey v. Nelson – 2017 UT App 77 – reimbursement for daycare expenses – timely request – laches – Utah Code § 78B-12-214(2) and (3)
2017 UT App 77 - THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS ANDREW VEYSEY, Appellee, v. ALEXIS NELSON, Appellant. Opinion No. 20150609-CA Filed May 4, 2017 Third District Court, Salt Lake Department The Honorable…
How can I serve my spouse with my complaint for divorce if I can’t find my spouse’s address?
How can I file for divorce if I can't find my spouse's address? In Utah, if you can persuade the court with which you have filed your law suit that…
How can I speak freely and off the record with my spouse without what’s I say being used against me?
QUESTION: Is there a legal remedy where an ex-husband and wife in the middle of a custody battle can speak freely and off the record through their lawyers without fear…
Vanderzon v. Vanderzon – 2017 UT App 150 – August 17, 2017 – custody on relocation, alimony, and attorney fees
Vanderzon v. Vanderzon - 2017 UT App 150 - August 17, 2017 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS HEIDI KIRSTEN VANDERZON, Appellant, v. JOHN MATTHIAS VANDERZON, Appellee. Opinion No. 20140946-CA Filed…
DeAvila v. DeAvila, 2017 UT App 146 (August 10, 2017) – what is marital property? – how is marital property valued?
DeAvila v. DeAvila, 2017 UT App 146 (August 10, 2017) ----------------------------------------- THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS CRISTY DEAVILA, Appellant, v. PERICLES DEAVILA, Appellee. ----------------------------------------- Opinion No. 20160024-CA Filed August 10,…
Is there a way to stop ORS from taking child support directly out of my pay checks?
QUESTION: Is there a way to stop ORS from taking child support directly out of my pay checks? For the first 10 years of my husband’s divorce decree, he and…
Rule v. Rule – 2017 UT App 137 (August 3, 2017) – alimony – standard of living
Rule v. Rule - 2017 UT App 137 (August 3, 2017) – alimony – standard of living THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS GEOFFREY S. RULE, Appellee, v. RICHELLE RULE, Appellant.…
White v. White – 2017 UT App 140 (August 3, 2017) – division of marital assets – homestead exemption – proper service
White v. White - 2017 UT App 140 (August 3, 2017) - division of marital assets - homestead exemption - proper service THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS DEAN WHITE, Appellant,…
MacDonald v. MacDonald, 2017 UT App 136 (August 3, 2017) – modification of alimony – unforeseeable circumstances
MacDonald v. MacDonald, 2017 UT App 136 (August 3, 2017) THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS KIRKPATRICK MACDONALD, Appellant, v. LEE ANNE MACDONALD, Appellee. Opinion No. 20150785-CA Filed August 3, 2017…
Christensen v. Christensen – 2017 UT App 120 – July 20, 2017
Christensen v. Christensen - 2017 UT App 120 - July 20, 2017 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS ELENA KAY CHRISTENSEN, Appellee, v. BRENT CHRISTENSEN, Appellant. Opinion No. 20150994-CA Filed July…
Can a 16 year old sleep with a 10 year old?
Can a 16 year old sleep with a 10 year old? If by your question you mean to ask, "Can a 16-year-old child sleep in the same bed with a…
How do I stay calm during my divorce deposition when my ex has told extreme lies about me?
QUESTION: How do I stay calm during my divorce deposition when my ex has told extreme lies about me? My ex gave his depo first. He said things that made…