Can I get a cost-free divorce if, say, my spouse is verbally and emotionally abusive?

Can I get a cost-free divorce if, say, my spouse is verbally and emotionally abusive? In a sense, yes, but not because of a finding that your spouse “verbally and…

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Utah Courts “Divorce Education for Children” program is free of charge

The Utah Courts provide a "Divorce Education for Children" program that is free of charge for children 9-12 years of age whose parents are divorcing. More information about the program…

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What does it take to get the court to award custody to the father?

What does it take to get the court to award custody to the father? Either: A) a miracle or B) the mother has to be so clearly an unfit parent…

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Can one spouse or the other avoid paying taxes on a joint tax?

Can one spouse or the other avoid paying taxes on a joint tax? Tax law does not require married couples to file joint income tax returns simply by virtue of…

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Are prenuptial agreements used only to avoid divorce settlements?

Are prenuptial agreements used only to avoid divorce settlements? Prenuptial agreements are used primarily to avoid the expense, the misery, and the waste of time divorce actions can (and usually…

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Why do people need legal advisors if all the laws can be found on the Internet?

Why do people need legal advisors (I'm not referring to litigators) if all the laws can be found on the Internet? Good question, and the answer is simple and clear:…

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How do courts view mothers who abandon their family during a divorce?

How does the court view mothers that abandon their family during a divorce? Generally, with disbelief, at first. Why? A few reasons. One, to its credit, our culture still holds…

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“It’s pretty awful, but do you have a better alternative?”

“It’s pretty awful, but do you have a better alternative?” I was asked the following question in response to this answer I gave to a question on Quora.com: https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-dirty-secrets-a-lawyer-wishes-they-could-tell-us-but-can-t/answer/Eric-Johnson-311 Here…

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Home Heartbreak: People Divulge the Home Details of Their Divorce

Home Heartbreak: People Divulge the Home Details of Their Divorce (from Porch.com https://porch.com/resource/home-heartbreak) Life is full of transitions. We all remember moving out of our childhood home. For many of…

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Spouse abused me emotionally, so I get more money in divorce now, right?

My spouse abused me emotionally, so I get more money in divorce now, right? Strongly believing or feeling that “I deserve” an unequal division of the marital estate does not…

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I hired an attorney. I’m so scared how my ex will react.

How can I calm my nerves? I hired an attorney to help with my child custody case against my BPD ex. I’m so scared of what he will do when…

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Why does a parent asking questions turn into a trial?

Why does a parent asking questions turn into a trial? A parent questioning a child often turns into “a trial” when either 1) the child questioned is guilty of wrongdoing…

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For divorced parents: why isn’t your custody award 50/50?

For divorced parents: why isn't your custody award 50/50? Concisely (and in no particular order): sometimes a parent’s job, physical or mental/emotional disabilities, misconduct (like domestic violence, child abuse, or…

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Can a mother keeping the children from the father work against in custody litigation?

Can a mother not allowing the father to see his child without reason work against her in litigation for joint custody? Would the father having children from another relationship living…

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If you haven’t seen “Erasing Family” and you’re going through a child custody dispute

If you haven’t seen "Erasing Family" and you’re going through a child custody dispute, you should. You really should. Because you really don't have any idea what you're in for.…

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How can we change the court system in order to make divorces easier on the children?

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…

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Do I have a chance in divorce court without a lawyer? Do I really need one?

A chance? Sure. You have a chance. And you have a chance of winning the lottery, just not a very good chance of it. You may not want to read…

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Should we award custody to the parent who is a lower risk for COVID-19?

Should we award custody to the parent who is a lower risk for COVID-19? Is it reasonable to give custody to the parent who is a lower health risk to…

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Why is it so common for parents to become outright enemies after divorce?

Why is it so common for parents to become outright enemies after a divorce? I have represented people in divorce who were pure as the driven snow, innocent as lambs,…

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What’s the difference between legal custody and physical custody?

Here's a question many parents have: what is the legal definition of “joint legal custody” and “joint physical custody” in Utah when it comes to the custody of children? Is…

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Is it advantageous to lie and sling mud at the other parent to win custody?

Today's question is: Is it advantageous for the father to file with the court a 2 page document of fabricated lies about mother in a child custody battle as part…

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There’s No Situation That Can’t Be Made Worse by Calling the Police

There's No Situation That Can't Be Made Worse by Calling the Police By Brian Godfrey I was talking with someone about divorce and family law situations the other day and…

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Do the family courts in the U.S. tend to favor the mother over the father?

Do the family courts in the U.S. tend to favor the mother over the father? Generally, yes. The courts are slowly, but noticeably, becoming less biased in favor of mothers…

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Can my ex use the panic over Coronavirus/COVID-19 to withhold the kids from me?

“Can my ex use the panic over Coronavirus/COVID-19 to withhold the kids from me?” “Will I still be free to pick my son up at the end of the week…

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Is it possible to be a stay-at-home mom after a divorce?

Is it possible to be a stay-at-home mom to a young child after a divorce? Possible? Sure. Easy? No. Likely? No. What are the current options for being a stay-at-home…

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Should I be nice to my spouse during a divorce?

That depends on what you mean by “nice”. Do you mean “with kindness”? Not necessarily kindness, but certainly decency. You are morally obligated to treat your spouse with decency, but…

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Must I engage in all-day divorce mediation or some other time period?

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…

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2020 UT App 21 – UTAH COURT OF APPEALS – common law marriage

2020 UT App 21 - THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS JULIE RIVET, Appellant, v. LOUIS HOPPIE, Appellee. Opinion No. 20181018-CA Filed February 13, 2020 First District Court, Logan Department The…

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How does a narcissist continue to fool a family court judge?

How does a narcissist continue to fool a family court judge? How does a narcissist continue to fool a family court judge? Because there's almost never a way to prove…

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