Nix v. Nix – 2022 UT App 83- insufficient evidence of adultery

2022 UT App 83 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS JILL NIX, Appellee, v. ROLAND COMPTON NIX JR., Appellant. Opinion No. 20200691-CA Filed June 30, 2022 Fourth District Court, Provo Department…

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How do you win financially in a divorce?

It depends upon what you mean by “win financially.” Man divorcing people define this term differently, and the differences are extreme.   Some people define "winning financially" as:  coming away from…

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Why do people get married only to divorce a few years later?

Why do people get married only to divorce a few years later? Doesn't really sound like love to me.  With the exception of those divorces that take place shortly after…

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How do I stop being afraid of divorcing?

How do I stop being afraid of divorcing? I’m so scared. I’ve been a stay-at-home mother for 18 years. I have health issues. I don’t know if I can provide…

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Duffin v. Duffin – 2022 UT App 60

2022 UT App 60 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS JAMES M. DUFFIN III, Appellee and Cross-appellant, v. BRANDY E. DUFFIN, Appellant and Cross-appellee. Opinion No. 20200361-CA Filed May 12, 2022 Third District Court, West Jordan Department…

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Beckham v. Beckham, 2022 UT App 65

2022 UT App 65 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS VICKI BECKHAM, Appellee, v. RANDALL BECKHAM, Appellant. Opinion No. 20200935-CA Filed May 19, 2022 Third District Court, Salt Lake Department The…

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What will the court do if I do not pick up a letter my ex husband sent?

What will the court do if I do not pick up a letter my ex husband sent that needs to be signed by me from the courts about his back…

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Law from a legal assistant’s point of view, week 46

Law from a legal assistant’s point of view, week 46: Simplify, but do so Elegantly  By Quinton Lister, legal assistant   As a legal assistant to a divorce attorney, I find…

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Horne v. Horne – 2022 UT App 54 – 60(b) motion to set aside

2022 UT App 54 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS REBECCA A. HORNE, Appellee, v. TODD D. HORNE, Appellant. Opinion No. 20200845-CA Filed April 28, 2022 Third District Court, Salt Lake…

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What are the most empirically robust factors that predict divorce?

What are the most empirically robust (causal) factors that predict marital dissolution (divorce)?  I can give you my guess as to what I believe a rigorous study would reveal based…

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Why isn’t 50/50 custody the default resolution in child custody cases?

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…

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Twitchell v. Twitchell – 2022 UT App 49 – child custody and support

Twitchell v. Twitchell - 2022 UT App 49 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS JAZMIN S. TWITCHELL, Appellee, V. JOSEPH N. TWITCHELL, Appellant. Opinion No. 20200546-CA Filed April 14, 2022 First…

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Corona-Leyva v. Hartman – 2022 UT App 45 – civil stalking injunction

Corona-Leyva v. Hartman - 2022 UT App 45 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS  SERGIO CORONA-LEYVA,   Appellee,   JESUS HARTMAN,   Appellant.  Opinion  No. 20200948-CA  Filed April 7, 2022  Fourth District Court, Provo…

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Widdison v. Widdison – 2022 UT App 46 – custody modification

Widdison v. Widdison - 2022 UT App 46   THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS  NICOLE WIDDISON, Appellant,  LEON BRYANT WIDDISON,  Appellee.  Opinion  No. 20200484-CA  Filed April 7, 2022  Third District…

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Knowles v. Knowles – UT App 47

Knowles v. Knowles - UT App 47  THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS  DUANE CROFT KNOWLES, Appellant, v. CELIA FERN KNOWLES, Appellee.  Opinion  No. 20200032  Filed April 7, 2022  Second District…

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Why is the Divorce Rate Higher than Ever?

First, the divorce rate is not currently higher than ever. It has been higher in the past. Unfortunately, the reason the divorce rate is declining is likely because fewer people…

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Why do spurned spouses often refuse to cooperate in their own divorce proceedings?

Why do spurned spouses often refuse to participate in certain aspects of their own divorce proceedings despite the headache it creates for all parties involved? Spurned spouses sometimes refuse to…

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Pending divorce spouse has moved out and stopped paying bills.

Pending divorce spouse has moved out and stopped paying bills. Should I report to my attorney or just wait until we go to court?  Report this to your attorney immediately. There are…

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Law from a legal assistant’s point of view, week 36: Planning

By Quinton Lister, legal assistant  Planning is something that I have always aspired to do in my life but being a legal assistant has helped me realize that there is…

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Why are child support and custody attorneys so expensive?

Because the work:  requires a lot of knowledge of both the written (and unwritten*) rules that most people don’t have the time, interest, or ability to learn and apply correctly;…

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What advice would you give to someone whose divorce is going to court?

What advice would you give to someone who has just become one of the parties in a divorce proceeding?  #1. Know this: divorce law and the divorce process are almost…

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Erickson v. Erickson – 2022 UT App 27

THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS DEAN ERICKSON, Appellee, v. JANICE ERICKSON, Appellant. Opinion No. 20200193-CA Filed March 3, 2022 Third District Court, Salt Lake Department The Honorable Todd M. Shaughnessy…

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Hillam v. Hillam – 2022 UT App 24 – final and appealable ruling, rule 54(b)

2022 UT App 24 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS JOHN DINSDALE HILLAM, Petitioner, v. TARA HILLAM, Respondent and Appellant, v. DUSTIN HANCOCK AS INVESTMENT TRUSTEE, Respondent and Appellee. Opinion No.…

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True or false: Better to divorce than have a miserable life.

This blog post is in response to this question:  I don't think it's bad to get a divorce. I think it's more unhealthy to have miserable lives. — Ginger Wynn. What are…

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What is the best DIY book about divorce in the U.S.?

There isn’t one. There can’t be. I’ll explain why and what you can and should do if you want to go the DIY divorce by the book route.  The main…

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2022 UT App 15 – Miller v. DaSilva – protective order objections

2022 UT App 15 - Miller v. DaSilva http://www.utcourts.gov/opinions/view.html?court=appopin&opinion=Miller v. Dasilva20220203_20200719_15.pdf THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS LISA M. MILLER, Appellant, v. AMY ELIZABETH DASILVA, Appellee. Opinion No. 20200719-CA Filed February…

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Hinds v Hinds-Holm – 2022 UT App 13 – child custody award factors

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,…

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What to do when child won’t comply with the custody award?

What will happen if the court ruled in favor of a mother to have the custody of her child but the child refuses to go with her and she prefers…

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What is the basis for everything I have to do for my Utah divorce case?

What is the legal basis for all the hoops I have to jump through in my Utah divorce case? This is a great question. It’s a question I often ask…

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Wadsworth v. Wadsworth – 2022 UT App 5 – marital estate

2022 UT App 5  THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS  CANDI WADSWORTH, Appellant, v. GUY L. WADSWORTH, Appellee.  Opinion No. 20190106-CA No. 20200430-CA Filed January 13, 2022  Third District Court, Salt…

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Sanders v. Sanders – 2021 UT App 122

2021 UT App 122  THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS  KRISTINE L. SANDERS, Appellee,  v. TRAVIS JAMES SANDERS, Appellant.  Opinion  No. 20200618-CA  Filed November 12, 2021  Third District Court, Salt Lake Department  The Honorable Todd M. Shaughnessy …

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Johansen v. Johansen – 2021 UT App 130 – compliance with court rules

2021 UT App 130  THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS  COLTEN JOHANSEN,  Appellee,  KATHY JOHANSEN,  Appellant.  Opinion  No. 20200234-CA  Filed November 26, 2021  Second District Court, Ogden Department  The Honorable Joseph…

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Fischer v. Fischer – 2021 UT App 145 – marital vs. separate property

THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS  GARY LEE FISCHER, Appellant, v. MELISSA KAY FISCHER, Appellee.  Opinion  No. 20200557-CA  Filed December 30, 2021  Seventh District Court, Moab Department  The Honorable Don Torgerson …

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What is a costly part of divorce that almost no one thinks of ahead of time?

Every aspect of divorce. Every single one.  Two cannot live separately and divorced for less than they did together.  Litigation is mind-bogglingly expensive and protracted.  Even an uncontested divorce can…

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Christmas/Winter Break for Parents Under the Utah Code

Christmas/Winter Break for Parents Under Utah Code § 30-3-35 or (§ 30-3-35.5 for a child 18 months and older) If your Christmas/Winter break starts December 17, 2021 and ends January…

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Law from a legal assistant’s point of view, week 18: Financial Declarations and Initial Disclosures

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…

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What is the first step if you get served with papers for divorce?

Rip off that band-aid and go see a lawyer immediately. Not “as soon as possible,” right now. Now. Without delay. Without any delay.  Yes, I know you don’t trust lawyers. I know…

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Law from a legal assistant’s point of view, week 14: Preparedness and Honesty

By Quinton Lister, Legal Assistant My new job as a legal assistant to a divorce attorney has opened my eyes to the necessity of preparation. There are emergencies and surprises…

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McQuarrie v. McQuarrie – 2021 UT 22 – termination of continuation of alimony

MCQUARRIE v. MCQUARRIE - 2021 UT 22 In the Supreme Court of Utah. Melvin C. MCQUARRIE, Appellant, v. Janette Colledge MCQUARRIE aka Janette Kendall, Appellee. No. 20190902-SC Heard March 5,…

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What is one thing you wish you would have added in your divorce parenting plan?

Here are some provisions that I have seen divorce litigants who did not include them in their divorce settlement agreements wish were included:  a “loser pays” clause for 1) when…

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How do I get free legal advice from a family law attorney on the custody of my 2 nieces?

In my experience, free legal advice is worth what you pay for it, but I understand that there are some (even many) who simply cannot afford an attorney (or believe…

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How does the legal system protect the visitation rights of non-custodial parents?

How? Not very well, generally.  But before I elaborate, let’s ask and answer this question first: is the legal system designed to protect the visitation (“visitation” is also known as…

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How does a divorce and separation from one parent affect children’s future relationships? Can this cause trust issues or commitment issues in the kids’ future relationship?  

Can this cause trust issues or commitment issues in the kids’ future relationship? Yes, of course.   How? When the children have witnessed and experienced the destruction of their parents’ relationship—a relationship…

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MacFarland v. MacFarland – 2021 UT App 58

021 UT App 58  THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS  BRUCE RAY MCFARLAND, Appellant and Cross-appellee,  v.  NICOLE S. MCFARLAND, Appellee and Cross-appellant.  Opinion  No. 20190541-CA  Filed June 4, 2021  Second…

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Do you think it’s fair that Brad Pitt got joint custody of his kids? 

Normally, I do not like to comment on the intersection of pop culture and family law because quite often, what happens in a celebrity divorce or child custody dispute does…

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