My Spouse Tells Me She Is Going to File a Motion for Temporary Orders. What Does That Mean?
I’m just at the beginning stages of a divorce case, but already in the thick of it. My spouse tells me she is going to have her lawyer file a…
As a Joint Legal and Physical Custodial Parent, Can I Legally Prevent the Other Parent From Going on a Vacation (Either Out of State or Out of the Country) With Our Child or Children?
Unless a court were to order that a parent was barred from traveling out of state or out of the country with the children on vacation, a joint legal and…
If One Parent Gets Primary Custody, Does This Mean That He/She Can Make All Decisions Regarding the Kids Without Any Input From the Other Parent?
There are two kinds of child custody, not just one. Those two different kinds are legal custody and physical custody. Legal custody is the power of a parent to make…
Knight v. Knight – 2023 UT App 86 – trusts and alimony
Knight v. Knight - 2023 UT App 86 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS JARED M. KNIGHT, Appellee, v. REBECCA B. KNIGHT, Appellant. Opinion No. 20210080-CA Filed August 10, 2023 Third…
Why Don’t All Divorced Wives Get Half of Their Husbands’ Property?
Because divorce is not about a spouse (man or woman) getting “half of everything”. Depending upon whether a state is a “community property” state or an “equitable distribution” state, here…
Court Proceedings from the Perspective of a New Legal Assistant By Braxton Mounteer
I have finished my first week as a legal assistant. In that time, I have been to a few court proceedings. Previous to taking this job as a legal assistant,…
2023 UT App 62 – Cox v. Cox – Adequacy of Court Findings
2023 UT App 62 - Cox v. Cox THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS BLANCHE COX, Appellee, v. JAMES A. COX, Appellant. Opinion No. 20210455-CA Filed June 8, 2023 Fourth District…
How Long Does a Child Custody Court Hearing Take?
rprise that it usually takes much less time and effort to prepare for a proffer hearing than preparing for a full evidentiary hearing. In a proffer hearing the client won’t…
Tithing Can Be a Legitimate Personal Expense in the Context of Determining the Alimony Award
Whether my recollection is true or not, I remember being taught in law school that tithing and other regular charitable giving cannot be treated as a personal expense deduction in…
Mower v. Mower – 2023 UT App 10 – Death of Spouse Before Court Rules
2023 UT App 10 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS LIDIA V. MOWER, Appellant, v. THOMAS W. MOWER, Appellee. Opinion No. 20210101-CA Filed January 20, 2023 Fourth District Court, American Fork…
Knowlton v. Knowlton – 2023 UT App 16
Knowlton v. Knowlton - 2023 UT App 16 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS SHONDELL SWENSON KNOWLTON, Appellee, v. BRADLEY LEWIS KNOWLTON, Appellant. Opinion No. 20200483-CA Filed February 9, 2023 Second…
Mintz v. Mintz – 2023 UT App 17
Mintz v. Mintz - 2023 UT App 17 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS RAYNA ELIZABETH MINTZ, Appellant and Cross-appellee, v. GLEN RYAN MINTZ, Appellee and Cross-appellant. Opinion No. 20200507-CA Filed…
Myers v. Myers 2023 UT App 20 – Alimony Modification
Myers v. Myers 2023 UT App 20 2023 UT App 20 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS AMY R. MYERS, Appellee, v. JACOB W. MYERS, Appellant. Opinion No. 20220002-CA Filed March…
Wellman v. Kawasaki – 2023 UT App 11 – Alimony
2023 UT App 11 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS DAVID WELLMAN, Appellee, v. KRISTIN KAWASAKI, Appellant. Opinion No. 20210265-CA Filed February 2, 2023 Fourth District Court, Provo Department The Honorable…
What Are the Divorce Laws in Utah?
While visiting a lawyer’s website is not a bad place to look for answers to this question, it is not the best. If you want to know the divorce laws…
Should I file for a no-fault divorce or for an uncontested divorce?
My spouse and I have no children together and own no property together. Should I file for a no-fault divorce or for an uncontested divorce? It's not a question of…
What does temporary custody without prejudice mean?
It means that the child custody order is a temporary, as opposed to a permanent and final, order of the court. Why would a court enter a temporary child custody…
How do I file a response in a divorce if the summons is invalid?
How do I file a response in a divorce if missing the court’s address for filing invalidates the summons? Be very careful getting cute with procedural technicalities. If you were…
Is the Johnny Depp divorce trial actually newsworthy?
The divorce trial wasn’t all that newsworthy or memorable (celebrities divorcing is expected), it’s his defamation trial against his ex-wife that is newsworthy. Why? Although his defamation case is not…
Do you have any experience on how to challenge a void judgment in a family court?
Thanks for asking such a good question. The answer, as it applies in the jurisdiction where I practice divorce and family law (Utah), is found in Utah Rules of Civil…
How does employment effect finances in divorce?
Are Couples in which the husband didn’t have a full-time job had a chance of divorcing the following year, compared to couples in which the husband did have a full-time…
Child refuses to exercise shared custody with the stricter parent
Teenager Child (16) refuses to see me after spending a month with my ex. I have 50% custody. What can I do about it? I'm a stricter parent unlike my…
Why is it so easy to get married, and so hard to get divorced?
Why is it so easy to get married, and so hard to get divorced? Shouldn’t it be the other way around? This is a perceptive question. It would not not…
If you get a divorce but everything is in your name, do you have to split it?
If you get a divorce but everything is in your name, do you get to keep everything or do you have to split it? I will answer your question in…
How do you win a case against your ex for false accusations?
If you find an attorney who knows a sure-fire, fail-safe way to defend an ex-spouse or an ex-boyfriend/ex-girlfriend against “false accusations,” that attorney is likely a multimillionaire because possessing such…
What will the court do if I do not sign a letter sent by my ex-husband?
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 court ordered alimony…
Is it easier to get a divorce if you and your spouse have nothing shared?
Is it easier to get a divorce if you and your spouse have no debts, no shared property, and no children? Typically, generally, usually, yes. In the overwhelming majority of…
Would the divorce rate drop if the parties had to see a psychologist first?
What do you think would be the rate of divorce in marriages if psychologists were to be consulted in court by couples before proceeding to see the lawyer for divorce?…
Fox v. Fox 2022 UT App 88 – alimony
Fox v. Fox 2022 UT App 88 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS DIANN SHERI FOX, Appellant, v. BENJAMIN DAVIS FOX, Appellee. Opinion No. 20200949-CA Filed July 14, 2022 Fifth District…
Can an adult child be sued for helping one parent divorce the other?
Taking your question literally: Can? Yes. You can file a lawsuit for any “reason” or no reason at all. Crazy and/or malicious people file crazy/malicious/frivolous/unintelligible lawsuits all the time. Just…
How do I get a quick, cheap divorce?
Easiest way up front, but usually most foolish, most financially and psychologically expensive in the long term: give your spouse whatever he she wants/demands (while it is possible for your…
Is there anything that can surprise a judge during a divorce proceeding?
Is there anything that can surprise a judge during a contested divorce proceeding? Of course. We’ve all read about cases where all of the circumstantial evidence indicated the defendant is…
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…
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…
Is the percentage of married people getting a divorce still about 50%?
Is the percentage of married people getting a divorce still about 50%, or is it now higher? It’s actually a bit less than 50% currently and for the past few years. This…
Is hiding money from your spouse grounds for divorce?
In the age of no-fault divorce, you don’t really need to have a good reason (or any reason at all) to get a divorce. So if your spouse is hiding…
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…
Can you go back to your ex-spouse after a divorce?
Yes, there is no law (I know of in any jurisdiction of which I am aware, but check in your jurisdiction to be sure) against a divorced couple resuming a…
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…
Law from a legal assistant’s point of view, week 45
By Quinton Lister, legal assistant I work for a divorce attorney, but I am not pro divorce. I understand that if there were no divorces I would be “out of…
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…
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…
Law from a legal assistant’s point of view, week 38: Arb-med, part II
By Quinton Lister, legal assistant Last week I wrote a post about Arb-med and how it can benefit practitioners of law, particularly family law. In this post I will be…
Law from a legal assistant’s point of view, week 37: Arb-med
By Quinton Lister, legal assistant I have mentioned in previous posts that I am interested in the field of alternative dispute resolution, or “ADR”. What is ADR? Its any means…
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…
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;…
Which is the best matrimonial site in the USA with a free trial?
There are many websites with lots of free information that is good. The problem is being able to tell the good content from the bad. This is why, whether you…
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…
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…
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…