Yes, it’s true; this happens sometimes. But more broadly speaking, there are all kinds of situations in divorce where both husbands and wives, fathers and mothers make extortionate deals to…
I cannot answer this question as it applies in all jurisdictions, but I can answer it as it applies in Utah, the jurisdiction where I am licensed to practice divorce…
Alimony is not purely a mathematical formula in Utah, but the governing section of the Utah Code (see Section 81-4-502. Determination of alimony) does relay on some basic addition, subtraction, and division. First,…
Chlarson v. Chlarson - 2024 UT App 160 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS JUSTIN THOMAS CHLARSON, Appellant, v. JACQUELINE NICOLE CHLARSON, Appellee. Opinion No. 20230742-CA Filed November 7, 2024 Second…
2024 UT App 157 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS MARI HOIDAL, Appellee and Cross-appellant, v. JOHN BERRY, Appellant and Cross-appellee. Opinion No. 20220291-CA Filed October 31, 2024 Third District Court,…
Know this first: the best things to do are often easier said than done. That stated, they are not that hard to do, but many are not that appealing to…
Lunt v. Lunt - 2024 UT App 148 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS MEGAN LUNT, Appellee, v. DREW E. LUNT, Appellant. Opinion No. 20220596-CA Filed October 18, 2024 Third District…
Yes. Anyone who denies this fact is lying to you. This does not mean that fathers cannot get a fair shake in child custody cases; they can, but most fathers…
Spouses of selfish, intelligent, and manipulative people who want to avoid a messy legal and emotional battle are not telling the whole truth about what they want. Implicit in what…
Over the course of your divorce, you may be tempted to throw in the towel and give up. You may also be tempted to fight to your last breath. Either…
Great question (the answer will likely scare you and drive you nuts, but it’s a great question). Divorce court is, in many respects, the wild west. No matter what jurisdiction…
During the course of a marriage, you will accumulate marital property, and during your divorce, you will need to divide those items. You may be tempted to bicker over every…
Almost all people going through a divorce say they want the case disposed of as soon as possible, but I have found that most people slow the process down for…
There are literally thousands of lists you can find online that do an excellent job of identifying the reasons accurately, clearly, and concisely. I recommend that you find them and…
Many attorneys and parents who have been through child custody and parent time disputes before will give you some basic and sound advice; specifically, 1) ensure that your arguments have…
During a divorce case, one parent or the other often claims that parental alienation or parental estrangement is occurring. Whether the claim is true does not stop these terms from…
This is an area where the laws differ substantially from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. To know what options may be available to you in your jurisdiction, you need to consult with…
We’ll start with this: The marital estate is generally valued at the time of the divorce decree or trial. Goggin v. Goggin, 2013 UT 16, ¶ 49, 299 P.3d 1079. The…
This question is best answered in two parts. Can a husband dictate what his wife “must do” to reconcile with him? Obviously he cannot. Reconciliation is a mutual decision. Even…
“I want more time with my children.” “Our children want to spend more time with me.” “My ex-spouse does not exercise the time he/she was awarded with our children.” What…
Merrill v. Merrill - 2024 UT App 94 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS LUTISHA MERRILL, Appellee, v. JOHN RICHARD MERRILL, Appellant. Opinion No. 20210785-CA Filed July 11, 2024 Third District…
Thorup v. Thorup - 2024 UT App 93 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS MONA THORUP, Appellee, v. MARCUS THORUP, Appellant. Opinion No. 20220583-CA Filed July 5, 2024 Third District Court, Salt…
Did you know that if you are not fluent in English and have a court date coming up, the court will provide you with an interpreter IF you make the…
If you find yourself involved in a Utah divorce action (whether child support will be an issue or not) or an action over the support of minor children in Utah…
I can’t speak to what the law governing prenuptial agreements is in any jurisdiction other than the one in which I practice divorce and family law (Utah), but as to…
Taking your divorce case to trial is almost always a long, complicated, and emotionally exhausting process. You may be tempted to believe you can leave all of the work to…
Sure, they need that. It is a great idea. Where there is a demand to be filled, markets arise to fill them. It would be a great benefit to people…
Make sure you understand the terms you and others may be using in asking and discussing this question. If you are a parent of minor children, and you are involved…
An accusation that gets thrown around a lot in a divorce action is that a parent doesn’t actually want to spend time with his or her children. Usually it's an…
While I am a divorce and family lawyer (licensed in Utah), I do not claim to be an expert on the subject of prenuptial agreements. That stated (and acknowledging that…
This is a very hard question to answer honestly and sincerely, though at first blush, it may not appear that way. There are very good reasons to divorce in certain…
I am not licensed as an attorney in Indiana, but I will give you my personal opinion (it’s not legal advice) as it applies to the law in the jurisdiction…
This is a good question and one that often comes up in divorce cases. I cannot speak for the law in all jurisdictions, but as this question applies in the…
You may have the idea that you can leverage his or her favorite or most valued things to get a more favorable outcome in your divorce. Holding property that rightfully…
This is a great question. Go find a good (a good, not just any) retired divorce attorney (a divorce attorney, not some other kind of attorney who has no idea…
It’s fair. It’s not fair. Frankly, reasonable minds can differ on this question. The governing principle in the USA is still (though it’s subtly and slowly changing) in most jurisdictions…
Recently a Quora.com reader commented on my answer to this question: Is there a primary parent in joint custody in Utah which is also known as “equal” or “50/50” custody? They…
Elder v. Elder - 2024 UT App 68 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS BRITTANY LEE ELDER, Appellee, v. MATT BLAKE ELDER, Appellant. Opinion No. 20210902-CA Filed May 9, 2024 Second…
For lawyers and parents (and perhaps even commissioners and judges) who hate child custody determinations (temporary or otherwise) based upon proffer, I share this with you: This court has previously…
See parent question. I am a divorce lawyer, and after a divorce case ends (meaning a decree of divorce has been issued and case essentially closed), I literally never know…
After you ask, “Is there anything I can do for winning custody after the GAL report is favoring my ex? Is paying more to my attorneys worth it or no?,”…
Yes, it is possible, but not always possible, and when it is possible it is often very difficult to accomplish. Difficult not because custody evaluators are particularly competent (they typically…
"Some false representations contravene the law; some do not. The law does not pretend to punish everything that is dishonest. That would seriously interfere with business, and, besides, could not…
I recently went to trial with my boss for a divorce case. One of the things that stuck out to me was that quite often the witnesses people call in…
First, you need ask a different question before you get to the question of a father’s chances of winning full or primary custody of children in divorce. The question should…
Did you see this in the news in Utah (from the Salt Lake Tribune)? A Utah man never hit his wife — until he tried to kill her. But how…
Without knowing more about your criminal record, I can still safely predict that having almost any kind of chronic or significant criminal record reduces your chances of being awarded custody…
Yes. Many women (not all, but many more than we'd like to believe unquestionably lie and make outright false or grossly exaggerated domestic violence claims. The temptation to tell such…
A reduction in the alimony award obligation is extremely difficult to obtain. It's designed to be difficult to modify downward, so that only those who 1) are truly unable to…
The family law legal system likes to portray itself as a shining beacon of justice and equity, but I have seen first-hand that it is not. Whether it is opportunistic…