Is it a good idea to major in sociology, social work, community, and health? I want to become a family lawyer.

Family law is, for most lawyers, a miserable practice area. You have to have the right personality and constitution for it. If you want to be a family lawyer to…

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John v. John – 2023 UT App 103

John v. John - 2023 UT App 103 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS LUCAS ALLEN JOHN, Appellee, v. CASSANDRA KATHLEEN JOHN, Appellant. Opinion No. 20210506-CA Filed September 14, 2023 Third…

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If I Get Married and Divorce Laws Change, Then Can I End the Marriage Before a New Divorce Law Applies Mentioning the Same as the Reason for Divorce?

My answer to your question is going to be a generalized answer to a hypothetical question. Before you take any real-life legal action in relation to real, existing laws, you…

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Clark v. Clark – 2023 UT App 111 – divorce, exhibits, dissipation

Clark v. Clark - 2023 UT App 111 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS SUSAN JEANNE CLARK, Appellee, v. RICHARD LEE CLARK, Appellant. Opinion No. 20210713-CA Filed September 28, 2023 Fourth…

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Lawyers and Deadlines. By Braxton Mounteer

You have just received an email from your lawyer about a deadline that your lawyer needs your help to meet. What should you do? You are already extremely busy with your life and…

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In re R.G. – 2023 UT App 114 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF UTAH, IN THE INTEREST OF R.G., A PERSON UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE. M.M., Appellant, v. STATE OF UTAH, Appellee. Opinion No. 20220629-CA Filed September 28, 2023 Second District Juvenile Court, Ogden Department The Honorable Tasha Williams No. 1183589 Colleen K. Coebergh, Attorney for Appellant Sean D. Reyes, Carol L.C. Verdoia, and John M. Peterson, Attorneys for Appellee Martha Pierce, Guardian ad Litem

Appellee. Opinion No. 20220629-CA Filed September 28, 2023 Second District Juvenile Court, Ogden Department The Honorable Tasha Williams No. 1183589 Colleen K. Coebergh, Attorney for Appellant Sean D. Reyes, Carol…

Continue ReadingIn re R.G. – 2023 UT App 114 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF UTAH, IN THE INTEREST OF R.G., A PERSON UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE. M.M., Appellant, v. STATE OF UTAH, Appellee. Opinion No. 20220629-CA Filed September 28, 2023 Second District Juvenile Court, Ogden Department The Honorable Tasha Williams No. 1183589 Colleen K. Coebergh, Attorney for Appellant Sean D. Reyes, Carol L.C. Verdoia, and John M. Peterson, Attorneys for Appellee Martha Pierce, Guardian ad Litem

If You File for Divorce, Do You Have to Serve Your Spouse With Papers?

Your spouse must be served with the summons and divorce complaint or petition before the case can proceed. In my jurisdiction (as I believe it to be the case in…

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How Can You Tell if Your Lawyer Is Lying About Winning Cases if There Is No Evidence of It Online or in Paper Form?

Effectively, you can’t. You might be able to verify whether your lawyer is telling the truth about his/her winning record if the lawyer is willing to give you the information…

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If you file for divorce, do you have to serve your spouse with papers?

Your spouse must be served with the summons and divorce complaint or petition before the case can proceed. In my jurisdiction (as I believe it to be the case in…

Continue ReadingIf you file for divorce, do you have to serve your spouse with papers?

Completeness of Documentation By Braxton Mounteer

One of the hardest documents for a Utah divorce litigant to prepare is the financial declaration. I am amazed at the number of clients who don't take this document and…

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How can you tell if your lawyer is lying about winning cases if there is no evidence of it online or in paper form?

Effectively, you can’t. You might be able to verify whether your lawyer is telling the truth about his/her winning record if the lawyer is willing to give you the information…

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Are some cases out there where the counsel has lied to his or her client?

Lawyers’ reputation for lying is, unfortunately, well-founded. There is a Bosnian proverb, “He who will lie for you will lie to you.” Lawyers who lie for their clients (and there…

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Do family law divorce attorneys of the opposite side stalk and harass their client’s opposition if the client pays for it?

Some do (if you can imagine an attorney doing something like that, it’s probably already been done), but they’re outliers, and they are violating both the law and the rules…

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What Does a Legal Assistant Think of Going Pro Se? By Braxton Mounteer

The term for representing yourself in court is "pro se" or "pro per". Can you navigate the legal system successfully without a lawyer representing you in your case? Before I…

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Important things divorce attorney clients need to know but would easily and freely be forgiven for not knowing without being told. No. 3:

The documents your attorney tells you that you must prepare for your case are, in fact, documents that you must prepare for your case. Failure to prepare them and to…

Continue ReadingImportant things divorce attorney clients need to know but would easily and freely be forgiven for not knowing without being told. No. 3:

Important things divorce attorney clients need to know but would easily and freely be forgiven for not knowing without being told. No. 1:

Please check your email. And if you don’t have an email address, you must get one. And then you need to check your email inbox every day. Not just once…

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In re M.M. – 2023 UT App 95 – termination of parental rights

2023 UT App 95 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF UTAH, IN THE INTEREST OF M.M., A PERSON UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE. A.M., Appellant, v. STATE OF UTAH,…

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Can the Mom End up Paying Child Support to the Father if He Was Abusive?

There are so many things wrong with this question. But thank you for asking it because it can be the start of a beneficial conversation and lead to a better…

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If You Were Married in One State but Now Live in Another State, Which State’s Law Would Apply if You Divorce?

Many people wonder whether they must file for divorce in the state (or even the country) where they were married, even if they never resided there or no longer reside…

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Blake v. Smith – 2023 UT App 78 – child custody, child support

Blake v. Smith - 2023 UT App 78 2023 UT App 78 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS DEJUAN BLAKE, Appellee, v. JILLYN SMITH, Appellant. Opinion No. 20210779-CA Filed July 20,…

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How to Avoid Being Called a Liar in a Utah Case By Braxton Mounteer

Who would you believe more in a court case: a person who admits to his/her faults, who honestly discloses all of his/her relevant information (even the information that hurts his/her…

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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…

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I Am 14 and I Want to Live With My Dad. My Parents Have Shared Custody, but My Mom Wants to Keep Me Her Alone (And She’s Not a Good Person). How Do I Stay With My Father Full Time?

I will answer this question in the context of Utah law because I am licensed as an attorney and practice divorce and family law in the state of Utah. For…

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The Father of My Child Told Me He Can Unilaterally Give Up His Parental Rights. Can He? He Thinks This Way He Will Get Out of Child Support. Can He Do This?

There is more than one question to answer here. First, does a parent have the unilateral power simply to “give up” his or her parental rights (and accompanying obligations)? No. The…

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The Importance of Working With Your Lawyer By Braxton Mounteer

I have noticed three chronic problems with clients in just the few weeks I have been working as a legal assistant. 1) Most clients seem to have an almost allergic…

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What does it mean when he tries to avoid a legal fight in court for child custody?

It could mean many things when a parent avoids a legal fight in court for child custody. To identify a few things, it could mean: that the parent does not…

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THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF UTAH, Appellee, v. CODY BLAIR MURRAY, Appellant. Opinion

THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF UTAH, Appellee, v. CODY BLAIR MURRAY, Appellant. Opinion No. 20200890-CA Filed May 18, 2023 Second District Court, Ogden Department The Honorable Joseph M.…

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How Creative Writing and Legal Writing are Connected By Braxton Mounteer

How one writes in the legal world and how one writes in the world of creative are both very similar and very different. When I became a legal assistant, I thought…

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In re K.R. – 2023 UT App 75 – termination of parental rights vs. guardianship

In re K.R. - 2023 UT App 75   THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF UTAH, IN THE INTEREST OF K.R. AND R.B., PERSONS UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE.…

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In re M.S. – 2023 UT App 74

In re M.S. - 2023 UT App 74 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF UTAH, IN THE INTEREST OF M.S., A PERSON UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE. R.S. AND…

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A Changed Perspective on Justice as a New Legal Assistant By Braxton Mounteer

After working in civil law for a short time (specifically, in divorce and family law), I think that many people have the wrong idea about justice and the court system.…

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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…

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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…

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Does the Utah Constitution protect abortion rights?

Read this article to learn about how the Utah Supreme Court is hearing arguments about elective abortions in Utah and which rights are protected in the state. ; https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2023/08/08/does-utah-constitution-protect/

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The Father of My Child Has Visitation Rights Ordered by Court, Yet He Will Be in a Different State During His Visitation Time, but Wants His Aunt to Take Over. Do I Have to Allow His Aunt Visitation While He’s on Vacation?

This is a good question and one that arises frequently in one form or another; a parent either can’t or won’t provide personal care and supervision of the parties’ children…

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If a Family Court Judge Orders That a School District Provide Certain Documents and the District Does Not Respond at All, Believing That the Court Has No Jurisdiction, Can the Order Be Enforced, or Is Something Else Going on That I Don’t Understand?

If the court does not have jurisdiction to issue an order to the school district or has issued a defective order, then the school district has every right to oppose…

Continue ReadingIf a Family Court Judge Orders That a School District Provide Certain Documents and the District Does Not Respond at All, Believing That the Court Has No Jurisdiction, Can the Order Be Enforced, or Is Something Else Going on That I Don’t Understand?

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,…

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In Re L.L.B. – 2023 UT App 66 – Termination of Parental Rights Reversed

In re L.L.B. - 2023 UT App 66 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS IN THE INTEREST OF L.L.B., A PERSON UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE. C.B. AND H.B., Appellees, v.…

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2023 UT App 65 – State v. Meyer – Parent Charged With Child Abuse

2023 UT App 65 - State v. Meyer THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF UTAH, Appellee, v. ELIZABETH LYDIA MEYER, Appellant. Opinion No. 20210718-CA Filed June 15, 2023 First…

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2023 UT App 60 – Martinez v. Sanchez-Garcia – Material and Substantial Change

2023 UT App 60 - Martinez v. Sanchez-Garcia THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS DAISY MARTINEZ Appellant, v. FERNANDO SANCHEZ-GARCIA, Appellee. Opinion No. 20210829-CA Filed June 2, 2023 First District Court,…

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First Impressions of Being a Legal Assistant as a Writer By Braxton Mounteer

The first thing you should know is that I am a writer. I have authored some short stories and some other things you haven’t heard of. I have been a…

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2023 UT App 57 – State v. Schroeder

2023 UT App 57 - State v. Schroeder THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF UTAH, Appellee, v. MICHAEL SCHROEDER, Appellant. Opinion No. 20190339-CA[1] Filed May 25, 2023 Fifth District…

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An Interesting and Troubling Article on the Topic of Family and Family Law From the Salt Lake Tribune

This is an interesting and troubling article on the topic of family and family law from the Salt Lake Tribune: Mother of teen killed in Salt Lake City murder-suicide pushed…

Continue ReadingAn Interesting and Troubling Article on the Topic of Family and Family Law From the Salt Lake Tribune

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…

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We Have Joint Custody, but I’ve Moved to Another State. Is It Wrong to Ask My Ex to Bring Our Child to Me?

We have joint custody in Nevada. I’m in California now. Is it wrong to ask them to take my child to me because of my location? Do mean to ask,…

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What Can I Legally Do if My Child’s Mother Refuses to Use Car Seat When Traveling With Our Little Child?

What can I legally do if my child's mother picks up our child in an Uber without a car seat? She is 5 years old, about 50 lbs. She is…

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