Subject: Please Fund Courtroom Live Streaming I’m writing to ask that you support the $450,000 one-time funding request to enable live streaming of district court proceedings statewide. Live streaming public court…
Some spouses will absolutely exploit the legal system to gain an unfair advantage in divorce proceedings. It's crucial to recognize the manipulative tactics your spouse might employ against you—even if…
As a legal assistant at a family law firm (and as a soon to be law school graduate), I see firsthand how the current no-fault divorce regime can create problems…
A house does not need to be vacant to be appraised and evaluated. The appraiser(s) can inspect and evaluate the house while you're spouse or ex-spouse is still living there…
When you're involved in a family law matter whether it's a divorce, child custody dispute, or a spousal support issue, one of the most frustrating challenges to encounter is an…
What can a father do if, after the divorce, the mother, who has custody of the child, turns the child against the father? What can he do? There are many things he…
It depends on how you reached this point, and how much time, if any, you have to fix it. If circumstances relevant to the child custody award have materially and…
Warning: my answer is blunt, and it is directed primarily at women/mothers who make (or contemplate making) false claims, but even if you are not making or contemplating making a…
As soon as we start treating people differently, two things happen: 1) the idea of people being treated equally goes out the window and 2) everyone starts claiming, “My case…
If (or when) you find yourself in the midst of a divorce, you will likely feel like you're caught in a whirlwind of different forces pushing and pulling on you.…
No. Merely filing for divorce is not an admission of fault by the petitioner. That stated, there is nothing that prevents a divorce petitioner from admitting fault in his/her petition…
It is common for many to be dissatisfied with the results of their family law cases. No matter how hard they fought or how long they worked at it, sometimes…
Several important provisions are frequently overlooked in divorce decrees, despite their significant impact on post-divorce life. If you are contemplating divorce, but have not considered these issues yet, thinking them…
This is a good question because the way you have posed the question reflects the problem many people have with the legal system. Your feeling may stem from the court…
Great, great question. First, fairly and accurately. Do not selectively cite the other parents communications with you and with others. If you do that, your credibility suffers. Second, relevantly. So…
Probably. If your question is, “Does it take a long time to obtain a court order modifying a child custody award?,” the answer is, generally, “Yes.” I can't speak for…
With rare exception, the correct answer to any yes/no question (also known as a polar question) in your family law proceeding is: “yes,” “no,” or “I don’t know/I don’t remember”…
There are many bills before the Utah Legislature during their 2025 session that I’m particularly interested in and that I am following. One of them is House Bill 33. HB…
An unscrupulous opposing party and his/her attorney can find many benefits to delaying the progress of a pending court case, so it comes as no surprise if and when you…
I like this idea (House Bill 281) https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/static/HB0281.html Do you like it too? If not, I'd like to know why. Schools are being asked to provide services that have nothing…
Historically, in the state of Utah, and throughout the United States, cultural bias as to which parent is granted primary custody plays a major role in child custody decisions. Originally,…
By exploiting legal mechanisms designed to protect actual victims, here are ways that fraudulently seeking a protective order can create an unfair advantage: Immediate Restriction on Contact and Access Temporary…
Families often find themselves having to confront their conflict and dysfunction when a divorce is filed. When families face conflict or dysfunction, therapy can (can, not always will, but can)…
It could have happened as alleged I find the applicant credible (but I won’t mention that a) I also find the respondent equally credible; or b) I can’t articulate a…
In divorce litigation, strong, compelling evidence is the cornerstone of successfully navigating critical legal determinations. When significant issues such as child custody, child support, property division, marital debt allocation, and…
Family law proceedings in Utah (and in all other states, frankly), differ significantly from other areas of civil or criminal litigation, particularly when it comes to evidentiary practices. While the…
In Utah child custody disputes, the voices of children are almost always filtered through court-appointed private guardians ad litem (PGALs) and/or custody evaluators. These intermediaries will claim to represent what…
Many individuals in a divorce consider hiring a private investigator, hoping to uncover information that could affect the outcome of the case. While hiring a private investigator (PI) may seem…
Most of the answer to your question lies in your question itself. If you should be winning the arguments in your case but are losing “due to lack of representation,”…
No, and I’ll tell you why in the context of discussing a newly proposed Utah Rule of Civil Procedure which would be Rule 53A, entitled “Special masters for parenting disputes…
Child custody disputes between parents (whether in a divorce case or between unmarried parents) are among the most bitterly fought cases, as parents fight over the right to be integral…
In your divorce case, you, your spouse (or other parent) and your children may be required to undergo a custody evaluation. The custody evaluation is governed by Utah Code of Judicial Administration Rule…
While every divorce case is unique, the following outlines the general stages and timeframes involved in a Utah divorce case. Understanding the basic timeline of a typical case in Utah…
So many in the Western world who could be happily married have lost sight of the purpose of marriage, and so their marriages end in divorce not because of any…
Ideally, with overwhelming amounts of compelling, objectively verifiable evidence that 1) the mother is unfit to exercise custody of the child; and 2) you are fit to exercise custody of the child. Why overwhelming…
The overwhelming majority of judges and domestic relations commissioners in Utah will refuse to have the interview of children who are the subject of child custody disputes recorded by sound-and-visual…
[Full disclosure: I make no secret of the fact that I have yet to encounter a custody evaluation conducted in Utah that is not pseudo-scientific, incompletely and incompetently documented, and…
State v. Wardle - 2024 UT App 181 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF UTAH, Appellee, v. DOUGLAS LAWRENCE WARDLE, Appellant. Opinion No. 20230761-CA Filed December 12, 2024 Third…
No. I wish I could tell you that it's worth the risk to show the police a little kindness, but they'll just exploit it. So not merely, no, but hell…
Your divorce lawyer will tell you about the things you need to do in your case, the documents and other evidence you need to produce, the questions you need 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…
In this KSL.com news article, written by Garna Meijia, reporting on the Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS) addressed the Rules Review and General Oversight Committee. Please read more…
Today’s question comes from a viewer of the UFTLV channel who wants to know not only what this term means, but how it is properly pronounced! First, the definition: an…
I’ll assume that what you mean by “my ex and I have joint custody” is you and your ex share physical custody of your child. I’ll also assume that in…
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…
Wilson v. Wilson - 2024 UT App 87 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS TKS CO-PACK MANUFACTURING, LLC AND TROY WILSON, Appellants and Cross-appellees, v. DOUG WILSON, Appellee and Cross-appellant. Opinion…
I recently accompanied my boss to the trial of a divorce case. If I had had to place a bet on what the judge was thinking at given moment or…
Can it be overturned? It is possible. Will it be overturned? The odds don’t favor Dad. While some fathers who are falsely accused do obtain vindication, the odds are against…
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…
Black and white, plain and simple. We really mean that here at Utah Family Law, LC. What you normally hear about divorce and family law is all over the map–even when you hear it from lawyers.
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