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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How can I help my stepdaughter get away from an abusive mother?

How can I help my 12-year-old step daughter get away from an emotionally abusive mother?  Tell the child’s father (your husband) about the trouble and have him handle it. It’s…

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Is it wrong for a parent to go to their adult child for emotional support?

Is it wrong for a parent to go to their adult child for emotional support concerning the parent’s marriage? I am a divorce and family lawyer and a parent, but…

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What are the chances of a mother getting full custody?

In my experienced opinion:  If the fight is over which parent will be awarded sole (full) custody of the children, and if no other factors are considered: the chances of…

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How will it affect children to switch schools every other school year?

How will it affect children to switch back and forth to schools every other school year due to child custody agreement between parents who live in different states?  Probably not…

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If both parents are wonderful, will the court still favor the mother?

If both parents are wonderful, will the court still lean towards full custody to the mother? [Note: I am a divorce lawyer of 25 years. I am not bitter about…

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What if your client gets custody when they should not have, due to you?

What should you do if you represented a client in a divorce who should not have gotten the kids, but got them due to your ability?  We have a word…

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Can a parent take kids out of state while divorce is pending?

Can a parent who has filed for divorce and moved out with her 2 children now take her children for a week to another state for Thanksgiving, or will it be…

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I’m 14 and my mom is making me live with my dad. How do I stop this?

I'm 14 and my mom is making me live with my dad and is giving him custody. What can I do to prevent this from happening?  I’m a divorce and…

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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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In a divorce, should children live with their favorite parent?

I can’t speak for all jurisdictions, but I can tell you that in the jurisdiction where I practice divorce and family law (Utah), currently the child’s preference for one parent…

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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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Is it damaging for a child to witness a divorce/parents fighting constantly?

Is it damaging for a child to witness a divorce or witness their parents fighting constantly? Yes.  Yes, of course.  Utah Family Law, LC | divorceutah.com | 801-466-9277   https://www.quora.com/Is-it-damaging-for-a-child-to-witness-a-divorce-or-witness-their-parents-fighting-constantly/answer/Eric-Johnson-311 

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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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Law from a legal assistant’s point of view, week 39: Judges, part III

By Quinton Lister, legal assistant  For those following along at home, you are aware that I have posted about judges before. Through the course of my current employment as a…

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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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How can I enforce my power when I have final say in joint custody?

My sons father and I have joint custody but I have final say over his well being health and education. How can I enforce my power?  If you are asking: “How do I enforce in good…

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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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Our agreement says no child support, can my ex ask for it anyway?

Can my ex ask for child support? I have a 50/50 custody and no child support divorce agreement, but his mother alienated him against me and now he refuses to visit…

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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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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…

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How can I help my step-child get away from an abusive mother?

How can I help my 12-year-old step-daughter get away from an emotionally abusive mother? Tell the child’s father (your husband) about the trouble and have him handle it. It’s not…

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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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These Moving Companies Move Domestic Abuse Victims for Free

Today's blog post is a guest post from Hire A Helper. This is not a paid placement. We hope you find it useful, if you or a loved one need this kind…

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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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Why do spurned spouses refuse to participate in certain parts of divorce?

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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My spouse owes me child support, but we are both almost homeless.

How do I find assistance if I own a business with a spouse that owes money in child support, yet we are unable to support ourselves and at risk of…

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Does the respondent get a copy of a restraining order?

Yes, the respondent gets one, as long as the respondent can be found so that he/she can be handed, mailed, or electronically provided with a copy. Indeed, if a respondent…

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T.W. v. S.A. – 2021 UT App 132 – child custody

2021 UT App 132  THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS  T.W., Appellant, v. S.A., Appellee.  Opinion  No. 20200397-CA  Filed November 26, 2021  Third District Court, West Jordan Department  The Honorable Dianna…

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After a divorce, is it possible to stay friends with your now ex-in-laws?

After a bitter divorce, is it possible to stay on friendly terms with your now ex-in-laws? Likely? No. But that doesn’t mean you should abandon hope. Indeed, some divorces end…

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The way UT courts conduct custody evaluations nowadays is indefensible

The way courts in Utah conduct custody evaluations nowadays is indefensible. There is nothing in UCJA rule 4-903 (the rule governing custody evaluations) that requires a custody evaluation to consist of little…

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How do I pursue child visitation when I don’t know where the child is?

I’m preparing to begin pursuing child visitation. However, the child’s mother has moved and never told me where, and has cut off contact with me. How can I find out…

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Should a parent prorate child support to include the child’s 18th birthday?

What would you think of a parent who makes the last child support payment prorated 7 days because the child’s 18th birthday falls on the 7th? I see nothing illegal…

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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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Parental alienation

I just read the following comment made by a viewer of my UFLTV parental alienation interview with Kelly Peterson. This viewer wrote, “So basically, parental alienation is proved by documenting the instances…

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How do I get custody back of my child if the custodial parent is not keeping the child safe?

The best way to phrase this question is as follows, “How do I get an order awarding custody of our child to me, if I assert as the basis for…

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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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I have no money and a non-cooperative ex, how do I get legal help?

How can I obtain assistance in a custody matter when I have no money and my ex-husband is not following the current court order?  In some jurisdictions there are legal…

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If two unwed people have a child and split up, is it treated like a divorce?

If two people have a child out of wedlock, and they split up, is it treated like a divorce?  I will answer this question for the jurisdiction of Utah.  The…

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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 16: Self-awareness

By Quinton Lister, legal assistant This new experience working in the legal field has been full of unexpected lessons. One is that it really does help to be self-aware. What…

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How do I get an attorney to represent me against my abusive ex narc?

How do I get an attorney to represent me in court against my abusive ex narc who is filing for emergency custody of our children? Two things (if the lawyer…

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How do you go through a custody battle and the only thing they can use is making up lies, manipulating the children to tell lies?

If you want my answer, skip to paragraph three. 1. First, it may be the case (and it may be that you need to acknowledge) that the problem is not…

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If a married couple divorces and neither one wants their child, what happens?

Great question. I have discussed this question with others. Their first reaction to the question is along the lines of “Oh, that’s terrible!,” but then we discuss the fact that…

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How Courts Can (and often do) Ensure There’s No Proof Joint Equal Custody Can Work

Here is an example of an important gotcha factor to be on guard against, if you are a good father being forced by the legal system to fight for joint…

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When a restraining order expires, is there some documentation that the respondent can get to prove the expiration?

In Utah, the answer to your question would be: Yes, in the form of the restraining order itself. The restraining order itself states that “[t]he order shall expire by its…

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