Beverlin v. Beverlin – 2025 UT App 72 – appeal, alimony, attorney fees

Beverlin v. Beverlin - 2025 UT App 72 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STEVEN K. BEVERLIN, Appellee, v. GAIL W. BEVERLIN, Appellant. Opinion No. 20230597-CA Filed May 22, 2025 Second…

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How Do You Get a House Valuation/Appraisal for a Divorce When Your Spouse Has Remains Living in It?

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…

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Can I Buy a House Before or While Going Through a Divorce? Should I?

We won’t keep you in suspense: yes, you might be able to buy a house before or during the pendency of a divorce case. However, in most cases, you should not.…

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Small v. Small – 2024 UT App 173 URE 408 and statute of frauds

Small v. Small - 2024 UT App 173 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS NATHAN DALE SMALL, Appellant, v. TRISHA DAWN SMALL, Appellee. Opinion No. 20230487-CA Filed November 29, 2024 First…

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Godfrey v. Godfrey – 2024 UT App 156 – Broad discretion, Abuse of discretion

2024 UT App 156 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS AMANDA GODFREY, Appellee, v. RANDY GODFREY, Appellant. Opinion No. 20210871-CA Filed October 31, 2024 Third District Court, Silver Summit Department The…

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Hoidal v. Berry – 2024 UT App 157 – Valuation, Separation, Alimony

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,…

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Duffin v. Duffin – 2024 UT App 154

Duffin v. Duffin - 2024 UT App 154 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS JAMES MARLO DUFFIN JR., Appellant, v. BRANDY ELIZABETH DUFFIN, Appellee. Opinion No. 20221046-CA Filed October 31, 2024…

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How Should I Deal With an Ex Husband Who Is Reluctant to Move out After the Divorce?

If he wasn’t ordered to move out, and if you weren’t awarded sole possession, occupancy, and use of the marital residence, then he is under no obligation to move out.…

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Why Is My Narc Husband Angry When We Discuss Selling the House When We Are Headed for Divorce?

First, for those of you who don’t know what a “narc” is, let’s address that. A “narc” in this context is a narcissistic spouse. Click here for a more detailed…

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Thorup v. Thorup – 2024 UT App 93

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…

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Can My Spouse Take out a Loan Using Our House as Collateral After I File for a Divorce?

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…

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Elder v. Elder – 2024 UT App 68 – enforcement vs. modification

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…

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Lamb v. Lamb, 2024 UT App 16 – divorce, custody, business, home equity

2024 UT App 16 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS JOSEPH EARL LAMB, Appellee, v. SONYA ELIZABETH LAMB, Appellant. Opinion No. 20210787-CA Filed February 8, 2024 Third District Court, Salt Lake…

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Must trial courts consider the tax consequences in divorce?

Generally: It appears that the law in Utah is that the trial court is not required to consider hypothetical and/or future tax consequences of the disposition of the marital estate. See Howell v. Howell,…

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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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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…

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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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Duffin v. Duffin – 2022 UT App 60

2022 UT App 60 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS JAMES M. DUFFIN III, Appellee and Cross-appellant, v. BRANDY E. DUFFIN, Appellant and Cross-appellee. Opinion No. 20200361-CA Filed May 12, 2022 Third District Court, West Jordan Department…

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Wadsworth v. Wadsworth – 2022 UT App 5 – marital estate

2022 UT App 5  THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS  CANDI WADSWORTH, Appellant, v. GUY L. WADSWORTH, Appellee.  Opinion No. 20190106-CA No. 20200430-CA Filed January 13, 2022  Third District Court, Salt…

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Fischer v. Fischer – 2021 UT App 145 – marital vs. separate property

THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS  GARY LEE FISCHER, Appellant, v. MELISSA KAY FISCHER, Appellee.  Opinion  No. 20200557-CA  Filed December 30, 2021  Seventh District Court, Moab Department  The Honorable Don Torgerson …

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Do courts make awards in divorce to “punish” adultery?

Do courts make awards in divorce to “punish” adultery? Great question.   Adultery is considered a fault-based ground for divorce and a factor that can be considered when the trial court…

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I suspect my husband fathered a child with someone else. Can I challenge our divorce ruling?

If I suspect my ex-husband fathered a child with someone else while we were married, can I challenge our divorce ruling? If, by this question, you mean that you are…

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Can a divorced spouse claim rights to a previous primary residence?

Can a divorced spouse claim rights to a previous primary residence? A court can, in exceptional circumstances, award a spouse some or all of your premarital and separate property that…

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Can a divorced spouse claim rights to a premarital primary residence?

Can a divorced spouse claim rights to a premarital primary residence? A court can, in exceptional circumstances, award a spouse some or all of your premarital and separate property that…

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How is it possible that people go bankrupt during divorce in the USA? Isn’t it a 50/50 split?

How is it possible that people go bankrupt during divorce in the USA? Isn't it a 50/50 split? It’s not “the divorce” that causes people to go bankrupt, it’s the…

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What are ways divorcees reach a mutual agreement when splitting up their assets?

What are ways divorcees reach a mutual agreement when splitting up their assets? What they often do (but shouldn’t): rationalize and justify their greed and pettiness in advancing their “arguments”*…

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If you inherit property during your marriage, is your spouse entitled to any?

Great question. The answer is (for Utah, where I practice divorce and family law), generally, no, your spouse is not entitled to half of property you inherited during the marriage.…

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Divorce and your mortgage: what to know (guest post)

Divorce and your mortgage: what to know (guest post) “Deciding how to deal with the family home is one of the most important issues to decide upon when there is…

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Burggraaf v. Burggraaf – 2019 UT App 195 – imputing income, vacating alimony

2019 UT App 195 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS CAROL BURGGRAAF, Appellee, v. BRIAN JOSEPH BURGGRAAF, Appellant. Opinion No. 20180405-CA Filed November 29, 2019 Second District Court, Ogden Department The…

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Oldroyd v. Oldroyd – 2019 UT App 155 – premarital property interest, unjust enrichment

Oldroyd v. Oldroyd - 2019 UT App 155 - THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS ROBBEN ANN OLDROYD, Appellant, v. FARRELL LYNN OLDROYD, Appellee. Opinion No. 20180257-CA Filed September 26, 2019…

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Martin v. Kristensen – 2019 UT App 127 – divorce and unlawful detainer

Martin v. Kristensen - 2019 UT App 127 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS YVONNE MARTIN, Appellant, v. PETTER KRISTENSEN AND FRANK O. KRISTENSEN, Appellees. Opinion No. 20160265-CA Filed July 26,…

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Janson v. Janson – 2019 UT App 106 – setting aside settlement agreement

2019 UT App 106 - Janson v. Janson - setting aside stipulation THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS DEIDRE SUE JANSON, Appellant, v. JEFFREY ALAN JANSON, Appellee. Opinion No. 20170541-CA Filed…

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Mortgage and Divorce: Navigating Financial Independence (by Redfin)

Guest blog post from Redfin: Mortgage and Divorce: Navigating Financial Independence https://www.redfin.com/blog/mortgage-and-divorce https://www.redfin.com/blog/ If you look at the data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for 2016,…

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A real client’s questions about divorce settlement and mediation

Here is a real client’s questions about divorce settlement and mediation. Don't worry, I've removed the names and changed out the details to protect confidentiality. This client asked a lot…

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Hartvigsen v. Hartvigsen – 2018 UT App 238 – alimony, marital property

2018 UT App 238 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS DANIELLE MARIE HARTVIGSEN, Appellant, v. RICHARD MYERS HARTVIGSEN, Appellee. Opinion No. 20160069-CA Filed December 28, 2018 Fourth District Court, Provo Department…

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Selling a House During Divorce: Common issues you should expect and how to deal with them

Selling a House During Divorce: Common issues you should expect and how to deal with them  By John Hamilton Associate Broker Windermere Real Estate-Utah (801) 558-4998 johnh@winutah.com   Table of…

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Sandusky v. Sandusky – 2018 UT App 34 (23-Feb-2018) – bifurcation, separation agreement, court discretion

2018 UT App 34 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS KYLEE J. SANDUSKY, Appellee, GEORGE A. SANDUSKY, Appellant. Opinion No. 20160131-CA Filed February 23, 2018 Third District Court, Silver Summit Department…

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I was awarded the house in my divorce, but my ex has refused to sign the deed. The mortgage is only in my name. What can I legally do?

I was awarded the house in my divorce, but my ex has refused to sign the deed. The mortgage is only in my name. What can I legally do? My…

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