Utah Law Question: Discovery Closes in Less Than 28 Days, but Opposing Counsel Just Serve Discovery Requests. Am I Obligated to Respond?

Answer: Almost certainly no. See Dahl v. Harrison, 265 P.3d 139, 2011 UT App 389 (2011). Note: Under the current Utah Rules of Civil Procedure, responses to written discovery requests are due…

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How Do I Divorce My Husband After 37 Years and When I Have No Job?

This is not an easy decision to contemplate for most people of your age. If you married in your twenties, then you are likely at least 57 years old when…

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How Is It to Divorce When You Get Retired?

Usually painful. Perhaps in some ways that are a little different from the pain one would suffer when divorcing young, but still painful. Retirees suffer a unique pain in the…

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How Do I Reconnect After Marriage Separation?

Believing that change is inevitable, normal, and survivable. Jonny Thomson made this reel on his Facebook page, “Mini Philosophy,” which I think answers your question about as well as it…

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KSL News Story “Child and Family Services speaks to lawmakers after 12-year-old’s death”

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…

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In Divorce Cases, Does Family Court Usually Favor Mothers?

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…

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How to Pronounce Certiorari and What It Means.

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…

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What Paperwork Must I Complete in Family Court to Modify a Utah Child Custody Order?

DIY litigation is difficult in almost every situation. Divorce and family law is no different. You will likely save time and money by hiring a good (a good) attorney in…

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What Are Some Strategies for Divorcing a Selfish, Intelligent, and Manipulative Person Without It Becoming a Messy Legal and Emotional Battle?

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…

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What Are the Key Things You Should Do Protect Yourself During a Divorce?

This is one of the most important questions you need to ask and to answer if you are contemplating divorce or find yourself on the receiving end of a complaint…

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I Have a Question About Whether to Divorce.

I decided to divorce my husband of 10 years after years of neglect and feeling unloved. We have a 6-year-old daughter. For the majority of our marriage I was always…

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When Should You Settle Your Divorce Case? By Braxton Mounteer, Legal Assistant

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…

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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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My Husband Left Me and Our Kids. How Long Should I Wait Before I File for a Divorce?

You’re asking the wrong question first. Your first question should not be, “How long should I wait before I file for a divorce?,” but “*Should* I even file for a…

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THE BEST PERSON TO “SPEAK FOR A CHILD” IS THE CHILD HIMSELF/HERSELF, NOT A GUARDIAN AD LITEM

“Speak your mind—even if your voice shakes. . . . When you least expect it, someone may actually listen to what you have to say.” — Maggie Kuhn I have…

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Should You Sling Mud at Your Spouse at Any Phase of Your Divorce Case? By Braxton Mounteer, Legal Assistant

If you were not fortunate enough to settle your divorce case on acceptable terms, you now or soon will likely find yourself  preparing for trial. Trial will be the day(s)…

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If I Got Married Today and My Husband Moved Into My House, if We Get Divorced in 5 Years, Will I Have to Give Him 50% of My House?

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…

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Dividing Personal Property In Your Divorce Is Not As Hard As It Seems By Braxton Mounteer, Legal Assistant

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…

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Are You Prolonging Your Divorce? By Braxton Mounteer, Legal Assistant

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…

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Is It Time to Recognize “Semi-cohabitation” as a Basis for at Least Reducing the Alimony Award?

Currently in Utah, alimony, the Utah Code provides, at § 30-3-5(11)(a), which will, effective September 1, 2024, be renumbered as § 81-4-504(1), as follows: (11)(a)   The court has continuing jurisdiction…

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How to Fill Out Your Financial Declaration, Paragraph 6. By Braxton Mounteer, Legal Assistant

Paragraph 6 of your financial declaration addresses your after-tax income. Your after-tax income is a simple calculation. Take your gross monthly income (calculated in paragraph 4) and subtract your monthly…

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How Do You Enforce Court Orders That Have Been Issued in a Utah Divorce Case or Child Custody Case?

Many people who have gone through a divorce case or unmarried parents who have gone through a child custody case find themselves at the end of the case with a…

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What Are Some Reasons Why Someone Might Choose to Stay in an Unhappy Marriage Instead of Getting a Divorce, Even if They Have Children and Are Concerned About the Cost?

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…

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What Do Judges Like and Not Like to Hear at Custody Hearings With High Conflict Parents Who Will Not Agree on Custody Terms?

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…

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How to Fill Out Your Financial Declaration, Paragraph Five. By Braxton Mounteer, Legal Assistant

Paragraph five of your financial declaration is about the amount of taxes on your monthly income that you pay per month (or what the average monthly deduction from your income…

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Can’t I Claim an Offset or Credit for the Children’s Other Expenses That I’ve Paid?

My ex-spouse is the primary custodial parent, and I am ordered to pay child support. My ex wastes child support money and/or doesn't spend it on the needs of our…

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My Ex and I Have Joint Custody, but He Hasn’t Been Letting Me See My Child for a Couple of Months Now. Will He Lose Custody if I Go Back to Court and Tell Them About This?

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…

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Can What I Post on Social Media Be Used Against Me in a Divorce Case?

Yes. Yes, it can. This does not mean that everything you post on social media will be used against you. Some statements on social media are pretty hard to find fault…

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What About My Children? Can They Use Social Media During My Divorce?

Unless the law of your jurisdiction or a court order in your particular case prohibits your children from viewing or posting on social media during the pendency of the divorce…

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My Spouse Refuses Divorce but I Need to Be Divorced. My Spouse Says He/She Will Make My Life and the Kids’ Life Hell if I Leave. I Don’t Want to Spend a Fortune on a Lawyer.

Are you a churchgoer? Are you a member of a church? If so, your church may have resources available to members to help them with various legal concerns or problems.…

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If My Ex Husband Had a Secret Bank Account Before We Were Married, Would I Be Entitled to Some of It After the Divorce? I Already Have a Private Investigator Looking Into It. Thanks in Advance!

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…

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If Someone Is Caught Breaking a Protection Order and They Go to Court for That Can the Person Who Needed the P.O. Go to Court to Speak out About the Violation?

Yes, but it depends upon what you mean by “can the person who needed the P.O. go to court to speak out about the violation?” If the person who needed…

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How Difficult Would It Be to Get Legal Custody Back After Willingly Giving 100% Legal Custody to My Child’s Mother?

In Utah, if you have not had your parental rights terminated, but instead you simply agreed to your child’s parent having custody of the child (with you having little to no…

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How to Fill Out Your Financial Declaration, Paragraph Four. By Braxton Mounteer, Legal Assistant

Paragraph four of your financial declaration deals with your gross monthly income. Your gross monthly income is your income from all sources. This includes, your income from employment, your work,…

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What Is Dissipation of Marital Assets? How Is It Addressed in Utah Divorce Actions?

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…

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How to Fill Out Your Financial Declaration, Paragraph Two. By Braxton Mounteer, Legal Assistant

Paragraph two of your financial declaration details the documents that you must attach to your financial declaration (unless they don't exist). It is not optional; they are the documents you are required…

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Lessons for Protective Order Respondents from the case of State v. Lewis (2024 UT App 96)

On July 11, 2024, the Utah Court of Appeals issued its decision in the case of State v. Lewis (2024 UT App 96). The appellant, Kevin Lewis (Kevin), appealed his conviction for…

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What do I have to do to modify the child custody and/or parent-time award?

“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…

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I Have a Court Date Coming Up, but I Don’t Speak English (Or Don’t Speak or Understand It Well). What Can I Do?

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…

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How to Fill Out Your Financial Declaration, Paragraph One. By Braxton Mounteer, Legal Assistant

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…

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If I Agreed to Sign up a Prenup With My Billionaire Husband Does That Mean I Would Not Get Anything Not Even a Dollar?

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…

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Taking Your Divorce Case to Trial Requires Just as Much from You as It Does of Your Lawyer, By Braxton Mounteer, Legal Assistant

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…

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If Your Husband Files for Divorce, Can He Ask You to Leave the House Immediately?

I can't speak for the law in all jurisdictions, but I can tell you what the law is where I practice divorce law (Utah). Can your spouse ask you to…

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People Who Are Getting an Extremely-Contested Divorce W/O Paying for Lawyers, Need Step-By-Step Directions in Their State! If There Were Uncontested Divorces, There Would Be No Divorces at All, Because Both Partners Would Be Getting Along Perfectly?

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…

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Do You Lose Parental Rights Automatically When You Get Divorced if You Do Not File for Visitation or Custody?

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…

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I Want to Live with My Mom but I Have Shared Custody With My Dad. What Do I Do? Can I at 15?

This question is literally asked on a daily basis. It comes up so often. But that means it’s a burning question. I’ll bet it has been answered literally at least…

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Are You Fighting for Your Kids or Are You Protecting Your Financial Future? By Braxton Mounteer, Legal Assistant

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…

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What Can Be Done if a Prenuptial Agreement Does Not Meet the Requirements for Validity in Your State? What Are the Available Options for Handling This Situation?

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…

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