What are the child custody factors that judges consider?
What are the child custody factors that judges consider when determining what's in a child's best interest in custody disputes according to Utah’s family law statutes? The main factors are…
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…
CPS Has Encouraged Parental Alienation Before My Parental Rights Have Been Taken, My Public Defender Has Not Been Representing Me the Way He Was Supposed to Be, but I Didn’t Know Until Now. What Can I Do?
There are plenty of things you can do (plenty of activity in which you can engage), but whether any of it will do any good is the question. The answer…
How do you survive if the narcissist won custody of your kids and you have to accept it?
Hard truths incoming. When dealing with a co-parent who is afflicted with a personality disorder, do these things, and do them all at the same time: 1) Examine your own…
How can you appeal a child custody decision?
You have to show that the trial court that made the child custody decision committed an appealable error. Many people believe that an appeal of a trial court’s decision is…
Why would a co-parent suggest using a parenting app
I will start out my answer by acknowledging that reasonable minds can differ on the merits of a “parenting app,” also known as a “co-parenting app”. I will continue my…
Can anyone recommend a good attorney for father’s rights?
Many fathers and those who care about them ask this question. It’s no wonder why. But beware. "Father's Rights Attorney" is, for the most part, a scam. Don't misunderstand me:…
Does it not feel weird to anyone that a parent who does not get child custody has to pay child support to the other parent who is enjoying the kids?
I think I know why you think it’s weird. Why have the children live with one parent instead both parents on an equal custody basis? In other words, “I’ll bear…
Does it not feel weird to anyone that a parent who does not get child custody has to pay child support to the other parent who is enjoying the kids?
I think I know why you think it’s weird. Why have the children live with one parent instead both parents on an equal custody basis? In other words, “I’ll bear…
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…
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,…
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…
How Do Witnesses Contribute to the Decision-Making Process in Child Custody Hearings and Trials?
If what we learn from witnesses didn't generally tend to be more informative and reliable than not, then we wouldn't listen to witnesses at all. No sensible person believes that…
How Do I Inform a School About Divorce and That Their Father Is Not Allowed to Pick Them Up?
Great question. There are many ways to do this wrong, so let’s start with those. Just tell the teachers and principal and expect them to take your word for it; bring…
What Is the Point of Granting Divorced Parents Joint Custody and Splitting Parenting Time? Isn’t It the Idea That the Children Benefit From Having Two Parents? Isn’t That True Only So Long as Both Parents Are Positive Influences and Not Criminals?
You pose two very good questions, and there are very good answers to each of them. Question 1) What is the point of granting divorced parents joint custody and splitting…
Is My Ex-spouse Responsible for Paying Our Child’s College Education?
In Utah, the law does not require divorced parents to pay for an adult child’s education. Divorcing parents can agree that one or both parents will fund some or all…
If I Have a Temporary Court Hearing for Joint Custody and I Have Planned a Vacation Before the Order Is in Place. Can I Still Take My Child Out of State as the Custodial Parent?
This is a complicated question. If there is no statute or court order in place that bars you from taking your child out of state with you for a vacation,…
Can I File for an Order of Protection Against My Daughter’s Father for Myself, Even if She Is Living With Him?
If he poses a danger to you, then yes. The fact that a child you share lives with him will not prevent you from obtaining a protective order against him…
How Long Will It Take for the Court to Adjust Custody in a Parental Alienation Situation?
You need to ask some other questions first before you get to the answer to the question of how long it will take. First, can you prove parental alienation to…
Who Has Custody of a Child if There Is No Court Order?
I can answer this question as the law applies in the jurisdiction where I practice divorce and family law (Utah), and you may find my answer useful in conducting the…
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,…
How Long Do Child Custody Cases Usually Last, if There Isn’t Anything Super Serious or High Stakes Going On?
Great question. I wish I had a pleasing answer to it for you. I can’t speak for all jurisdictions, but in Utah (where I practice law and handle child custody…
If I Owe Arrearages in Child Support, Do They Go Away if I Am Awarded Full Custody?
Good question. I cannot answer this question for how all jurisdictions would handle it, but I can tell you what the law is in Utah governing this question (and it’s…
What Happens in a Custody Case When Both Parents Are Proven Unfit?
This is a great question. Note: I cannot answer this question for all jurisdictions, but I can answer it as it applies in the jurisdiction where I practice divorce and…
How Can a 100% Mentally Disabled Person Keep Full Custody of Their Kids?
I will answer this question as a general matter in the context of Utah law because I practice divorce and family law (and thus I deal with child custody disputes…
How Do You Overturn Emergency Temporary Custody?
This is not the kind of situation in which you can obtain a change you want by taking certain steps. To overturn or modify a temporary child custody order you…
Can You File for Defamation While a Custody Battle Is Happening?
I cannot speak to what the law is in all jurisdictions, but I can answer this question as it applies in the jurisdiction where I practice divorce and family law…
If Parents Are Unable to Care For Their Children, Do Grandparents Have the Legal Right to See Them?
I cannot answer this question as the law applies in every jurisdiction, but I can give you the answer as the law applies in Utah, which is the state where…
If the Mother Loses Custody of the Child to a Third Party Does the Father Still Have to Pay Child Support
There are many weird twists that a case like the one you’ve described can take, but generally speaking (and I must speak generally because I do not know how the…
Can You Get 6 Months of Visitation With Your Child and Your Ex-spouse Gets 6 Months in Child Custody?
Can you? It is possible, yes. Will you? Not likely. Why? To get a judge/court to order that the child spends six consecutive months with one parent, then six consecutive…
What Percentage of Fathers Get Full Custody?
This is largely a factor of where the custody dispute takes place. Some jurisdictions favor mothers over fathers as much as 80% (although that number is decreasing as joint custody…
How Does Child Custody Work in Utah if the Parents Are Not Married?
Child custody is determined based upon the same statutory factors regardless of whether the parents are divorced or were never married. Those statutory factors are found at Utah Code §§…
Can I Legally Go to My Dad’s on a Day That Is Written as My Mom’s in the Custody Agreement?
Great question (and it’s good to see questions from children). No one can give you “the” answer to this question without knowing the laws of the jurisdiction involved and what…
From Pro Publica: Barricaded Siblings Turn to TikTok While Defying Court Order to Return to Father They Say Abused Them
There is far more to this story than the headline reveals. From Pro Publica: Barricaded Siblings Turn to TikTok While Defying Court Order to Return to Father They Say Abused…
Who Has the Ultimate Decision Making Authority in a Child Custody Case, the Parents, the Lawyers, the Judges, or the Child of a Certain Age?
If the case goes to trial: the judge. However, in Utah, the jurisdiction where I practice (which is the case in most other jurisdictions too), the parents, children, and lawyers…
How Can I Win Custody of My Son if I Haven’t Been There for Him for Ten Years?
About the only ways I can realistically imagine? The child’s other parent: - is dead; or - is unfit to be entrusted with the care and custody of the child.…
Is There a Way to Get Legal Action on Child Support for Free?
That does not bode well for you, if in fact the child will be in the courtroom at the same time you and the judge assigned to your case are…
If a Mom Is Abusing Her Children, and the Dad Doesn’t Want Sole Custody Because Child Support Is Cheaper, What Can the Court Do?
Thank you for your question, and forgive me for approaching this question in a way that may not answer your question as directly as it could be; I hope you…
Can You Win a Custody Battle Without an Attorney?
Can you? Meaning: is it possible? Of course it’s possible. Likely? That depends. I had written over 500 words in my first draft of the answer to this question when…
What Happens in a Custody Case Where Both Parents Try to Alienate the Child From the Other Parent and the Rest of Their Family?
My guess is that this question applies in two distinct contexts: 1) what does the court do in a child custody case where both parents try to alienate the child from the…
How Do You Prove Parental Alienation in a Child Custody Case?
Usually rarely and with great effort and difficulty. Why? I have written other responses to this question and questions like it, so my answer here will be more concise than…
Can You Win a Custody Battle Without an Attorney?
Can you? Meaning: is it possible? Of course it’s possible. Likely? That depends. I had written over 500 words in my first draft of the answer to this question when…
What Happens in a Custody Case Where Both Parents Try to Alienate the Child From the Other Parent and the Rest of Their Family?
My guess is that this question applies in two distinct contexts: 1) what does the court do in a child custody case where both parents try to alienate the child from the…
What Happens if I Get Married to Someone With Kids Then Get Divorced? Do I Get To See the Kids?
I cannot speak to what the law is and how it is applied in every jurisdiction, but I can answer this question on this topic as it applies to the…
After a Marital Breakup, Only One Parent Can Properly Raise the Children, With the Other Parent Entitled Merely to Visiting Rights, but Could There Be a Better Alternative?
You’ve picked a good topic of discussion, but your question is poorly phrased. Your claim that only one parent can properly raise children after a marital breakup is false. Not…
Kingston v. Kingston – 2022 UT 43 – Parental Rights, Due Process Rights
2022 UT 43 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF UTAH RYAN CLYDE KINGSTON, Appellant, v. JESSICA BENNY KINGSTON, Appellee. No. 20200350 Heard April 11, 2022 Filed __ On…
Is 50/50 custody likely when the parents live in the same neighborhood?
What is the likelihood of reverting to 50/50 custody when the parents live in the same neighborhood? Mom still cares for the child over 80% Your question states in part,…
My children’s father is a bum. Can he get 50/50 custody awarded?
The question is: I’m a stay at home mom, my BD is always working unreliable and inconsistent hours, he wants 50% custody of our son. Will he be granted 50%?…
Who do you pick between a present father and an absentee mother?
Who do you pick, your father who has been there your whole life or your mother who was never there until now and wants custody of you? Assuming that 1)…
Do I have to pay the court to go to trial?
Do I have to pay the court to go to trial? I am a divorce and family lawyer. I was asked this question and was a little surprised that this…
