Allen v. Allen – 2021 UT App 20 – custody, alimony, child support

Allen v. Allen - 2021 UT App 20 http://www.utcourts.gov/opinions/view.html?court=appopin&opinion=Allen v. Allen20210225_20190369_20.pdf 2021 UT App 20 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS REBECCA ELLEN ALLEN, Appellee, v. KENT DARIUS ALLEN,Appellant. Opinion No.…

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2020 UT App 171 – Miller v. Miller THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS RYAN MILLER, Appellant, v. BRENDA MILLER, Appellee

2020 UT App 171 - Miller v. Miller THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS RYAN MILLER, Appellant, BRENDA MILLER, Appellee. Opinion No. 20190748-CA Filed December 24, 2020 Second District Court, Farmington…

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If a parent disappears for five years, what are his/her chances of winning child custody?

If a parent disappears for five years, what are his/her chances of winning child custody?  As long as 1) Dad’s story/situation isn’t worse than Mom’s, and 2) Dad’s not responsible…

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What happens after an affair when you have kids?

What happens after an affair when you have kids? I will answer as if this question were asked in the belief that the affair will have a profound effect upon…

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Are prenuptial agreements used only to avoid divorce settlements?

Are prenuptial agreements used only to avoid divorce settlements? Prenuptial agreements are used primarily to avoid the expense, the misery, and the waste of time divorce actions can (and usually…

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How do courts view mothers who abandon their family during a divorce?

How does the court view mothers that abandon their family during a divorce? Generally, with disbelief, at first. Why? A few reasons. One, to its credit, our culture still holds…

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For divorced parents: why isn’t your custody award 50/50?

For divorced parents: why isn't your custody award 50/50? Concisely (and in no particular order): sometimes a parent’s job, physical or mental/emotional disabilities, misconduct (like domestic violence, child abuse, or…

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Can a mother keeping the children from the father work against in custody litigation?

Can a mother not allowing the father to see his child without reason work against her in litigation for joint custody? Would the father having children from another relationship living…

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If you haven’t seen “Erasing Family” and you’re going through a child custody dispute

If you haven’t seen "Erasing Family" and you’re going through a child custody dispute, you should. You really should. Because you really don't have any idea what you're in for.…

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Do I have a chance in divorce court without a lawyer? Do I really need one?

A chance? Sure. You have a chance. And you have a chance of winning the lottery, just not a very good chance of it. You may not want to read…

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Why does it seem like courts are against fathers when it comes to custody?

Why does it seem like courts are against fathers when it comes to custody? Because while the courts are becoming less and less biased against fathers as time goes by,…

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What does a judge ask a child in a custody case?

In Utah (where I practice divorce and child custody law) the answer is: it’s almost impossible to say. Why? For reasons that I assert I can demonstrate are not highly…

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Do you agree with the decision to temporarily take custody from an ER doctor’s child due to potential exposure to COVID-19?

Do you think it’s fair that a judge temporarily stripped Dr. Theresa Greene, of North Miami, of custody of her 4-year-old daughter because the doctor works with COVID-19 patients? Do…

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Is it advantageous to lie and sling mud at the other parent to win custody?

Today's question is: Is it advantageous for the father to file with the court a 2 page document of fabricated lies about mother in a child custody battle as part…

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Second and Third Judicial District Court COVID-19 Guidelines as of April 6, 2020

Second and Third Judicial District Court COVID-19 Guidelines as of April 6, 2020: Second District NOTICE REGARDING DOMESTIC CASES AND COVID-19 As commissioners in the Second District Court, we anticipate…

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Can my ex use the panic over Coronavirus/COVID-19 to withhold the kids from me?

“Can my ex use the panic over Coronavirus/COVID-19 to withhold the kids from me?” “Will I still be free to pick my son up at the end of the week…

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How is the custody going to work after separation?

After filling for legal separation where is my only child going to stay? I have my child with me right now. How is the custody going to work after separation?…

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Why don’t the police help more with custody and parent-time enforcement?

In some jurisdictions, interference with or noncompliance with child custody orders issued by a court are not enforceable by police officers or sheriff’s deputies because there is no statute or statutes…

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Why can a child refuse to live with a parent as court ordered?

Why is it OK to allow a 14-year-old child to deny one parent access to him/her without any reason, but it is kidnapping if the child were to refuse to…

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Why do courts seem to rule against husbands so unfavorably regarding custody and alimony?

Sometimes a husband/father is legitimately ruled against in a child custody case because he is unfit to exercise custody. Sometimes that unfitness may be his own fault (he’s abusive and/or…

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Cox v. Hefley 2019 UT App 60 – attorney consent or consultation, third party decision-maker

2019 UT App 60 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS CAMERON MICHAEL COX, Appellee, v. PAIGE CHARISSA HEFLEY, Appellant. Opinion No. 20170903-CA Filed April 18, 2019 Second District Court, Ogden Department…

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Can a stepparent get custody of a stepchild, if the biological/adoptive parent’s parental rights are terminated?

Question: If a child's parents were to lose custody of him, and the only family member left was the stepparent's family (not legally related), would the stepparent(s) get the child?…

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What useful things can Jeff Bezos’s divorce can teach us

Question: Amazon boss Jeff Bezos and wife MacKenzie are divorcing. Who do you think will get the custody of their 4 kids? I don’t know enough about the family’s circumstances…

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Perspective of a Law Student: How my views on court decisions have changed

Perspective of a Law Student: How my views on court decisions have changed after 2 years of law school by Alyssa Miller Before law school I perceived court cases and the…

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Noncustodial Parents: Understanding Parent-Time

Noncustodial Parents: Understanding Parent-Time When going through a divorce, one of the most common issues is child custody. A common misperception about child custody is that it is simply who…

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If somebody’s wife gets pregnant by another man will it be easy for the husband to gain custody of their children?

If somebody’s wife gets pregnant by another man will it be easy for the husband to gain custody of their children? In my opinion, 9.5 times out of 10 the…

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Why are women generally awarded child custody more often than men?

QUESTION: From a lawyer’s perspective, why do women get child custody almost 90% of the time? Is there really a bias? What factors come into play when deciding about it?…

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