In re N.E. – 2025 UT App 156 – Termination of Parental Rights, Permanent Guardianship
In re N.E. - 2025 UT App 156 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF UTAH, IN THE INTEREST OF N.E., A PERSON UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE. N.E., Appellant,…
A Critical Analysis of Court-Ordered Mental Health Therapy in Utah Family Law
In family law proceedings, particularly those involving child custody disputes, courts frequently order parents and children to engage in mental health therapy. While the ostensible intent behind these orders is…
A Better Approach to Acquiring Child Testimonial Evidence in Child Custody Disputes
In Utah child custody disputes, the voices of children are almost always filtered through court-appointed private guardians ad litem (PGALs) and/or custody evaluators. These intermediaries will claim to represent what…
Is There Anything I Can Do for Winning Custody After the Gal Report Is Favoring My Ex? Is Paying More to My Attorneys Worth It or No?
After you ask, “Is there anything I can do for winning custody after the GAL report is favoring my ex? Is paying more to my attorneys worth it or no?,”…
Is appointing a guardian ad litem helpful in custody cases?
Is appointing a guardian ad litem a positive tool to help with custody cases? [I will respond to your question based upon my experience with guardians ad litem in Utah,…
GALs/custody evaluators waste money/time compared to judge interview
GALs and custody evaluators waste too much money and time, and can never provide the same accuracy as a judge’s direct interview of the child. This post is the fifteenth…
I’ve never seen a GAL or custody evaluator add value equal to the fees they charge
I've never seen a GAL or custody evaluator add value equal to the fees they charge This post is the fourteenth in series of 15 posts on the subject of…
GAL recommendations are nowhere close to being the best way
GAL recommendations are nowhere close to being the best way to determining the child’s best interest. This post is the thirteenth in series of 15 posts on the subject of…
Why Not Have the Judge Interview the Children About Child Custody?
Why Not Have the Judge Interview the Children About Child Custody? Why Appoint a GAL or Custody Evaluator When the Judge Can Interview the Children? This post is the first…
There is nothing a GAL could learn how to do that a judge cannot also learn how to do equally well.
There is nothing a GAL could learn how to do that a judge cannot also learn how to do equally well. This post is the ninth in series of 15…
If everyone agrees that the judge needs to know what the child is experiencing, observing, and feeling, why won’t the judge interview the child?
If everyone agrees that the judge needs to know what the child is experiencing, observing, and feeling, why won’t the judge interview the child? This post is the seventh…
Which Is Better: spending thousands on GAL/custody evaluator or $0 on a judge interview?
Which Is Better: spending thousands on GAL/custody evaluator or $0 on a judge interview? How could it be better to spend thousands on a GAL or custody evaluator when the…
Believing Judges Interviewing Children Harms Children Rests on False Premises
This post is the eighth in series of 15 posts on the subject of custody evaluations and the appointment of guardians ad litem (“GALs” for short) in Utah child custody…
Does having the judge interview the children traumatize the children?
Does having the judge interview the children traumatize the children? This post is the second in series of 15 posts on the subject of custody evaluations and the appointment…
Why Won’t Judges and Commissioners Interview Children?
I recently participated in a hearing before a domestic relations commissioner in which the commissioner refused to interview a child and ordered a guardian ad litem (GAL) appointed, even though…