When a custody evaluator and/or private guardian ad litem is/are appointed in a divorce case in which custody and parent-time of the children is disputed, they usually interview the children…
As any attorney can do with any client, a PGAL clearly has the right to argue on a child client's behalf, and the Utah Code makes clear that a PGAL…
I had lunch today with a former legal assistant of mine who is now a law student in Arizona. Over the summer he shadowed judges in Maricopa County during their…
Growing up I read in books, heard people talk about, and saw in movies where children went to court when their parents were getting divorced, and they got to tell…
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,…
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 to determining the child’s best interest. This post is the thirteenth in series of 15 posts on the subject of…
How useful are a GAL’s or custody evaluator’s recommendations? This post is the twelfth in series of 15 posts on the subject of custody evaluations and the appointment of guardians ad litem (“GALs”…
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. 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? This post is the seventh…
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…
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? This post is the second in series of 15 posts on the subject of custody evaluations and the appointment…
What are common Latin legal terms used in divorce and family law? While the use of Latin terms and phrases in the family law is decreasing, there are still many…
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…
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…
This opinion is subject to revision before final publication in the Pacific Reporter In re G.J.P. - 2020 UT 4 - IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF UTAH…
2019 UT App 207 - THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS ADAM LEGRANDE PEEPLES, Appellee, v. ANNALEISE T. PEEPLES, Appellant. Opinion No. 20180713-CA Filed December 19, 2019 Third District Court, Salt…
Black and white, plain and simple. We really mean that here at Utah Family Law, LC. What you normally hear about divorce and family law is all over the map–even when you hear it from lawyers.
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