Best Interest of the Child Archives

What are the primary parenting issues of concern by the court?

What are the primary concerns of the courts in determining parenting issues? Why? In Utah (and in no particular order), the court must consider the factors articulated in these sections of the Utah Code when making a legal and physical…

What can you do if your ex-husband does not want to pay school fees?

What can you do if your husband does not want to pay school fees for his children when you are divorced? First, it is not necessarily a given that a divorced parent must pay for a child’s school fees. I…

My estranged father keeps asking me for money, what do I do?

My parents are divorced, my father has no savings, he didn’t work for the entire period of their marriage, we were estranged for a while and now we are back, but now he keeps asking me for money, what do…

Do you think it’s fair for a non-custodial parent to pay more child support?

Do you think it’s acceptable for the non-custodial parent to have to pay more child support because the custodial parent chooses to barely work or not work at all? Generally, no, it is not acceptable. In the jurisdiction where I…

Are there experts who can evaluate parental alienation for a custody case?

There are “expert” witnesses for virtually any and every issue in legal actions. Can judges be bamboozled by pseudo-scientific expert witnesses? Without question. Do some judges who know that the so-called expert witness’s testimony is pseudo-scientific bunk (or at least…

Can a 16-year-old child choose not to have visitation with a parent?

Technically, no. Practicably/pragmatically, yes. Technically, a minor child (even a child of 16 years of age) does not have the legal right to choose whether he or she will comply with the parent time “visitation” scheduling orders that a court…

In re G.B. – 2022 UT App 98

August 9, 2022

Divorce Utah

Abuse, Addiction, Best Interest of the Child, Child Abuse, Child Custody, Child Neglect, Emotional abuse, ORS (Office of Recovery Services), Physical Abuse, Physical Custody, Substance Abuse

child abuse, child neglect, drug issues, juvenile court

2022 UT App 98 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF UTAH, IN THE INTEREST OF G.B. AND A.C., PERSONS UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE. T.R.B., Appellant, v. STATE OF UTAH, Appellee. Opinion No. 20210396-CA Filed August 4, 2022 Fifth…

So I want to ask my dad to divorce my mom.

So I want to ask my dad to divorce my mom. She has a troublesome personality, to say. I’m currently 16 and the relationship between not just me and my mother, but also the one between her and my father,…

Can I gain full custody if I’m bipolar?

I don’t want anything to do with my child’s father. Can I gain full custody if I’m bipolar? First, thank you for being so candid and blunt. This is a question that everyone on both sides of this issue have…

If each parent is fully capable, will the court still give full custody to mom?

If both parents are wonderful, will the court still lean towards full custody to the mother? [Note: I am a divorce lawyer of 25 years. I am not bitter about “what happened to me in my divorce” as I am not divorced.…

Can an adult child be sued for helping one parent divorce the other?

Taking your question literally: Can? Yes. You can file a lawsuit for any “reason” or no reason at all. Crazy and/or malicious people file crazy/malicious/frivolous/unintelligible lawsuits all the time. Just because you can file a lawsuit does not mean, however,…

Why would a father give a child’s abusive mother full custody?

Why would a father whose attorney had outed his children’s mother as a schizophrenogenic narc monster give her full custody? “Give?” If the father had it within his power to prevent custody of the children from being awarded to a…

How does someone take custody of a child after winning custody?

When someone wins custody of a child, does the child come to the courthouse to be taken by whoever is awarded custody or do they go to the home of the child to take them? How does this usually go? …

True or false: Better to divorce than have a miserable life.

This blog post is in response to this question: I don’t think it’s bad to get a divorce. I think it’s more unhealthy to have miserable lives. — Ginger Wynn. What are your thoughts on this statement? This statement tries…

How can I reveal my soon-to-be ex as having NPD in our custody case?

How can I reveal my soon-to-be ex as having NPD in our child custody case? You’re asking the wrong question. You shouldn’t be asking how you can prove your spouse has NPD (or some other mental or emotional disorder), but…

How would my fiancé go about getting any sort of custody for his child?

That is an extremely broad question. The best way to start: find a good domestic relations lawyer (a good one, not just any) and schedule a consultation with him/her so that your fiancé can explain the situation to the lawyer,…

Horne v. Horne – 2022 UT App 54 – 60(b) motion to set aside

2022 UT App 54 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS REBECCA A. HORNE, Appellee, v. TODD D. HORNE, Appellant. Opinion No. 20200845-CA Filed April 28, 2022 Third District Court, Salt Lake Department The Honorable Barry G. Lawrence No. 194905732 Mary C.…

How can I help my stepdaughter get away from an abusive mother?

How can I help my 12-year-old step daughter get away from an emotionally abusive mother? Tell the child’s father (your husband) about the trouble and have him handle it. It’s not legally your fight. You should certainly share your observations…

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, where I practice divorce and family law. Each jurisdiction will…

How will it affect children to switch schools every other school year?

How will it affect children to switch back and forth to schools every other school year due to child custody agreement between parents who live in different states? Probably not well. Think about your own experience as a child. Did…