Divorce Procedure Archives

What is the best and fastest way to switch judges in a family court?

I will answer this question as it applies in my jurisdiction (Utah). First, no one has a right simply to choose your judge or choose to change the judge assigned to your case. One way to get a change of judge is…

What questions do people ask about divorce?

The FIRST questions most frequently asked of me are: “How much can I expect it to cost me in total to get a divorce?” “What is your hourly rate?” “What is your retainer amount?” “If my spouse and I agree…

I’m getting a divorce, and my husband filed the paperwork. Strangely, he filled out my portion of the paperwork for me and even put in a name change. I don’t know what to do with this. Any suggestions?

August 5, 2021

Divorce Utah

Court Rules, Divorce, Divorce Fears, Divorce Law, Divorce Procedure, Fathers' Divorce Issues, Men's Divorce Issues, Mothers' Divorce Issues, Preparing for Divorce, Women's Divorce Issues

divorce complaint, divorce law, divorce paperwork, Divorce petition

This is a general response because every jurisdiction may be a little different, but the principles that I discussed below are pretty uniform throughout the United States. Make sure you consult an attorney in your jurisdiction as to what you…

MacFarland v. MacFarland – 2021 UT App 58

July 16, 2021

Divorce Utah

Amicable Divorce, Child Custody, Child Custody Modification, Child Support, Child Support Calculation, Child Support Enforcement, Child Support Modification, Children in Divorce, Co-parenting, Cohabitation, Contempt of Court, Coping With Divorce, Court Orders, Custody, Dirty Tricks, Divorce, Divorce Court, Divorce Fears, Divorce Law, Divorce Mistakes, Divorce Preparedness, Divorce Procedure, Equitable Interest, Equity, Evidence, Family Law, Fathers' Divorce Issues, Joint Physical Custody, Judges, Justice and Equity, Legal System, Marital Home, Men's Divorce Issues, Modification of Alimony, Modification of Child Custody, Modification of Child Support, Modification of Decree of Divorce, Modification of Parent-time, Mothers' Divorce Issues, Noncustodial parents, Parent Time, Petition to Modify Decree of Divorce, Physical Custody, Preparing for Divorce, Special Circumstances, Spousal Support, Termination of Alimony, Uncontested Divorce, Utah Court of Appeals Decisions, Utah Court Rules, Utah Law, Women's Divorce Issues

§ 30-3-10.1, § 30-3-5, § 78B-12-108, § 78B-12-201, alimony, child custody, decree of divorce, joint physical custody, Modification, modifying, physical custody, Utah code

021 UT App 58 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS BRUCE RAY MCFARLAND, Appellant and Cross-appellee, v. NICOLE S. MCFARLAND, Appellee and Cross-appellant. Opinion No. 20190541-CA Filed June 4, 2021 Second District Court, Farmington Department The Honorable David J. Williams No.…

The Utah courthouses will be re-opening soon. Don’t go back!

With the COVID-19 crisis essentially behind us now (please don’t start on the Delta variant) the Utah courts are re-opening the courthouses. And there’s nothing wrong with that . . . unless the gains and improvements that COVID-19 forced us…

Nakkina v. Mahanthi – 2021 UT App 63 – joint equal custody, marital property, attorney fees

July 2, 2021

Divorce Utah

Appeal, Assets/Debt/Property, Attorney Fees, Best Interest of the Child, Child Custody, Children in Divorce, Co-parenting, Coping With Divorce, Court Orders, Court Rules, Custody, Divorce, Divorce Attorneys, Divorce Costs, Divorce Court, Divorce Fears, Divorce Law, Divorce Lawyers, Divorce Mistakes, Divorce Preparedness, Divorce Procedure, Equity, Evidence, Family Law, Fathers' Divorce Issues, Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, Joint Physical Custody, Judges, Justice and Equity, Lawyer Fees, Legal System, Marital Estate, Marital Property, Men's Divorce Issues, Mothers' Divorce Issues, Parental Fitness, Parental Rights, Parenting Plan, Personal Property, Physical Custody, Preparing for Divorce, Property Division, Utah Court of Appeals Decisions, Utah Law, Women's Divorce Issues

attorney's fees award, interspousal gifts, joint equal physical custody, joint parent-time, joint physical custody, marital property, Nakkina v. Mahanthi - 2021 UT App 63, Utah Court of Appeals

Nakkina v. Mahanthi – 2021 UT App 63 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS SIREESHA NAKKINA, Appellee, v. PRODEEP KUMAR MAHANTHI, Appellant. Opinion No. 20190750-CA Filed June 17, 2021 Third District Court, Salt Lake Department The Honorable Barry G. Lawrence No.…

Ward v. McGarry – 2021 UT App 51

Ward v. McGarry – 2021 UT App 51 NOTICE: THIS OPINION HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED FOR PUBLICATION IN THE PERMANENT LAW REPORTS. UNTIL RELEASED, IT IS SUBJECT TO REVISION OR WITHDRAWAL. Court of Appeals of Utah. Sara WARD, Appellant, v. Meredith MCGARRY, Appellee. …

Do you agree with Brad Pitt winning joint custody of his children with Angelina Jolie?

I normally don’t comment on popular culture matters dealing with divorce, but for this question I will make an exception. I have no idea what kind of parents Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are. I don’t know what findings the…

What are the grounds for filing for a divorce in Utah?

First, you need to understand that Utah, like every other state in the U.S. has what are known as a “no-fault divorce law”. No-fault divorce means that you don’t have to plead or show that your spouse committed any kind…

How hard did you have to fight to get custody of your child after divorce as a father? What was the biggest problem you faced?

Allow me to start this answer by clearing the air a bit: First, there are many fathers who are clearly unfit fathers but who nonetheless believe the only or the “real” reason they are denied sole or even joint custody…

After a divorce, should my kids be with me or with the mom?

June 1, 2021

Divorce Utah

Abuse, Addiction, Adoption, Best Interest of the Child, Business Interests, Child Abuse, Child Custody, Child Custody Modification, Child Neglect, Children in Divorce, Coping With Divorce, Court Orders, Court Rules, Custody, Custody Evaluation, Dirty Tricks, Divorce, Divorce Fears, Divorce Law, Divorce Mistakes, Divorce Preparedness, Divorce Procedure, Domestic Violence, Emotional abuse, Equity, Evidence, Family Law, Fathers' Divorce Issues, Joint Legal Custody, Joint Physical Custody, Judges, Justice and Equity, Legal Custody, Legal System, Men's Divorce Issues, Modification of Child Custody, Modification of Decree of Divorce, Modification of Parent-time, Mothers' Divorce Issues, Motion Practice, Noncustodial parents, Parent Time, Physical Custody, Sole Custody, Unwed Parents, Utah Code, Utah Law, Women's Divorce Issues

child custody, fathers, joint custody, joint equal custody, legal custody, mothers, parent, parents

First, you need to understand that you’re asking the wrong question. Child custody is not a zero-sum game; otherwise stated, when parents divorce, or when unmarried parents separate, where you get the idea that the children must be in the…

I have custody of my child. He’s refusing to come home. What now?

May 19, 2021

Divorce Utah

Abuse, Addiction, Child Abuse, Child Custody, Child Custody Modification, Child Neglect, Children in Divorce, Co-parenting, Coping With Divorce, Court Orders, Court Rules, Custodial Interference, Custody, Dirty Tricks, Divorce, Divorce Court, Divorce Fears, Divorce Law, Divorce Mistakes, Divorce Preparedness, Divorce Procedure, Family Law, Fathers' Divorce Issues, Joint Legal Custody, Joint Physical Custody, Judges, Legal Custody, Legal System, Men's Divorce Issues, Modification of Child Custody, Modification of Decree of Divorce, Modification of Parent-time, Mothers' Divorce Issues, Parental Alienation, Parental Fitness, Parental Rights, Parenting Plan, Petition to Modify Decree of Divorce, Physical Custody, Sole Custody, Women's Divorce Issues

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I have custody of my child. He left to go to his mom’s last Friday for the weekend. He is refusing to come home because he wants to live there. What happens now? I will answer this question in the…

Father has 50/50 custody. Now ex is trying to take it away. What to do?

May 7, 2021

Divorce Utah

Best Interest of the Child, Child Custody, Child Custody Modification, Child Support, Child Support Modification, Children in Divorce, Co-parenting, Coping With Divorce, Custody, Custody Evaluation, Dirty Tricks, Divorce Costs, Divorce Court, Divorce Fears, Divorce Law, Divorce Lawyers, Divorce Mistakes, Divorce Preparedness, Divorce Procedure, Family Law, Fathers' Divorce Issues, Joint Legal Custody, Joint Physical Custody, Judges, Justice and Equity, Legal Custody, Legal System, Men's Divorce Issues, Modification of Child Custody, Modification of Child Support, Modification of Decree of Divorce, Modification of Parent-time, Mothers' Divorce Issues, Noncustodial parents, Parent Time, Parental Alienation, Parental Fitness, Parenting Plan, Physical Custody, Sole Custody, Women's Divorce Issues

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I am a father who has exercised at least 50/50 custody with my ex. Now she’s trying to take me to court for full custody and me getting every other weekend visits. How can I avoid losing 50/50 custody? First,…

Can a mother lose custody even if the child is still very young?

April 2, 2021

Divorce Utah

Best Interest of the Child, Child Abuse, Child Custody, Child Custody Modification, Child Neglect, Children in Divorce, Co-parenting, Coping With Divorce, Court Orders, Court Rules, Custody, Custody Evaluation, Dirty Tricks, Divorce Fears, Divorce Law, Divorce Mistakes, Divorce Preparedness, Divorce Procedure, Education, Evidence, Family Law, Fathers' Divorce Issues, Joint Legal Custody, Joint Physical Custody, Legal Custody, Legal System, Men's Divorce Issues, Mental Illness, Modification of Decree of Divorce, Modification of Parent-time, Mothers' Divorce Issues, Noncustodial parents, Parent Time, Parental Alienation, Parental Fitness, Parental Rights, Parenting Plan, Personality Disorders, Preparing for Divorce, Sole Custody, Stepchildren, Stepparents, Supervised Parent-time, Supervised Visitation, Utah Code, Women's Divorce Issues

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Can a mother lose custody even if the child is still very young? Are there any situations where a mother can lose custody even if their child is still very young (e.g., under 5 years old)? Oh, heck yeah. Many…

How long does it take a divorce to become final if one party is refusing the divorce?

March 24, 2021

Divorce Utah

Amicable Divorce, Coping With Divorce, Dirty Tricks, Divorce, Divorce Costs, Divorce Fears, Divorce Law, Divorce Mistakes, Divorce Preparedness, Divorce Procedure, Fathers' Divorce Issues, Judges, Men's Divorce Issues, Mothers' Divorce Issues, Uncontested Divorce, Women's Divorce Issues

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How long does it take a divorce to become final if one party is refusing the divorce? It can take an amazingly, shockingly long time. One of the most frustrating things about this experience is that while you clearly have…

What policies and factors determine how child support is calculated?

March 16, 2021

Divorce Utah

Child Custody, Child Custody Modification, Child Support, Child Support Calculation, Child Support Enforcement, Child Support Modification, Children in Divorce, Divorce, Divorce Costs, Divorce Fears, Divorce Mistakes, Divorce Preparedness, Divorce Procedure, Evidence, Family Law, Fathers' Divorce Issues, Joint Physical Custody, Legal System, Men's Divorce Issues, Modification of Child Custody, Modification of Child Support, Modification of Decree of Divorce, Modification of Parent-time, Mothers' Divorce Issues, Physical Custody, Women's Divorce Issues

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What policies and factors determine how child support is calculated? This is a good question and a question that many parents ask. Every state in U.S. has child support calculation guidelines and formulae to determine which parent pays child support…

Why do I pay child support if we have joint custody and we both work?

I know two people that separated and share custody and both have jobs yet he pays child support? How does this work? This is a great question and a question that many parents ask. I will answer it using the…

Do parents who share joint equal custody pay child support?

Do parents who share joint equal physical custody of their children pay child support? If my spouse and I were to agree to share joint equal physical custody (50-50) of our child or children, would one of us still end…

S.B. 122 passes, despite opposition from the State Bar Family Law Section.

March 6, 2021

Divorce Utah

Child Custody, Children in Divorce, Custody, Divorce Attorneys, Divorce Fears, Divorce Lawyers, Divorce Procedure, Fathers' Divorce Issues, Men's Divorce Issues, Mothers' Divorce Issues, Unwed Parents, Utah Law, Women's Divorce Issues

2021 legislative session, joint equal physical custody, s.b. 122, Utah State Legislature

S.B. 122 passes, despite transparently self-serving and disingenuous opposition from the State Bar Family Law Section. The Family Law Section’s stated opposition to the first iteration of S.B. 122 and to the general concept of a presumption of joint equal…

Do you need a reason to get a divorce?

Do you need a reason to get a divorce? Not really, at least not in the jurisdiction where I practice divorce law (Utah). Even if you get a “no fault” divorce (“no fault divorce” means that you don’t have to…