Fathers' Divorce Issues Archives

2019 UT App 83 – Nave Free v. Free – modification of child support

May 23, 2019

Assets/Debt/Property, Best Interest of the Child, Child Support, Child Support Modification, Children in Divorce, Divorce Law, Fathers' Divorce Issues, Men's Divorce Issues, Modification of Child Support, Mothers' Divorce Issues, Utah Code, Utah Court of Appeals, Utah Court of Appeals Decisions, Utah Law, Women's Divorce Issues

2004 UT App 314, 2009 UT App 152, 2013 UT App 296, 2015 UT App 308, 2016 UT 48, 2016 UT App 125, 2016 UT App 135, 2017 UT App 192, 2018 UT App 195, 311 B.R. 618, 323 P.3d 586, 365 P.3d 719, 379 P.3d 882, 379 P.3d 890, 387 P.3d 1000, 406 P.3d 258, 437 P.3d 464, 78B-12-210(9)(b)(iii), 897 N.Y.S.2d 401, 98 P.3d 1178, Bagley v. Bagley, Cantrell v. Cantrell, Child Support, Diener v. Diener, Dole v. Dole, Earhart v. Earhart, Fish v. Fish, Hansen v. Hansen, In re Harrelson, income had substantially increased, medical expenses of children, needs, petition to modify the divorce decree, Poberesky v. Poberesky, relative wealth, remarried, renting out a house, Shuman v. Shuman, substantial change in material circumstances, Taft v. Taft, upward deviation, Utah Child Support Act, Utah Code §§ 78B-12-101 to 403

2019 UT App 83 – Nave Free v. Free THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS LINDA LEE NAVE-FREE, Appellee, WENLOCK DUANE FREE JR., Appellant. Opinion No. 20170751-CA Filed May 16, 2019 Fourth District Court, Heber Department The Honorable Jennifer A. Brown…

2019 UT App 82 – Blocker v. Blocker – terminating supervised parent-time

May 22, 2019

Divorce Utah

Best Interest of the Child, Child Custody, Child Custody Modification, Children in Divorce, Custody, Fathers' Divorce Issues, Men's Divorce Issues, Mothers' Divorce Issues, Parent Time, Parental Fitness, Parental Rights, Physical Custody, Procedure and Evidence, Supervised Parent-time, Supervised Visitation, Utah Court of Appeals, Utah Court of Appeals Decisions, Visitation, Women's Divorce Issues

(Utah Ct. App. 1998), ¶ 33, 2000 UT App 213, 2009 UT App 365, 2016 UT App 94, 2017 UT App 10, 2017 UT App 192, 2018 UT App 137, 2018 UT App 184, 2018 UT App 196, 223 P.3d 456, 374 P.3d 45, 391 P.3d 1051, 406 P.3d 258, 427 P.3d 1221, 437 P.3d 370, 437 P.3d 445m, 649 P.2d 51 (Utah 1982), 694 P.2d 608 (Utah 1984), 967 P.2d 942, Becker v. Becker, best interests of the child, bifurcated procedure, Blocker v. Blocker, change in circumstances, changed circumstances, Childs v. Childs, Erickson v. Erickson, Hanson v. Hanson, Hogge v. Hogge, Jensen v. Jensen, Jones v. Jones, Lay v. Lay, maintaining relationship with child, mandate rule, older child, professional therapy, Shuman v. Shuman, speak by phone, special master, Stephens v. Stephens, unable to afford supervised visitation, unsupervised parent-time, welfare, without incident

2019 UT App 82 – Blocker v. Blocker THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS KIRSTEEN DIDI BLOCKER, Appellee, MICHAEL PHILLIP BLOCKER, Appellant. Opinion No. 20170167-CA Filed May 16, 2019 Fourth District Court, Provo Department The Honorable James R. Taylor No. 024402553…

Do I need a separate room for my daughter?

May 6, 2019

Divorce Utah

Child Custody, Children in Divorce, Coping With Divorce, Dirty Tricks, Divorce Fears, Divorce Law, Divorce Preparedness, Fathers' Divorce Issues, Men's Divorce Issues, Mothers' Divorce Issues, Parental Rights, Parenting Plan, Women's Divorce Issues

apartment, bedroom, daughter

As a single father I can only afford a one bedroom apartment for me and daughter, what alternatives do we have? Most courts will not penalize you for having a small residence. Most courts won’t penalize you for you and…

If my spouse cheats, and we divorce will I get custody of my children?

May 1, 2019

Divorce Utah

Adultery, Child Custody, Children in Divorce, Divorce Mistakes, Fathers' Divorce Issues, Infidelity, Legal Custody, Men's Divorce Issues, Mothers' Divorce Issues, Women's Divorce Issues

adultery, child custody, infidelity

In response to the question, “If my spouse cheats, and we divorce, will I get custody of the children because of my spouse’s infidelity?,” the answer is unequivocally “no.” No state in the United States awards custody to the cheated-on…

Have you ever dealt with parental alienation?

April 30, 2019

Divorce Utah

Children in Divorce, Divorce Fears, Divorce Mistakes, Divorce Preparedness, Fathers' Divorce Issues, Men's Divorce Issues, Mothers' Divorce Issues, Parental Alienation, Women's Divorce Issues

alienation, causes, children, courts, divorce, judges, parental alienation, parents

Yes, but from the perspective of being the divorce lawyer for the alienated parent. Let me tell you, unless the alienating parent is so ham-handed in his or her efforts that the alienation is manifestly undeniable, proving parental alienation is…

What’s the best way to decide who takes the children when a couple splits?

April 29, 2019

Divorce Utah

Child Custody, Children in Divorce, Divorce Fears, Divorce Mistakes, Divorce Preparedness, Fathers' Divorce Issues, Men's Divorce Issues, Mothers' Divorce Issues, Women's Divorce Issues

best interest of child, best interest of the family, child custody, decent parent, fit parent, loving parent

I’ll tell you one thing, it’s not the illusory “standard” (that’s not really a standard in the first place) of the “best interest of the child” that everybody talks about. The goal of a child custody award should be the…

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 The Honorable W. Brent West No. 134901221 David Pedrazas, Attorney…

Can I Get the Court to Force My NPD Spouse to Be Tested?

April 2, 2019

Divorce Utah

Child Custody, Child Custody Modification, Fathers' Divorce Issues, Men's Divorce Issues, Mental Illness, Mothers' Divorce Issues, Parent Time, Personality Disorders, Visitation, Women's Divorce Issues

Should I attempt to / is it possible to have my court order my NPD to undergo psychological testing before he can get access to our child? First, let’s break down the bases for your resistance to you ex-spouse having…

Dealing with Your Spouse During the Divorce Process

QUESTION: What are some pointers that you may have in getting along with your ex-spouse to be during the process of a divorce? What advice do you have to keep it from escalating badly during this difficult time? ANSWER: Suggest…

LeFevre v. Mackelprang – 2019 UT App 42 – joint custody analysis

2019 UT App 42 – THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS – LeFevre v. Mackelprang AMELIA GAYATREE LEFEVRE, Appellee, v. CASEY LEE MACKELPRANG, Appellant. Opinion No. 20171006-CA Filed March 28, 2019 Sixth District Court, Panguitch Department The Honorable Paul D. Lyman…

Nebeker v. Orton – 2019 UT App 23 – custody and parent-time

2019 UT App 23 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS SHANE NEBEKER, Appellant, v. TRISHA ANN ORTON, Appellee. Opinion No. 20170438-CA Filed February 14, 2019 Sixth District Court, Richfield Department The Honorable Marvin D. Bagley No. 154600140 Jared L. Peterson, Attorney…

At what age can children decide which parent they want to live with?

It’s largely a matter of age and size/strength or resourcefulness. Technically a child never legally has the power to choose with which parent he/she will live (the only person with that power is the judge). But as a matter of…

If it’s so terrible to separate children from parents at the border, why is it so acceptable to separate children and parents in divorce?

January 18, 2019

Divorce Utah

Child Abuse, Child Custody, Children in Divorce, Fathers' Divorce Issues, Men's Divorce Issues, Mothers' Divorce Issues, Physical Custody, Women's Divorce Issues

If it’s so terrible to separate children from parents at the border, why is it so acceptable to separate children and parents in divorce? Utah Family Law, LC | divorceutah.com | 801-466-9277

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 to know. Assuming both parents are personally “fit” to exercise…

Have we reached the point where mothers are not immediately deemed the best candidates for child custody?

Almost, but not yet. Until recently, it wasn’t just a cultural norm, but a legal principle that presumed during a child’s “tender” years (generally regarded as the age of four and under), the mother should have custody of the child…

What can you do when the system is clearly against you?

January 12, 2019

Divorce Utah

Dirty Tricks, Divorce Fears, Divorce Preparedness, Fathers' Divorce Issues, Men's Divorce Issues, Mothers' Divorce Issues, Women's Divorce Issues

corruption

What are options for a parent who’s ex works the judicial system with the purpose of making the parent miserable? Said parent is losing time with her child because her ex is “friends” with the judge who rules in favor…

How did your dad change your life?

January 11, 2019

Divorce Utah

Children in Divorce, Fathers' Divorce Issues, Men's Divorce Issues

Without him perhaps even realizing it, he taught me what is to me the most important thing I could learn and know and be: do what is right, let the consequence follow. Dad was not perfect, but that made him…

Is it ever a good idea to postpone a divorce for the ‘children’s sake’?

January 2, 2019

Divorce Utah

Amicable Divorce, Best Interest of the Child, Children in Divorce, Divorce Fears, Divorce Mistakes, Divorce Preparedness, Divorce Prevention/Marriage Preservation, Fathers' Divorce Issues, Men's Divorce Issues, Mothers' Divorce Issues, Women's Divorce Issues

divorcing after the kids are adults, staying together for the kids' sake

Ever? Certainly. Always? No. (and remember: though I’m a divorce lawyer, that does not mean I am a raving fan of divorce. I’m not. Rarely does even the “best divorce” measure up to a “sufficient marriage”) While it is clearly…

Morality Clause: Can Include One in My Decree of Divorce?

January 1, 2019

Divorce Utah

Best Interest of the Child, Children in Divorce, Cohabitation, Contempt of Court, Divorce Mistakes, Divorce Preparedness, Fathers' Divorce Issues, Men's Divorce Issues, Mothers' Divorce Issues, Parental Rights, Unwed Parents, Women's Divorce Issues

morality clauses

Can I successfully put a morality clause in a custody agreement to prevent my child from a living arrangement where my ex is living with a girlfriend? This practice is against the religious teachings in our faith. Yes. In Utah…

Child Custody: what does it mean in divorce, and what factors determine who gets child custody?

December 7, 2018

Divorce Utah

Child Custody, Children in Divorce, Fathers' Divorce Issues, Joint Legal Custody, Joint Physical Custody, Legal Custody, Men's Divorce Issues, Mothers' Divorce Issues, Parent Time, Physical Custody, Visitation, Women's Divorce Issues

child custody, joint custody, joint legal custody, joint physical custody, parenting plan

One of the biggest worries (perhaps the biggest) for a parent going through divorce is the question of child custody. A common misperception is that “child custody” means simply who your children will live with after you and your ex-spouse…

Fathers’ Divorce Issues