Parental Fitness Archives

State In Interest of B.W. – 2022 UT App 131

State In Interest of B.W. – 2022 UT App 131 Court of Appeals of Utah. STATE of Utah, IN the INTEREST OF B.W., J.W., and N.W., persons under eighteen years of age. H.W., Appellant, v. State of Utah, Appellee. No.…

From Pro Publica: Barricaded Siblings Turn to TikTok While Defying Court Order to Return to Father They Say Abused Them

There is far more to this story than the headline reveals. From Pro Publica: Barricaded Siblings Turn to TikTok While Defying Court Order to Return to Father They Say Abused Them https://www.propublica.org/article/parental-alienation-utah-livestream-siblings#:~:text=Two%20siblings%20in%20Utah%20have,had%20sexually%20abused%20the%20children Is there any question whether the court would…

In Re A.H. – 2022 UT App 114 – Termination of Parental Rights

March 2, 2023

Divorce Utah

Adoption, Appeal, Best Interest of the Child, Child Abuse, Child Custody, Child Neglect, Child Protective Services, Child Support, Court Orders, Custody, Evidence, Family Law, Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, Grandparent rights, Guardianship, Ineffective Assistance of Counsel, Judges, Juvenile Court, Mental Illness, Parental Fitness, Parental Rights, Physical Custody, Procedure and Evidence, Substance Abuse, Utah Code, Utah Court of Appeals Decisions, Utah Law

2021 UT 19, 455 U.S. 745, 530 U.S. 57, 648 P.2d 1364, abandonment, abuse, adoption, appeals, best interest, clear and convincing evidence standard, deference, federal and state constitutions Troxel v. Granville, foster parents, fundamental rights, guardianship, In re G.D., In re J.P., juvenile court, lower court findings, most important rights, neglect, parental rights, permanent guardianship, present-tense fashion, relatives, reverse, right of parents to raise their children, Santosky v. Kramer, stipulation, strictly necessary, termination, two-part test, United States Constitution, Utah Code § 80-4-104(1)

2022 UT App 114 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF UTAH, IN THE INTEREST OF A.H., J.H., J.H., L.H., N.H., S.H., AND E.H., PERSONS UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE. N.J.H. AND S.H., Appellants, v. STATE OF UTAH, Appellee. Opinion…

In Re K.T. 2023 UT App 5 – Substantiation of Child Abuse

2023 UT App 5 THE UTAH COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF UTAH, IN THE INTEREST OF K.T., A PERSON UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE. J.K., Appellant, v. STATE OF UTAH, Appellee. Opinion No. 20210553-CA Filed January 20, 2023 Third District…

Is 50/50 custody likely when the parents live in the same neighborhood?

What is the likelihood of reverting to 50/50 custody when the parents live in the same neighborhood? Mom still cares for the child over 80% Your question states in part, “What is the likelihood of reverting to 50-50 custody.” Your…

My children’s father is a bum. Can he get 50/50 custody awarded?

The question is: I’m a stay at home mom, my BD is always working unreliable and inconsistent hours, he wants 50% custody of our son. Will he be granted 50%? His hours always vary from 4pm 7pm 9pm even 2am…

Who do you pick between a present father and an absentee mother?

Who do you pick, your father who has been there your whole life or your mother who was never there until now and wants custody of you? Assuming that 1) custody of you must be awarded to one parent or…

Can being a noncustodial parent improve the child-parent relationship?

Can being a noncustodial parent improve the child’s relationship with the noncustodial parent? Recently, a reader on Quora, where I comment regularly, commented on a post of mine with this: Anecdotally: When my parents separated I felt I saw my…

Child refuses to exercise shared custody with the stricter parent

Teenager Child (16) refuses to see me after spending a month with my ex. I have 50% custody. What can I do about it? I’m a stricter parent unlike my ex who lets him play computer games all day and…

Has anyone ever been able to prove narcissistic abuse in divorce court?

Yes, it happens quite frequently.* What people don’t understand is that finding a spouse is a jerk usually doesn’t amount to much in the divorce action. Most people believe—falsely—that if they can show the court that their spouses are narcissists…

Should I get sole custody of my children if the dad does not want custody?

Should I get sole custody of my children if their dad does not want to be involved with them? Or try to talk it out before I go through with it? Your children deserve a loving, salutary relationship with both…

How can I make sure father won’t gain custody?

My husband cheated on me and we’re getting a divorce. He begged me not to take his children away, but I want him to suffer. How can I make sure that he won’t gain custody or even visitation rights? Surely…

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…

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…

Parental Fitness

State In Interest of B.W. – 2022 UT App 131

From Pro Publica: Barricaded Siblings Turn to TikTok While Defying Court Order to Return to Father They Say Abused Them

In Re A.H. – 2022 UT App 114 – Termination of Parental Rights

In Re K.T. 2023 UT App 5 – Substantiation of Child Abuse

Is 50/50 custody likely when the parents live in the same neighborhood?

My children’s father is a bum. Can he get 50/50 custody awarded?

Who do you pick between a present father and an absentee mother?

Can being a noncustodial parent improve the child-parent relationship?

Child refuses to exercise shared custody with the stricter parent

Has anyone ever been able to prove narcissistic abuse in divorce court?

Should I get sole custody of my children if the dad does not want custody?

How can I make sure father won’t gain custody?

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

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

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

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

Can I gain full custody if I’m bipolar?

What are the primary concerns in determining parenting issues? Why?

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

If both parents are wonderful, will the court still favor the mother?