legal system Archives

Must I hand a cop my license, or just show it?

February 25, 2022

Court Orders, Court Rules, Judges, Lawyers, Legal System, Utah, Utah Code, Utah Court Rules, Utah Law

cops, law, legal code, legal system, license, police, Utah, Utah code, wallet

I get this question a lot, and frankly, I am curious to know the answer myself: If you have a dedicated sleeve in your wallet that holds your driver license (you know, the kind with a window so that you…

Do I need to show up for court if I was never served papers?

February 24, 2022

Divorce Utah

Court Orders, Court Rules, Judges, Jurisdiction, Lawyers, Legal System, Utah, Utah Code, Utah Court Rules, Utah Law

attorneys, court, court papers, judges, lawyers, legal system, notice of hearing, rule of thumb

Do I need to show up for court if I was never served papers? I live in South Carolina. I cannot speak for or about the jurisdiction of South Carolina because I practice law in Utah (so you need to…

Do lawyers approach people in high profile cases to offer their services?

February 18, 2022

Divorce Utah

Court Rules, Lawyer Fees, Lawyers, Legal System

ambulance chasing, law, legal practice, legal system

Do lawyers typically approach people who will have high profile cases, like Kyle Rittenhouse, to offer their services? Some do. Some do because they are allowed by the ethical rules of their jurisdiction to do so. Some do regardless of…

Would you want to groom your children to become lawyers?

February 14, 2022

Divorce Utah

Judges, Lawyers, Legal System, Utah Law

attorneys, children, law, law practice, law school, lawyers, legal profession, legal system, parenting

Would you enlist your children into a pre-law school program which grooms them to become top notch lawyers? No. I have gone in the opposite direction. I have told my children (who love dogs and want dogs because their mother…

What is the basis for everything I have to do for my Utah divorce case?

What is the legal basis for all the hoops I have to jump through in my Utah divorce case? This is a great question. It’s a question I often ask myself. Here is the answer. Why do I have to…

Cameras in court, cheap entertainment or a way to achieve justice?

January 20, 2022

Divorce Utah

Court Orders, Court Rules, Justice and Equity, Legal System, Utah Code, Utah Court Rules

accountability, cameras in courtrooms, court, court rules, law, legal system, public good, transparency

Are cameras in the courtroom, a cheap form of reality television, or a better way to achieve justice? This is a subject that is near and dear to my heart, both as a lawyer and as a news reporter. It’s…

Law from a legal assistant’s point of view, week 24: Legal reform

December 28, 2021

Divorce Utah

Justice and Equity, Lawyers, Legal Assistant, Legal System

government, judicial reform, judiciary branch, law, legal assistant, legal reform, legal system, United States of America

By Quinton Lister, legal assistant As a legal assistant who is relatively wet behind the ears, my thoughts on legal reform will likely seem naïve. With that as a disclaimer, here are my thoughts on legal reform. Legal reform is needed but some seem…

What is a court proceeding?

December 23, 2021

Divorce Utah

Court Orders, Court Rules, Lawyers, Legal System

attorney, court, definition, judges, law, lawyers, legal aid, legal definition, legal system, proceedings

According to Black’s Law Dictionary (11th ed. 2019): PROCEEDING proceeding (16c) 1. The regular and orderly progression of a lawsuit, including all acts and events between the time of commencement and the entry of judgment. Any procedural means for seeking…

Law from a legal assistant’s point of view, week 21: Never

December 7, 2021

Divorce Utah

Court Orders, Court Rules, Judges, Lawyers, Legal Assistant, Legal System, Pro se (representing yourself)

attorney, counsel, court, due process, judge, law, lawyer, legal assistant, legal system, pro se

By Quinton Lister, legal assistant I am still new at my job. I have only been a legal assistant since Summer of 2021, but I know for myself that I would never go to court representing myself. There is simply…

What is a court order and its types?

December 2, 2021

Divorce Utah

Court Orders, Legal System, Order to Show Cause, Protective Orders, Restraining Orders

court order, court rules, law definitions, legal definition, legal orders, legal system, types of orders

Here’s the definition from Black’s Law Dictionary (11th ed. 2019): order n. (16c) 1. A command, direction, or instruction. See MANDATE (1). 2. A written direction or command delivered by a government official, esp. a court or judge. • The word generally embraces final decrees as well as…

Erring on the side of caution is not merely cowardly, it is evil

November 29, 2021

Divorce Utah

Abuse, Court Orders, Court Rules, Family Law, Fault, Judges, Legal System, Utah Court Rules, Utah Law

assumption of innocence, caution, child abuse, divorce law, family law, guilt, John Adams, legal system, spousal abuse

Erring on the side of caution is not merely cowardly, not merely corrupt, it is evil. We are to look upon it as more beneficial, that many guilty persons should escape unpunished, than one innocent person should suffer. The reason is, because it’s…

Law from a legal assistant’s point of view, week 19: Litigation

November 23, 2021

Divorce Utah

Judges, Lawyers, Legal Assistant, Legal System, Uncategorized

assistant, attorney, clerk, law, law practice, lawyer, legal assistant, legal secretary, legal system, litigation

By Quinton Lister, legal assistant Litigation is not fun. It’s anything but fun. Now, I am not a lawyer and I have only been a legal assistant since this past summer, and that’s the sum total of my experience with…

Law from a legal assistant’s point of view, week 16: Self-awareness

November 2, 2021

Divorce Utah

Fathers' Divorce Issues, Lawyers, Legal Assistant, Legal System, Men's Divorce Issues, Mothers' Divorce Issues, Women's Divorce Issues

change, divorce, divorce law, law, legal assistant, legal system, mindfulness, self-awareness

By Quinton Lister, legal assistant This new experience working in the legal field has been full of unexpected lessons. One is that it really does help to be self-aware. What I mean by that is that so often the things we…

Law from a legal assistant’s point of view, week 15: Objections.

By Quinton Lister, legal assistant I think one of the least understood facets of the legal system by lay people (like myself, a new legal assistant) is the concept of an objection in a trial. I have been to a…

Law from a legal assistant’s point of view, week 14: Preparedness and Honesty

October 19, 2021

Divorce Utah

Divorce Attorneys, Divorce Court, Divorce Law, Divorce Preparedness, Family Law, Lawyers, Legal Assistant

attorney, divorce law, emergency, family law, honesty, lawyer, legal assistant, legal system, preparedness, surprise

By Quinton Lister, Legal Assistant My new job as a legal assistant to a divorce attorney has opened my eyes to the necessity of preparation. There are emergencies and surprises that come up constantly in the practice of divorce and family…

Law from a legal assistant’s point of view, week 8: Legality vs. Morality

September 7, 2021

Divorce Utah

Divorce, Lawyers, Legal Assistant, Legal System

attorneys, divorce law, family law, law, lawyers, legal assistant, legal secretary, legal system

By Quinton Lister, Legal Assistant Since I have started working as a legal assistant, I have come to realize more the nuances of legality vs. morality. For the purposes of this post, I will define legality as that which is…

Law from a Legal Assistant’s Point of View, Week 1: It’s all new to me

July 9, 2021

Divorce Utah

Change of Circumstances, Divorce Attorneys, Divorce Law, Divorce Lawyers, Family Law, Lawyers, Legal System, Uncategorized, Utah Law

divorce law, family law, legal assistant, legal system, new job

My favorite part of being new at something is that feeling of every aspect being unique and energizing. I am experiencing that feeling now in my new job as a legal assistant for Utah Family Law, LC. I have never…

Did you ever go to court and realize for the judges and attorneys it’s kind of all a big game?

Yes, in my experience, there are aspects of the legal system and the practice of law that some lawyers and judges see and treat as a game. You see lawyers and judges who observe, regularly that “that lawyer/that judge did…

My parents filed an order of protection against me. Is there any way I can fight this at age 17 knowing that I’ve done no wrong?

My parents filed an order of protection against me. Is there any way I can fight this at age 17 knowing that I’ve done no wrong? Your experience may be different, but welcome to what may be an experience that…

Why do people need legal advisors if all the laws can be found on the Internet?

Why do people need legal advisors (I’m not referring to litigators) if all the laws can be found on the Internet? Good question, and the answer is simple and clear: There are many times when people need legal experts (and…

Tag: legal system