It has become very common for children to be born to parents who are not married in Utah and throughout the United States. Reportedly, around 40 percent of childbirths in the U.S. are to unmarried couples. The rate in Utah is lower, but it’s still nearly 20 percent. Even though becoming parents without getting married is so widespread now, it sets up a number of legal issues that require establishing paternity in order to resolve them. Wall Legal Solutions in…
The Utah parent-time schedule is a comprehensive arrangement for schedule for parent-time during even and odd years. The various versions of the schedule are customized to accommodate the age-specific needs of children as they grow through each age group from infancy through their late teens. Ideally, for all age groups, the custody schedule should give children as frequent contact with both parents as possible and allow both parents involvement in routine parenting. Parenting Plans for Children’s Age Groups Usually, in…
A stepparent may support his or her spouse’s children for years while married to their parent. But, there is no obligation under Utah or U.S. federal law for the stepparent to pay child support for the spouse’s children born from a previous relationship. However, a stepparent can impact the amount of child support that his or her spouse, the biological parent, is required to pay. This can, in effect, cause the stepparent to incur costs from resulting child support increases.…
When you have a child custody order for time-sharing, you may be confused as to what to do during the COVID-19 pandemic. Should you keep your children with you or let them have the court-ordered time with your former spouse? The simple answer is to let your children spend time with your former spouse as withholding visitation is violating the court order. We Both Agree to Suspend Time-Sharing. What Do We Need to Do? If you both agree to suspend…
It can be challenging to navigate the process of divorce and one of the most important aspects of this process is child support. Child custody, visitation, and child support are all done in the best interests of the child or children. It is critical for everyone to have a firm understanding of child support and the implications that these payments can have on someone’s taxes. With this in mind, there are a few common questions that people have when it…