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 people think about November, they often think about a month that is set aside for Thanksgiving. Even though it is true that November is a month that is filled with turkey and football, it is also true that November is National Adoption Awareness Month. It is important for everyone to think about what this month means, that countless children that still need to be adopted, and the legal process to have to be completed in order for someone to…
When can you deny a parent from seeing their child? This may be an uncomfortable question, but it’s a necessary one when it comes to working out the details of visitation rights. Understanding the rules has a lot to do with how the courts view the topic. At Wall & Wall Attorneys at Law, P.C., we understand the nuances behind every divorce, which is why this topic can be more complicated than it first appears. We’ll look at the premise…
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…
Going through a divorce is hard enough already. When you throw in filing taxes as a separated or divorced couple, it can seem overwhelming. The first thing you and your former spouse need to do is determine your filing status. What is Your New Filing Status After Divorce? How does divorce affect taxes? It turns out in nearly every way possible. While your filing status probably remained unchanged and was automatic during your marriage, that is no longer the case.…