Divorce Lawyer Bluffdale, Utah: Child Custody Utah

Child custody and legal guardianship are legal terms which are used to describe the legal and practical relationship between a parent and his or her child, such as the right of the child to make decisions and the parent’s duty to care for the child.

Following ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in most countries, such as Utah and have superseded the concepts of “custody” and “access”. Instead of a parent having “custody” of or “access” to a child, a child is now said to “reside” or of “contact” with a parent. For a discussion of the new international nomenclature, give us a call to discuss it in a free consultation.

Residence and contact issues typically arise in proceedings involving divorce (dissolution of marriage), annulment, and other legal proceedings where children may be involved. In most jurisdictions the issue of which parent the child will reside with is determined in accordance with the best interests of the child standard.

Utah Courts Determine Child Custody

The support order will be based on the child’s needs, obligor’s ability to pay, custody arrangements and the child support guidelines. In Utah, The Criminal Code makes it an offence to abduct a child to spite a custody order. A custody order establishes both the custody and parenting time arrangement for the children. Your child custody order is also confidential.

When an unmarried mother has a child, the mother has legal custody of that child until a court says otherwise.

During divorce, marriage, or annulment proceedings, the issue of child custody often becomes a matter for the court to determine. The Court must consider the following factors in every child custody decision under the law regarding the best interest of the child. The court retains the power to alter the custody arrangements until the child turns 18 or is emancipated.

You may contest custody, child support, and alimony and property division by appearing in court and filing appropriate legal papers. At the hearing, the court shall hear evidence to determine whether the child custody and support determination should be modified. The fact that one parent has been the child’s primary caretaker is often considered but is not enough to guarantee a custody award. It is not that unusual for middle class parents to spend $60,000 on a divorce and child custody fight. Traditionally, divorce in the Utah results in one parent being awarded primary custody and decision making for a child.

Child Custody Rights

Each parent shares the rights and responsibility for the care, custody, companionship, and support of their children. In salt lake city Utah, have fathers rights groups specifically dedicated to helping fathers obtain custody of their children

Legal child custody includes the right to make decisions about the child’s education, religion, health care, and other important concerns. A child may be placed in foster care while a custody case is pending. Legal custody means the right to determine the child’s upbringing, including education, health care, and religious training.

Child Custody Conclusion

Physical custody and residence means the routine daily care and control and where the child lives. Physical child custody is awarded to one parent with whom the child will live most of the time. In most cases, both parents continue to share legal child custody but one parent gains physical child custody. There is also a presumption that it is in the child’s best interest to be in the custody of a parent over a non-parent. Parent time in Utah (also called visitation rights) allow the non-custodial parent (the person without child custody) time to spend with their child. A common arrangement is that one parent gets custody of the child and the other parent is given visitation rights.

When you are ready to move forward with a child custody case, or if you want to modify or change a current child custody order in the State of Utah, call us for a free consultation