What Actually Happened? Two brothers asked their mother if they could meet their father at a grocery store that was two blocks away from the house. The mother agreed to allow the boys to meet their father at the store. While the store was only a short distance from the…
When You’re Legally the Child’s Parent Your ability to get custody of a stepchild would largely depend on whether or not you’re legally the child’s parent. In most cases, stepparents are not legally considered to be a child’s parents. Per the law, a child can only have two legal parents….
Consider Marriage In some situations, it may be in your best interests to get married before the baby’s born, especially if you are already committed to the mother and you both want to be involved in the baby’s life. Marriage will likely be the most effective way to ensure that…
Extended Co-Sleeping DCFS likely won’t think anything of a bassinet in your room, especially if you just had a baby. However, they might not be excited about extended co-sleeping. Many parents choose to share a room with their newborn baby for the first three to six months, as the baby…
After the Divorce Is Finalized Just because the divorce is finalized doesn’t mean that you will never have to go to court ever again. Often times, when a couple has children together, the couple will have disagreements that arise, and those disagreements may need to be dealt with in court…
What Is Reunification Therapy? Reunification therapy is a specific type of therapy that focuses on reuniting children with their estranged parents. The primary goal of reunification therapy is to re-establish the bond between the child and the parent. For example, if you were battling a substance abuse disorder and were…
Reviewed by Jill L. Coil, founder of CoilLaw, LLC. Last reviewed September 21, 2026. Yes. A parent can legally look through a minor child’s phone, read the messages, check the browser history, and set whatever limits they think are appropriate. That is true whether the parent bought the phone, the…
Can your spouse stop you from seeing the kids? You may have heard your spouse say something like, “You’ll never see these kids again!” However, that may not be 100% true. It turns out that it’s actually very difficult for a parent to completely remove the other parent from the…
Legally, yes, at least for a while. No Utah law requires a pregnant woman to tell the man who got her pregnant, and there is no court that will order her to. But the question usually comes from a woman who is thinking past the pregnancy to the child, and…
Can Biological Parents Change Their Mind? Can biological parents change their minds after giving the child up for adoption? Well, in most cases, it is not an option. What Does “Adoption” Mean? In most cases, adoption is final and cannot be “undone.” When you give a child up for adoption,…
How to Survive and Thrive When Your Marriage Ends