Verification in progress. Statute references on this page are being confirmed against current law by a licensed attorney. Use the official sources listed below for the authoritative text.
Key takeaways
- Utah has statutory minimum and optional increased parent-time schedules fathers can request by name.
- Utah encourages, but does not presume, joint custody; ask for it with a specific plan.
- Unmarried Utah fathers should establish paternity first.
- Utah Courts' MyPaperwork tool (which replaced OCAP) generates custody and paternity forms online.
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Recommended Utah attorneys
Every listing is reviewed by A Father's Fight before it appears. We don't publish ratings we can't verify. Always confirm fit and fees in a consultation.
Aaron M. Reed
Law Office of Aaron M. Reed
Salt Lake City · Salt Lake County
Custody-focused practice working with fathers seeking an active parenting role.
Cordell & Cordell — Salt Lake City
Cordell & Cordell
Salt Lake City · Salt Lake County
National firm focused on men's and fathers' rights with a Salt Lake City office.
Jess Couser Family Law
Salt Lake City · Salt Lake County
Salt Lake area divorce and custody practice.
Jolley & Jolley
Sandy · Salt Lake County
Fathers' rights firm serving the Wasatch Front (Salt Lake, Utah and Davis counties).
Salt Lake Family Law
Salt Lake City · Salt Lake County
Salt Lake area divorce and custody practice.
Wall & Wall Attorneys at Law
Wall & Wall Attorneys at Law, P.C.
Salt Lake City · Salt Lake County
Family-law firm with a stated fathers' rights practice.
Utah law & court resources
Official sources, grouped so you can find what you need fast. Links open in a new tab.
Official courts, forms & statutes
Where Utah custody law is written and where the court's own forms and instructions live.
- Utah Courts — Self-Help: Family cases
The court's plain-language pages on divorce, custody, paternity, parent-time and support.
- MyPaperwork (replaced OCAP)
The court's free online interview that builds your family-law forms. OCAP was retired and replaced by MyPaperwork.
- Utah Code Title 81 — Domestic Relations
Divorce, custody and parent-time law. These sections were moved here from Title 30 in Utah's 2024–2025 recodification.
- Utah Code 78B-15 — Uniform Parentage Act
How paternity is established, presumed or challenged in Utah.
- Utah Code 78B-7 — Protective orders
Cohabitant abuse and other protective orders, including hearings and how orders are issued.
Parent-time schedules & required classes
Utah's minimum parent-time schedules and the classes and mediation most divorcing parents must complete.
- Minimum parent-time schedule, ages 5–18 (81-9-302, formerly 30-3-35)
The statutory baseline for weekday evenings, alternating weekends, holidays and summer.
- Parent-time for children under 5 (81-9-304, formerly 30-3-35.5)
The graduated schedule for infants, toddlers and preschoolers.
- Required divorce education classes
The Mandatory Parenting Course and Divorce Orientation Course, deadlines and how to file your certificate.
- Take the classes online (USU Extension)
The court-approved online provider for the required classes. Fee waivers can be requested.
- Divorce mediation requirement
Utah requires at least one mediation session in contested divorce cases unless excused. Reduced-cost options exist.
Child support
Estimate support the way the state does, and know who enforces and collects it.
- ORS child support calculator & worksheets
The official Utah calculator. It fills in the worksheet; results are estimates until ORS or the court decides.
- Utah Courts — Child support in a divorce
How support is set in a case and which worksheet forms the court uses.
- Office of Recovery Services (ORS)
The state agency that establishes, collects and enforces child support orders.
Free & low-cost legal help
If money is tight, start here. Several programs exist so Utah fathers don't have to go it alone.
- Utah Courts Self-Help Center
Free help for people without a lawyer — by phone (888-683-0009), text (801-742-1898) or email.
- Utah Legal Services
Free civil legal aid for Utahns who qualify by income.
- Licensed Paralegal Practitioners (LPPs)
Licensed, lower-cost help with family-law forms and negotiation. LPPs can't argue in court.
- Utah State Bar — Get legal help
Lawyer referral options, including the Licensed Lawyer directory with sliding-scale and flat-fee filters.
- Utah State Bar — Modest Means program
Reduced-rate lawyer referrals for moderate incomes. Check the page for current availability.
- Utah Legal Help
A statewide guide to free and reduced-cost legal help.
General information, not legal advice. Utah statutes were renumbered in 2024–2025, so always check the official source for current text.
Your county's district court
Custody, divorce and paternity cases are filed in the district court for the county where your child lives. Pick your county.
Salt Lake County · Third District
Third District Court — Matheson Courthouse
450 South State Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84114Third District Court — West Jordan
8080 South Redwood Road, West Jordan, UT 84088Addresses come from court listings and can change. Confirm the location, hours and any remote-hearing link on the official page before you go.
Utah custody steps checklist
A printable two-page checklist: the minimum parent-time schedule, required classes, mediation and child support steps.
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Utah guides
Utah Child Custody Laws
How Utah courts decide legal and physical custody, the best-interests factors, joint custody, and what fathers should file.
Utah 50/50 Custody
How equal parent-time works in Utah, the optional increased schedule, and how fathers make the case for joint physical custody.
Utah Parent-Time Schedule
Utah's statutory parent-time schedules by age, the optional increased schedule, holidays, and how fathers request more time.
How to File for Custody in Utah
The Utah custody filing process for fathers—petition, MyPaperwork forms, service, temporary orders, mediation, and trial.
Paternity Rights in Utah
How Utah fathers establish paternity—Voluntary Declaration of Paternity, court petitions, genetic testing—and what rights follow.
Modifying Custody in Utah
When Utah courts modify custody or parent-time, the substantial-change standard, and how fathers petition.
Child Support in Utah
How Utah calculates child support, the joint-custody worksheet, medical and childcare add-ons, and how fathers request a review.
Protective Orders and Custody in Utah
How Utah protective orders affect custody and parent-time, how to respond if you are served, and how to seek protection for a child.
Utah Family Court Resources
Official Utah court self-help, MyPaperwork forms, child support services, legal aid, and where to get help in your Utah district.
Legal / educational information
Utah's approach in one paragraph
Utah courts apply best-interests factors and may award joint legal and/or joint physical custody. The Utah Code sets out minimum parent-time schedules by the child's age and an optional increased schedule that approaches equal time when the parent has been involved and lives close enough. VERIFY: confirm the current statute text and section numbers with a licensed attorney before relying on this—Utah recodified its family-law statutes and section numbers have changed.
Legal / educational information
Where the law lives
Utah's family-law statutes were reorganized into a new title of the Utah Code in 2024; older references to Title 30 sections may be outdated. Use the Utah Legislature's code site and Utah Courts self-help pages for the current text.
Personal experience
From Utah dads
Utah judges respond to preparation. Fathers who arrive with a filled-in parent-time schedule and a calm, documented history do better than those who arrive with grievances.
Based on one father's experience. Not legal advice; outcomes vary by state and case.
Frequently asked questions
Utah law does not allow preference based on a parent's sex. Outcomes depend on best-interests factors and preparation.
Sources
A Father's Fight provides general educational information and personal experiences. It is not a law firm and this page is not a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney in your state. See our disclaimer and editorial policy.