Because All Things Come to an End (Good or Otherwise)
It’s been a long time since I’ve written a post. It’s been a very busy year for me. Much of my year has involved a fair amount of scrambling to keep myself financially afloat. I’ve also been engrossed in my own divorce case modification (yes, I have a lawyer…Bless her. She’s doing my case pro bono because I am BROKE.) I’ve also been involved in some other personal changes that have been time consuming, AND have dealt with health issues that have been debilitating at times.
Yup, I’ve got nothin’…
So I come to this….My clients are as broke as I am, bless them. Unfortunately for all of us, however, when they can’t pay me, I can’t pay my bills either. At this point in my life I am finding that I can no longer afford to practice law–or at least, family law. And since that’s all I know how to do law-wise right now, I’m leaving the practice of law.
Effective December 31, 2014, I am closing my law practice. I still retain my law license, and have some cases I’ll stay on until they finish up (because they will conclude in January), but will otherwise cease to function as a full time attorney. I’m looking for regular paycheck kind of paying work. And I’m getting trained to be a private guardian ad litem, to work with kids in district court cases.
It’s really been a crazy run. I’ve had some incredibly AWESOME clients….And some less awesome ones as well. Divorces suck. They’re sad, always, even if they’re the right thing to do. I’m hoping taking a break from the practice of family law will help me lose some of the cynicism I have regarding marriage these days, and maybe help me regain some of my sanity. To my AWESOME clients, I say Thank You. You have made the practice of family law bearable for the time I have done it, and I will always appreciate the association with you and how you have enriched my life in intangible ways.
I’ll be keeping up the blog (probably better than I have been to date), and will still keep up with the law. So if you have questions, or a suggestion for a blog article, please feel free to let me know.
Seriously. It’s come to this. 😦
PTA Mom to Lady Lawyer 
I am sorry to hear you are leaving the practice of law but I completely understand. Lawyers need to get paid, too. I hope you enjoy your new endeavor.
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Marca…I was just wondering if Dad was ever able to appeal against Mom and Husband? My nephew, Adam Mackley has an almost identical case and is at the point of Supreme Court appeals.
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He did not. By the time we got to the point of appealing, dad was exhausted emotionally and financially. The time allowed for appeal has past.
I wish your nephew the best, but am not hopeful for him. Another adoption case came through the Utah Supreme Court just this year, Bolden v. Does (In re adoption of J.S.), filed November 4, 2014. Dad failed to notarize his petition for custody of his child. That was his only failing–he jumped through every other procedural hoop and in the very strict timeline required. The Supreme Court of the State of Utah told him it wasn’t good enough. Really very sad.
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Hey Marca, ex and I stipulated a divorce decree. I had sole physical custody, joint legal. When we were in court, the bifurcated case considered both 1) substantial change in circumstance and 2) best interests of the child. HOWEVER, because it was stipulated, the judge pretty much said that the change in circumstances was a non-issue. I moved. There was a relocation clause in our decree. It meant nothing. (I read your articles on alimony. Apparently nothing means anything?) Ex ended up with the kids.
The cases my ex’s lawyer quoted were Woodward v LaFranca, Taylor fka Elison v Elison and Elmer v Elmer. Someone else told me that there’s another case that happened just last year that pretty much put the last nail in the coffin for stipulated decrees. (Would you happen to know which case that was?)
In an appeals trial, could you argue that a stipulated decree details the parents’ beliefs for the children’s best interests and that these are their decisions for the children…. and to disregard the parent’s wishes would be a violation of parental rights? (Yes, we obviously have one parent who has since changed their mind, but that’s the reason for the substantial change of circumstances, right?)
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