Sometimes even after a divorce has been finalized, some issues are ongoing. Rather than clog the court system with continuous changes to custody and visitation (or parenting time) and child support orders, Utah's court system offers a solution: Special Masters for domestics.
I have worked closely with these court-appointed experts. Contact me, a Salt Lake City-based lawyer, one of few trained as a Special Master. I am appointed by courts and parties to act in this capacity.
Child Custody Dispute Attorney in Salt Lake City
A Special Master is usually a psychologist, psychiatrist, attorney, or retired judge appointed by the court after your divorce has been finalized to address ongoing issues involving your children. The job of the Special Master is to minimize family conflict by making difficult decisions on your behalf — reducing the times that you must return to court for solutions to your problems.
The Special Master is not a judge, a mediator, a custody evaluator, a therapist, nor a crisis worker. Rather, the Special Master gathers information from you, the children, and other relevant parties (such as the parenting coordinator or coach, custody evaluator, therapist, or guardian ad litem), and makes decisions based on this information.
In general, the Special Master is authorized by court order to resolve disputes that arise after your divorce is finalized. Usually, a Special Master may have the power to:
- Modify visitation on a temporary basis
- Make decisions resolving conflicts between you that do not significantly affect the court's jurisdiction to determine fundamental issues of custody and parent-time ("child visitation")
- Make decisions about issues regarding parenting time and the children's health care
Special Masters for domestics can be particularly helpful in high-conflict domestic cases, where bitter or hurt feelings have caused one or both parents to nitpick and fight over every little detail of custody and support arrangements.
Utah Visitation Lawyer
Contact me, a Salt Lake City-based lawyer who can handle all of your issues related to child custody and support, at my office to schedule an initial consultation to discuss the use of Special Masters for domestics. After listening carefully to the circumstances of your case, I will give you an honest assessment of whether a Special Master would be helpful to your situation.
