This bill amends provisions related to family law actions.
This bill:
AI-generated summary, not yet reviewed by Better Utah staff. Please consult the bill text.
Utah's rules for awarding attorney fees and costs in divorce, custody, child support, alimony, and property division cases would change under this bill, including cases involving cohabitant abuse protective orders. Courts would keep discretion to order one party to pay the other's attorney fees, costs, and witness fees to help bring or defend a case, and this discretion would now clearly extend to actions seeking to modify—not just establish—custody, parent-time, child support, alimony, or property division; courts would also be required to make specific written findings about each parent's ability to pay when setting temporary support during these disputes. When a party asks a court to enforce an existing custody, support, alimony, or property order and wins, the bill would generally require the court to award that party reasonable attorney fees and costs, though a court could award reduced or no fees if it specifically finds the losing party indigent or finds that party did not act to harass, delay, or increase litigation costs. For requests to change custody or parent-time that a court denies, the bill would narrow the current rule requiring the losing party to pay the winner's fees, limiting it to cases where the court finds the request was both legally or factually baseless and brought to harass, delay, or otherwise abuse the court process, rather than the current standard of simply lacking merit or good faith.
Current version: HB0555S01 (Substitute)
Introduction
Feb 12
House Rules
House Committee
Feb 23
House Floor Vote
Feb 26
Senate Rules
Mar 4
Senate Committee
Mar 3
Senate 2nd Reading
Mar 3
Senate 3rd Reading
Governor
IntroductionFeb 12
House Rules
House CommitteeFeb 23
House Floor VoteFeb 26
Senate RulesMar 4
Senate CommitteeMar 3
Senate 2nd ReadingMar 3
Senate 3rd Reading
Governor
This bill amends provisions related to family law actions.
This bill:
AI-generated summary, not yet reviewed by Better Utah staff. Please consult the bill text.
Utah's rules for awarding attorney fees and costs in divorce, custody, child support, alimony, and property division cases would change under this bill, including cases involving cohabitant abuse protective orders. Courts would keep discretion to order one party to pay the other's attorney fees, costs, and witness fees to help bring or defend a case, and this discretion would now clearly extend to actions seeking to modify—not just establish—custody, parent-time, child support, alimony, or property division; courts would also be required to make specific written findings about each parent's ability to pay when setting temporary support during these disputes. When a party asks a court to enforce an existing custody, support, alimony, or property order and wins, the bill would generally require the court to award that party reasonable attorney fees and costs, though a court could award reduced or no fees if it specifically finds the losing party indigent or finds that party did not act to harass, delay, or increase litigation costs. For requests to change custody or parent-time that a court denies, the bill would narrow the current rule requiring the losing party to pay the winner's fees, limiting it to cases where the court finds the request was both legally or factually baseless and brought to harass, delay, or otherwise abuse the court process, rather than the current standard of simply lacking merit or good faith.
Motion: Favorable Recommendation
Motion: Favorable Recommendation
House/ filed
House file for bills not passed
House/ received from Senate
Clerk of the House
Senate/ to House
Clerk of the House
Senate/ strike enacting clause
Senate Secretary
Senate/ 2nd Reading Calendar to Rules
Senate Rules Committee
Last updated Aug 29, 2026, 5:26 PM