UTAH

POSITIVES:

• Utah's PTA is continuous, with no cliff effects.

• Utah's PTA appropriately results in no presumptive child support transfer payment when parental income and parenting time are both equal.

NEGATIVES: 

• Utah's PTA has an extraordinarily and unjustifiably high threshold of 111 days.

• Utah's PTA underestimates the fixed, duplicated costs involved in shared parenting.

• Utah's PTA does not take into account the effect on the payer parent's household.

Highlights:

In instances of divorce or separation:

• 99% of those in Utah believe "it is in the child's best interest ... to have as much time as possible with each parent;"

• 94% of Utahns expressed a commitment to vote their beliefs being "more likely to vote for a candidate who supports children spending equal or nearly equal time with each parent ...when both parents are fit and willing to be parents."

• 88% of those in Utah indicated they would support a change in Utah law that awards children as much time as possible with each parent after divorce or separation.

• 82% believe that when there is conflict between parents, awarding sole custody to one parent increases conflict.

• 91% believe that Utah should promote shared parenting for all children with separated parents.

• 93% believe that both parents should have equal rights and responsibilities following divorce or separation.