Temporary Orders During a Utah Divorce
Short answer: Because a Utah divorce can take a year or more to fully resolve, a Motion for Temporary Order lets either spouse ask the court to decide urgent, short-term issues — like where the children will primarily live, temporary child support, or who stays in the family home — while the case is still pending, rather than waiting for the final decree.
Who this guide is for
Anyone in the middle of a Utah divorce who needs an urgent decision resolved now, rather than waiting for the case to fully conclude.
Why temporary orders exist
A final divorce decree can take a long time — especially in a contested case involving custody, significant assets, or disagreement about terms. Without temporary orders, families would be left with no clear guidance on day-to-day questions (where the kids live, who pays what) for the entire duration of the case. A Motion for Temporary Order fills that gap.
What temporary orders can address
- Temporary custody and parent-time — where children primarily live and the schedule, while the case is pending
- Temporary child support
- Temporary spousal support, if applicable
- Who remains in the family home
- Responsibility for certain bills or debts during the case
- Other urgent, practical issues specific to the family's situation
How temporary orders relate to mediation
Motions for temporary orders and other temporary relief can generally be heard by the court before mediation — recognizing that some issues are too urgent to wait for the mediation process described in Divorce Mediation in Utah to run its course.
Temporary orders are not the final decision
This is important to understand: a temporary order is exactly that — temporary. It resolves things for the duration of the case, but it isn't the court's final determination on custody, support, or property division. That said, temporary arrangements can sometimes influence the final outcome in practice (for example, if a temporary custody arrangement works well, it may inform what ultimately gets proposed as permanent) — so temporary orders are worth taking seriously, not treating as inconsequential just because they're not final.
How to request a temporary order
This involves filing a formal motion with the court, generally supported by a declaration explaining why the requested temporary arrangement is needed. The other spouse has an opportunity to respond before the court decides.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly can a temporary order be obtained? Given they exist specifically to address urgent needs, temporary order requests are generally handled faster than the full divorce case — but "faster" still means real court process time, not an immediate same-day decision in most cases.
Can temporary orders be changed while the case is pending? Yes, if circumstances change significantly during the case — this isn't a one-time, unchangeable decision for the duration of the proceedings.
Do temporary orders automatically become the final terms of the divorce? No — the final divorce decree is a separate determination, though as noted above, how a temporary arrangement worked in practice can be relevant to what's ultimately decided.