Whether a 'No Parent-Time' Provision Bars Phone and Video Contact With a Child

Attorney Answer

"No parent-time" in your order likely means no in-person visits or exchanges — it doesn't automatically ban phone or video calls, but you should get the order clarified rather than assume.

Utah courts have made clear that a person can't be punished for violating a protective order unless the order's own terms are specific enough to leave no real doubt about what's prohibited. In Bountiful City v. Swenson, 2024 UT App 133, the Utah Court of Appeals affirmed dismissal of a violation charge where a father simply attended his child's medical appointment that the mother also attended — because the order contained no distance or proximity restriction, and its no-contact language addressed communication, which he hadn't attempted. That case involved physical presence rather than remote contact, but the principle it applies is the one that matters here: a protective order is enforced by its actual, specific wording, not by a general sense of what it's "supposed to" mean.

Your order says "no parent time," paired with a personal conduct provision and a stay-away requirement covering your home, work, and the children's schools. "Parent-time" is normally a specific legal term referring to physical, in-person time with a child — not phone or video calls. That reading is consistent with the order's structure, which separately restricts physical proximity and physical locations, suggesting it is primarily managing physical contact and safety rather than communication methods.

That said, this is exactly the kind of ambiguity that leads to accidental violation allegations — and you clearly want to avoid that outcome. Rather than relying on an interpretation, even a reasonable one, ask the court to clarify or modify the order to expressly state whether phone or video contact with your daughter is allowed.

What you can do

1. Re-read your order's exact language on "no parent time" and any definitions section, since the specific wording controls. 2. Don't authorize or encourage phone or video calls yet based on your own interpretation — get it clarified first. 3. File a motion asking the court to clarify or modify the order to expressly address phone and video contact with your daughter. 4. If the court process will take time, ask whether a temporary clarification can be entered in the meantime. 5. Talk to a Utah family law attorney about how to request this clarification without disturbing the protective order's other protections for you and your children.