Taylor Frankie Paul's exes challenge her take on Utah child welfare case
Tate Paul and Dakota Mortensen, through lawyer Chad Shattuck, say a DCFS petition involving Taylor Frankie Paul's children is far from routine.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Taylor Frankie Paul’s family court fight has taken another sharp turn, with two of her exes pushing back hard on how her camp described a Utah child welfare petition involving her children.
According to TMZ, Tate Paul and Dakota Mortensen, who share attorney Chad Shattuck, say Taylor’s legal team downplayed a petition filed by Utah’s Division of Child and Family Services seeking juvenile court involvement.
TMZ previously reported that Taylor’s team characterized juvenile court as a “common step” for families. Shattuck, speaking for Tate and Dakota, told TMZ they strongly disagree with that framing.
Shattuck said Tate and Dakota are concerned that Taylor’s statement minimizes the seriousness of the DCFS action and the conduct the agency says led to it. He said the petition should not be treated as a routine move into juvenile court or as a chance for personal development.
According to Shattuck, DCFS has asked the court to find that the children are abused and has requested an expedited hearing tied to their immediate protection.
What DCFS is asking for
TMZ reported that the Utah filing asks a judge to find the children meet the state’s legal definition of “abused, neglected or dependent children.”
The petition also seeks protective supervision services, the appointment of a guardian ad litem to represent the children, and any further orders the judge believes are in the children’s best interests, according to TMZ.
Shattuck told TMZ that Tate and Dakota are thankful DCFS is taking the concerns seriously and stepping in. He also said they believe the family court system, law enforcement, prosecutors and child welfare agencies need better coordination to understand the situation and act in a way that protects the children.
He claimed serious warning signs were not properly addressed for too long, including after the passage of Om’s Law. TMZ did not include further detail in its report about the specific warning signs Shattuck was referencing.
Exes say they have stayed quiet
Shattuck said Tate and Dakota are focused on protecting the children, giving them time and space to heal, supporting accountability and using their families’ experience to improve coordination between the systems involved.
He also addressed online commentary around the case, saying there have been many false accusations posted about Tate and Dakota by Taylor and others.
According to Shattuck, Tate and Dakota have avoided taking part in social media discussions and other online activity tied to the cases because they want to protect their children. He said their silence should not be read as having nothing to say, and that they plan to tell their story later in what they consider the proper forum.
TMZ reported it contacted Taylor’s camp again after receiving Shattuck’s comments. The outlet said it had not received a response.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.