Taylor Frankie Paul has been granted additional unsupervised visitation with her two-year-old son, Ever, in an ongoing custody dispute with ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen. The ruling came during a hearing in Utah on Wednesday.
Utah Commissioner Russell Minas expanded weekend visitation for both Paul, 32, and Mortensen, 33, allowing visits to extend into Monday mornings instead of concluding on Sunday evenings. The prior arrangement, established last month, limited Paul's custody to alternating weekends and a weekday visit without overnight stays.
A source close to Paul told People that she was "happy to see the judge expand parent time with the limited information available and looks forward to continuing to make progress at the next hearing."
Motorcycle Ban and Social Media Restrictions
During Wednesday's hearing, Paul's legal team presented an image to the court showing Mortensen traveling with Ever on a motorcycle. Commissioner Minas ruled that the toddler should not be transported on a motorcycle moving forward, stating, "There's no point, in my view of, risking basic safety. I mean, we generally require car seats; age-appropriate child restraints."
The judge also addressed claims that Paul had made disparaging remarks about Mortensen on social media. Both Paul and Mortensen were prohibited from making negative comments about each other on social media platforms. "I want to draw the line when it comes to negative comments about each other," Judge Minas said, according to US Weekly. "Eventually it could come back to the child and we want to shield [him] from that."
Judge Minas expressed a sentiment that "there's a desire to keep the drama going, that it keeps it in the news. Keeps them relevant." He also clarified protocols for child exchanges amid existing protective orders, emphasizing that the retrieving parent would be responsible for having a third party present during the exchange to prevent direct contact between Paul and Mortensen.
Broader Legal Context
The amended custody order follows a period of increased scrutiny for Paul. News of the expanded visitation comes as sources told TMZ in June that ABC had decided to air her season of The Bachelorette later this month, after it was initially postponed due to accusations of domestic violence.
Earlier this year, numerous law enforcement agencies in Utah launched investigations into both Paul and Mortensen after they traded accusations of violence. Both parties denied the claims made against them.
A video posted by TMZ in March, showing Paul in an altercation with Mortensen while her minor daughter was present, led to ABC shelving her Bachelorette season shortly before its planned premiere. Subsequently, both Paul and Mortensen filed for protective orders against each other, which were granted for a three-year period during an April 30 hearing.
Paul previously checked into a rehabilitation facility for a temporary stay, a source told People last month. She spoke about the decision on Instagram Stories, stating, "I knew that I was in a spot to take a step back and be like, 'OK, we need a reset.'"
Paul is a mother to three children: daughter Indy, eight, and son Ocean, five, with ex-husband Tate Paul; and son Ever, two, with Mortensen. Tate Paul's request for a restraining order against Taylor Frankie Paul in late June was denied by a judge.
During the April 30 hearing, Judge Minas urged the parents to "figure out how to function as coparents" and to "put your child first and shield the child from this conflict."