Opinion ID: 2548561
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the visitation order was a final order

Text: ¶6 The Hardingers contend that the Visitation Order appealed from was not final because the juvenile court retained jurisdiction to modify the Visitation Order pursuant to subsequent counseling evaluations. We disagree. The Visitation Order was a final, appealable order because it left no question for further judicial action concerning the juvenile court's jurisdiction to enforce the pre-adoption visitation order. ¶7 An appeal may be taken from a . . . juvenile court to the appellate court with jurisdiction over the appeal from all final orders and judgments . . . . Utah R. App. P. 3(a). The finality of an order in juvenile proceedings is determined the same way as the finality of an order in other courts. State ex rel. M.W., 2000 UT 79, ¶ 25, 12 P.3d 80. 'A final, appealable order is one that ends the current juvenile proceedings, leaving no question open for further judicial action.' Id. at ¶ 26 (quoting State ex rel. T.D.C., 748 P.2d 201, 202 (Utah Ct. App. 1988)). ¶8 State ex rel. M.W. held that although an order may contemplate further action in the case, it is a final, appealable order if it leaves no question on the underlying petition open for further judicial action. Id. In State ex rel. M.W., the mother of two minor children was denied custody pursuant to a neglect petition. Id. at ¶ 4. We held that [f]ollowing a neglect adjudication, the juvenile court continues to have jurisdiction over and periodically reviews the case, but that does not mean the neglect adjudication is not final. Id. at ¶ 26. A final order ends the current juvenile proceedings begun by the petition and is a final factual determination of the underlying petition. Id. at ¶ 26 (internal quotations omitted). Here, the Visitation Order expressly stated that the juvenile court had subject matter jurisdiction over B.B. and ordered the Hardingers' visitation restored pursuant to the pre-adoption visitation order. The Visitation Order left no question open concerning the juvenile court's jurisdiction to enforce the pre-adoption visitation order. Therefore, we hold that the Visitation Order was a final, appealable decision.