Tensions between Dakota Mortensen and Taylor Frankie Paul have escalated into an ongoing legal dispute over custody and protection orders.

Following an April 7 hearing tied to a temporary protective order Mortensen filed on March 19, a judge, alongside a guardian ad litem, ruled that the couple’s two-year-old son, Ever, would remain in his father’s custody, while Paul would be granted up to eight hours of supervised visitation per week.

In a statement issued after the proceedings, Mortensen’s attorney, Joel Kittrell, accused the opposing side of attempting to undermine his client’s reputation. 

He said the hearing had been used to “assassinate Dakota’s character as a dad,” adding that his client’s priority remained the welfare of his son and that they would present their case more fully at the next hearing.

The legal development follows Paul’s own filing for a protective order against Mortensen on behalf of herself and their child, signalling competing claims between the former couple.

During the hearing, the presiding judge acknowledged having “concerns both ways” while weighing the circumstances, before settling on a temporary arrangement aimed at maintaining stability for the child.

The current custody terms will remain in place until April 30, when a second hearing is scheduled to address both protective orders, with the possibility of revising parenting time for either party depending on the outcome.