6:47 PM PT — Taylor’s attorney Eric M. Swinyard tells TMZ … “Today’s hearing was a significant step forward as the Court entered protective orders requiring that Taylor’s ex-partner stays far away from her.

He continues … “Taylor was incredibly candid with the Court that she is not perfect and owned her faults, which is in direct contrast to how the other party presented their argument, despite evidence and input from law enforcement that showed otherwise.

He concludes … “Taylor feels solidarity with the many survivors who have endured similar hardships behind closed doors and shared only part of their stories, and she remains grateful for the outpouring of support she continues to receive. She looks forward to continuing to cooperate with the Court to make progress in the custody case.”

Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen finally came face-to-face as they fight for custody over their 2-year-old son — and it got messy as their legal teams went back and forth for nearly two hours.

The ‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ star and her ex had each filed protective orders following domestic violence allegations from both sides … and were in Utah court battling it out for full custody of their kid, Ever.

The judge ruled to extend both of those protective orders for three years, but ultimately, no custody decision was made by the court — the two parties were told to continue to work toward mediation.

They will reconvene on June 1 and in the meantime, will receive a recommendation in writing from the judge on parent time.

Dakota had been granted temporary custody as the primary caregiver while a judge previously decided Taylor could have up to 8 hours of supervised visitation weekly. They negotiate parent time each week.

There was plenty of tea dished before the ruling … Dakota’s lawyer, Joel Kittrell, leaned hard on Taylor’s 2023 aggravated assault guilty plea … telling the judge it can’t be ignored just because time has passed.

He claimed Dakota’s been stuck in a cycle of alleged abuse — only recently deciding to break free — and painted Dakota as the victim … pointing to multiple alleged incidents after 2023, as recent as this February.

TFP’s side didn’t dodge the past … her attorney, Eric Swinyard, called the barstool incident a “tragedy” with zero excuses — but said she’s took accountability by pleading guilty, is nearing the end of probation, and is now sober after alcohol-fueled issues fueled a rough stretch that included two miscarriages.

Her lawyer flipped the script, too … claiming the relationship was toxic on both sides — accusing Dakota of being possessive, allegedly going through her phone and even TFP confronting him over claims he kicked her during a 2025 incident.

There was also a wild allegation tied to the 2026 alleged incident … Taylor’s team says Dakota drove off with her in the car against her wishes, leaving their young son home alone … while also arguing police reports from that night “cut both ways.”

TFP’s side also argued she’s held herself accountable on her misconduct while Dakota is denying the majority of her claims against him. However, the judge alleges she made the same statements at the time of her 2023 arrest.

As we first told you … Taylor tried to seal today’s hearing and keep the media out, but the judge rejected her request … paving the way for cameras in the courtroom.