Utah law mandates that a child’s mother and father be treated equally in all child custody matters. While these laws are meant to protect a father’s rights, most individuals still have the impression that the courts tend to offer partiality for the mother’s rights over those of the father. If you are a father seeking child custody, fair child support or to enforce your visitation rights you need an aggressive father’s rights lawyer in Salt Lake City and surrounding areas to stand up for your legal rights and ensure you receive a fair and impartial outcome.
Protect Your Legal Rights as a Father in Utah
From custody and child support issues to false abuse accusations and protecting your assets, an attorney will stand by you to ensure your legal rights, as a father, are upheld. They will ensure your interests and the best interest of your children are fairly represented. They will also work to initiate joint custodial parenting plans for shared custody or prepare your best strategy to win full custody of your children.
• Negotiating Shared Child Custody: Joint or shared legal custody gives both parents the right and responsibility to make important decisions in their children’s lives like religion, health care, education, sports or extracurricular participation, child care, and travel. Shared or joint physical custody means the children spend an equal amount of time living between both parents.
• Win Custody of Your Children: For a father in the state of Utah, seeking full custody can be difficult, especially if the mother is also seeking full custody. You will need a father’s rights attorney to advocate for your ability to care for your children full time and be prepared to explain why the children’s mother will not serve their best interests in the same capacity.
Types of Attorneys In Salt Lake City: What Kind of Lawyer Do You Need?
Although some people may assume that all competent lawyers have the knowledge and the expertise to provide proper legal advice for any number of issues that just isn’t the case. There are many fields of law and areas of specialization, which means different kinds of attorneys have specialized skills in certain legal proceedings that can significantly help you achieve the best possible outcomes. At any point in your life, you may find yourself in need of a lawyer; don’t wait for an unexpected situation to knock on your door. Be armed with the right information! Getting to know some of the most common types of attorneys can be very helpful. Check out these four types of attorneys and become familiar with their skill set.
Immigration Lawyers: Helping people become US citizens or get a Green Card is only part of what immigration lawyers do. Listed below are some of the numerous services immigration lawyers provide:
Represent you in court
Assist you with citizenship tests
Defend you from deportation and removal
Help you apply for a Green Card
Change of Visa status
Complete your asylum processing
Divorce Lawyers: As stated by Daily Infographic, approximately 50% of all American marriages end in divorce. It is an unfortunate statistic, however if this should happen to you, you’ll need to take the proper measures and seek the advice of a qualified divorce attorney. Divorce lawyers represent clients who are dissolving their marriages. These professionals are willing to perform a wide range of tasks. Divorce attorneys can help you explore the most suitable options for your particular case concerning complex matters such as child custody and visitation. The main goal of a divorce lawyer is to arrive at a favorable conclusion for both parties whenever possible.
Divorce lawyers can perform the following, among other services:
Process your divorce: contested or uncontested
Guide you through child custody and visitation
Identify and divide marital property
Health Care Lawyers: Health care providers have the daunting task of having to navigate a complex system of laws and regulations, both on the state and federal level. In order to keep up with these ever changing laws, many providers hire experienced health care attorneys. These attorneys deal with the regulations and practices of health care institutions. Health care lawyers interpret highly complex health care regulations and statutes commonly known as health care law.
Some examples of the services they offer are:
Perform legal audits
Process affiliations and network agreements
Compliance with State Anti-Kickback laws, Federal Anti-Kickback Act and Stark Law
Compliance with HIPPA security and privacy requirements
Joint Ventures among providers with physicians
Business Lawyers: Whether you run an existing business or are just starting out, hiring an attorney with experience in Business Law is a necessity. Big or small, businesses are often exposed to potential legal problems. It is for this reason that business owners need to build a trusted relationship with a Business Law attorney. Lawyers specializing in Business Law can offer legal advice and take measures to resolve disputes before they disrupt a business’ daily operations.
This is just a sampling of what these attorneys can do:
Business formation/start-up (formation of corporations, LLCs and general partnerships)
Preparation and review of Partnership Agreements
Drafting employee and independent contractor agreements and contracts, non-compete agreements, non-disclosure agreements, and executive compensation agreements
Temporary Separation Orders in Salt Lake City, Utah
Under Utah law, a couple may seek a temporary separation order from a state judge. This order can establish certain financial and legal terms of a separation, including alimony, division of property, child custody, and child support. The order is “temporary” in that it automatically expires after one year unless the couple reconciles before then or one spouse files for divorce. If there is a divorce filing, the court may extend the temporary separation order until the case is resolved. It should be noted that there is no legal requirement in Utah for couples to separate before seeking a divorce. A temporary separation order is simply an option that a couple may choose, but there is no legal barrier for one spouse to immediately file for divorce or dissolution of the marriage. Further, a legal separation has to be agreed upon by both parties and is not something you can litigate in court. Many couples choose to sign a prenuptial agreement—that is, a contract in anticipation of marriage. Among other things, a prenuptial agreement typically specifies how a couple will divide their property in the event of separation or divorce. As a general rule, such agreements are enforceable in Salt Lake City Utah. However, Utah law also states that a premarital agreement may not affect “the right of a child to support, health and medical provider expenses, medical insurance, and child care coverage.” In other words, you cannot use a premarital agreement to limit child support or settle any questions related to child custody. These matters must be handled through a divorce or a temporary separation order. Another option for couples looking to end a marriage without going through a divorce is an annulment. Unlike a divorce, which dissolves an existing legal marriage, an annulment is a judicial decree that states the marriage was never legal to begin with. In most cases, a divorce is easier to obtain than an annulment, but there are certain circumstances where the latter may be preferable. Salt Lake City, Utah, provides for annulment in cases where “the marriage is prohibited or void” by law. The most common examples of a prohibited or void marriage include:
• One spouse was already married (i.e., bigamy);
• The spouses are close relatives (siblings or first cousins);
• One spouse had not reached the legal age of consent at the time of the marriage. In Salt Lake, no person under the age of 18 may marry for the first time without parental consent. No person under the age of 16 may marry without parental consent and a court order; or
• The marriage was procured through fraud or misrepresentation.
Important Factors In Choosing Divorce Attorneys Salt Lake City People Must Know
Ending a marriage is the last thing a couple think of when they are saying their vows on the wedding day. Unfortunately after some time into the marriage, the couple would find it unbearable continue staying married. The reasons for ending this kind of relationship range from cruelty, infidelity and in some cases insanity on the part of either of the couple. Regardless of whether the decision to end the marriage is arrived at mutually between the couples, the whole process would still be very heart breaking. Marriage counselors usually advice partners to do their level best to try and save the marriage. However, if all the efforts to save it are not working, ending the marriage would be the only alternative. This is a legal process that will call for the services of a legal expert. Finding the right lawyer to handle this type of case may be a big problem considering the stress you may be undergoing. It would be wise to seek recommendations from friends who have gone through the same process or know people who have. They will be able to identify for you reputable solicitors specialized in handling these types of cases. In the event that you would want to keep the whole affair secret, you should seek this kind of information from the internet. It will be quite advantageous to meet up with several legal experts in the process of trying to find an ideal barrister. This is one of the ways you will use to know which barrister has offices close to you so that the subsequent meetings would be very cheap in terms of travel cost. While visiting the offices of these experts, you will be able to determine genuine ones since fake ones would probably meet you in hotels rather than their offices. Before you sign a contract with a given legal expert, you should ensure that he is the right man for the job. You need to get someone who knows his way round such cases. It is therefore important to go for someone who has been doing this kind of job for a long period of time. Getting an experienced barrister is a step towards success in your case. When selecting this type of attorney, you need to be considerate of your personal comfort with him or her. You need to choose someone you feel at home with. It will be easier to open up to such a person thus proving the necessary information needed to win the case. Before you sign a contract with any legal expert, you should be certain that he is genuine. He should show you his license permitting him to operate in your area. Confirm the details of the license with various authorities to confirm its validity. Hire a lawyer with a sound work history. Ensure that the person has won most of the cases he has handled. If possible the barrister should give you references. Choose a barrister whose fee is reasonable. Some lawyers are way too expensive. In hiring divorce attorneys Salt Lake City residents must do cost comparisons in order to find the most affordable expert.
Child Support Lawyer in Salt Lake City, Utah
If you are facing child support issues in Utah from a divorce or as a single parent, choose an aggressive and skilled child support lawyer in Salt Lake City and surrounding areas to ensure that your children are awarded the financial support they deserve. Child support in Utah is established as a part of a divorce, temporary separation, or a support order issued by the Utah Office of Recovery Services (ORS) when parentage is proven. Parents of minor children have a legal obligation to provide financial support for their children until age 18 or upon completion of high school, with the exception of emancipated minors. An emancipated minor is an individual who is legally recognized as an independent adult.
How Does Utah Calculate Child Support?
The court will consider each parent’s adjusted gross income from salary, bonuses, unemployment compensation, social security benefits, and other types of income like investments, retirement, trusts and even alimony from a previous marriage to calculate child support. The court will also consider the amount of time each parent will be spending with the child or children. Other factors may influence the court’s decision for awarding child support like the number of children, medical care, childcare and any special care needs. A table will determine the child support obligation based on an established formula by Utah. The established custodial parent will receive the court established child support from the non-custodial parent. Here are a few other child support-related factors that will be considered by the courts to determine financial support for your child(ren):
• Medical expenses for the child are shared equally between both parents to include the children’s portion of the premium, deductibles, copayments and other non-insured medical expenses.
• Work-related child care expenses are also equally shared by both parents.
• Tax exemptions for dependent children are awarded by the court based on each parent’s contribution to the cost of raising the child along with other factors.
Need to Modify Child Support Orders?
Either parent has the right to ask the court to increase or decrease the amount of child support if there has been a significant change in circumstances since the time the order for child support was entered. Modifications for child support can only be requested after three years of the original child support order and will always follow the court’s obligation to make decisions and changes that are in the best interest of the child. Here are a few reasons to ask the court for child support modification:
• Increased or Decreased Income
• Change in Physical Custody
• Increased Medical Needs
• New Employment
• Emancipation of the Minor Child
Choosing a Divorce Attorney in Salt Lake City
A divorce in plain terms results in a split of the couple, their property, and custody of the children. It can come after years of trying to resolve differences or a sudden conflict that cannot be untangled. Once you know divorce is inevitable, choosing a good divorce lawyer becomes the next important step. Most people would correctly assume that a good divorce lawyer has experience, has a long list of satisfied clients, knows all the ins and outs of the law, and can negotiate effectively on your behalf. But what many individuals do not consider, is how the behavior of your divorce attorney can greatly impact the outcome of your divorce.
For example, an attorney that is too aggressive and lacks credibility among his/her colleagues will end up costing both sides more money, and achieve no better result for his/her own client. We have seen couples spend thousands of dollars negotiating over household goods worth only a few hundred dollars. This hard-line negotiating approach by the attorney often gives the client a false sense of confidence.
The truth is, a good attorney should be able to give you an idea about how the property will be divided by the judge based on the facts you give him/her. The attorney can then negotiate on your behalf in order to reach the same result before you incur the expense of court. A good attorney should have a comprehensive knowledge of the local court and judge, such that he/she can help you understand how a judge is likely to divide your property. A divorce attorney in Salt Lake City who is known for being disagreeable will usually end up costing you more money and getting you less property. Why? Because the legal world is in fact, a small world. Once an attorney is known for being unreasonable, other attorneys are unwilling to negotiate, work together, and try and reach an agreement. Judges will often use their discretionary powers to the disadvantage of that attorney because they have no respect for him/her. Rather than finding a reasonable settlement, the parties will need to go to mediation. This results in additional fees including attorney’s fees and mediation fees. It will also delay the divorce. At mediation, the mediator will probably encourage that attorney and spouse to be more reasonable. The last step is to go to court. Court is by far the most expensive step in the process. Both sides will prepare tirelessly to present their cases to the judge. There will be court costs and fees. It will delay the process until the court’s schedule opens up. Not every case is simple enough to anticipate an outcome. But a good divorce attorney in Salt Lake City should be able to give you general expectations about your case. Choose an attorney who is respected and credible among his/her colleagues. Choose an attorney that will fight hard to get you everything you deserve, but also know how to respect judges and other attorneys. Not every case should settle before mediation.
Free Initial Consultation with Lawyer
It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. Legal problems come to everyone. Whether it’s your son who gets in a car wreck, your uncle who loses his job and needs to file for bankruptcy, your sister’s brother who’s getting divorced, or a grandparent that passes away without a will -all of us have legal issues and questions that arise. So when you have a law question, call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you!
8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C
West Jordan, Utah
84088 United States
Telephone: (801) 676-5506
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