Divorce
Whether your divorce is amicable or contested, the steps are the same: petition or response, financial declarations, temporary orders, discovery, mediation, and — only if necessary — trial. Most cases resolve before trial. Our job is to make sure that when yours does, it resolves on terms that are fair to you.
We handle:
- Contested and uncontested divorces
- Property division (marital and separate property analysis)
- Alimony — petitioning and defending
- Marital settlement agreements
- Decree-of-divorce drafting and entry
- Post-decree modifications
Utah waiting period: Utah requires a 30-day waiting period after the divorce petition is filed before the decree may be entered (Utah Code § 30-3-18). Your attorney can use that period productively to negotiate a settlement.
Custody & Parent-Time
Utah courts decide custody based on the best interests of the child, weighing more than a dozen factors set out in Utah Code § 30-3-10 and § 30-3-10.2. The factors are not a checklist — they are a story the court tells about the child's life, and your attorney's job is to make sure the story includes everything the court needs to hear.
We handle:
- Initial custody determinations (legal custody, physical custody, parent-time schedules)
- High-conflict custody disputes
- Modifications based on changed circumstances
- Relocation matters under Utah Code § 30-3-37
- Custody and parent-time when parents were never married (paternity-based custody)
- Enforcement of existing custody orders (orders to show cause)
Protective Orders & Stalking Injunctions
Protective orders move quickly — sometimes within hours. We help clients petition for them when safety is at risk, and defend against them when they are wrongly sought. Both sides of these cases are time-sensitive: act quickly, prepare thoroughly.
Mediation & Settlement
Utah requires that nearly every contested family law case go to mediation before trial (Utah Code § 30-3-39). A skilled mediator and a prepared attorney can resolve more in three hours than three months of litigation. We prepare every case as if it is going to trial — that preparation, paradoxically, is often what makes settlement possible.
Adoption & Guardianship
Step-parent adoptions, kinship guardianships, and termination-of-parental-rights cases. These are sensitive, often joyful matters; we accept a limited number per year so that each one gets the attention it deserves.
Related Matters
Many family law cases touch other areas of law:
- Criminal defense overlaps — protective orders, domestic violence charges, and contempt allegations often run alongside family law cases. We can handle the family-law side and refer or co-counsel the criminal-defense side as needed.
- Estate planning intersections — divorce and custody decisions affect wills, beneficiary designations, and minor-child guardianship. We refer to trusted estate planners.