So I’m at the office, working on a complex divorce case, going through the legal documents and preparing my strategy for the upcoming court hearing and my assistant calls me — “Mike, I’ve got Joe on the line” (not his real name) – “and he’s got an interesting question for you.” I think to myself. I love interesting questions. As lawyers, we love to thing about things. We loved complex stuff. We thrive on knowing every detail and when do don’t know something, we can to know it, so we go and figure it out. So, I pick up the phone and I talk to Joe. “This is Mike Anderson, how can I help you?” is my line. His question was good. It didn’t stump me, but it was a good one. Good enough that I knew I need to put information up here for you. “Do I have to pay child support if my rights have been terminated?” The answer is “no” – you don’t. This is an easy one. This is clear in the law. In Utah and throughout the country, if you’re parental rights have been terminated by a court of law; then you do not have any obligation to pay child support. But, (and here comes the sticky part…) Joe says to me, “but I don’t have any proof” You see, Joe was on drugs for a bit and ran into some hard times. Joe didn’t have any of the paperwork that you would normally keep. This meant that Joe couldn’t prove that his rights were terminated and he couldn’t stop the Office of Recovery Services “ORS” from garnishing his wages (you know, taking money out of his paycheck). So, there are 2 options in this scenario: First, you could hire our firm and we search and locate the termination order for you or Second, you do it yourself. Joe’s a smart guy. Joe hired us. We found the termination order. We got him a copy. We provided a copy to the ORS. Garnishment stopped. Joe’s happy now. Joe’s moving forward with life and getting back on his feet. If you have questions about divorce, child support, adoption, termination of rights, guardianships, or other legal matters – give us a call. We’re here to help you.
Ascent Law LLC
8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5507 SEO by Jeremy Eveland source http://lawyerdivorceutah.com/2017/03/29/do-i-have-to-pay-child-support-if-my-rights-have-been-terminated/ from http://divorcelawyersaltlakecityut.blogspot.com/2017/03/do-i-have-to-pay-child-support-if-my.html
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Hi Everyone and Welcome Back! So I was asked where our office is while speaking with a potential client on the phone today. They wanted an attorney’s office really close to them. I had the thought and I expressed it: Do you want the best attorney or just an okay or average lawyer on your side? The answer was: I want the best. Alright, then it really shouldn’t matter where my main office is located; but I understand why someone would want they’re lawyer close to them. So they don’t have to travel too far. I get it. I understand. With that in mind – I have offices throughout Utah and, we can do most of the work over the phone – so sometimes you don’t even need to come into our office. We can do it over the phone and through our website, email, etc. So, to answer the question: Our main office is in West Jordan Utah. That address of the main office is 8833 South Redwood Road, Suite C, West Jordan, Utah 84088. We are happy to take care of you during our normal business hours from 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday. We even can do alternate appointments if we have to, but just like you, we have family and personal lives that we tend to get to when work is over. Watch this quick youtube video: Alright, now look, I’m happy to answer your divorce and family law questions. We are constantly on the lookout for them. Please send them in so we can do a blog post about your questions and get them answered. I hope you found this article helpful – let us know when you are ready to move forward with your divorce or family law case.
Ascent Law LLC
8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5507 SEO by Jeremy Eveland source http://lawyerdivorceutah.com/2017/03/27/west-jordan-divorce-attorneys-801-676-5506/ from http://divorcelawyersaltlakecityut.blogspot.com/2017/03/west-jordan-divorce-attorneys-801-676.html
Well, no … right? I mean, your divorce case is ***PRIVATE*** right? Or, at least it should be. But it isn’t always… Let me explain in this video – watch this when you have a minute: Now that you’ve watched the video, you understand how this can be nuanced. Indeed, the Utah State Legislature has made divorce records PRIVATE. This means that if you, as JOE CITIZEN off the street, takes a stroll down into the Matheson Courthouse down at 450 South State Street, Salt Lake City, Utah and walk into the court clerks office and said: “Hi there, I want to look at all the divorce filings this week” the court clerk would say “no, I don’t think so” –> so in this regard, divorce records are private. Now, if you’ve been divorced in Utah for several years, then yes, there is a database you can search (or the court clerk can do it for you) where you can search to see if someone has filed for divorce or if a divorce decree has been entered. This is important because what if you were dating someone and they thought that they were divorced and in fact they were not divorced. You see how that could create issues in a relationship and a possible future marriage. Additionally, if you are an attorney or a guardian ad litem, you can get access to court records by filing what is called an “Appearance of Counsel” or a “Notice of Appearance” –> this document tells the court that you, as counsel, represent one of the parties. And if you do, then you should be able to see what is on the court docket and all of the pleadings and other information filed with the court. Also, if you are a party to a case. Meaning, if you are the Petitioner or the Respondent, a person that is seeking to get a divorce —> then you are also entitled to see the court file because it is your case. Those are pretty much the only exceptions. So, are divorce records public in Utah? No. They aren’t. But some information can be discovered by Joe public. If you have other questions about divorce, family law, custody, or child support, give us a call. We’d be happy to assist you with your case. Thanks for visiting.
Ascent Law LLC
8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5507 SEO by Cast Creek source http://lawyerdivorceutah.com/2017/03/13/are-divorce-records-public-in-utah-801-676-5507/ from http://divorcelawyersaltlakecityut.blogspot.com/2017/03/are-divorce-records-public-in-utah-801.html So, I’m taking care of my kids and my son who is only 5 years old and knows that I regularly practice divorce law asks me the funniest question: Dad, he says “who is the best divorce lawyer in Utah?” I smile and chuckle a little, and answer – “me, of course!” He laughs and we went on playing. And then it hit me BOOOOM Like a ton of bricks. I am the best divorce lawyer in Utah. Why? Because I actually care about my clients. I work hard. I want them to win in their cases. I actually fight in court to make sure that my clients get what they want and need when it comes to divorce. I know the law and I’m not afraid to fight. I’m gonna let you in on a little secret. Come closer. Don’t tell anyone – okay, here’s the truth: There are a lot of “ok” lawyers out there. You know what I mean? There are a lot of divorce lawyer who don’t care about their clients and only care about the money they make from their clients. There are too many divorce attorneys who are lazy, don’t take action and don’t make any moves until they have too. There are too many who just don’t give a rip about what happens to their clients. And I’m not like that. I would hate to look myself in the mirror each morning if I didn’t care – if I didn’t do my absolute best for each client I have. I want to win. I want them to win. and I want it done in the quickest way possible so we can all go home and say we did our best. There are no perfect cases, but we can kick butt if you let me. Look, I know that making a claim that I’m the best divorce lawyer in Utah is bold. I know that there will be some that disagree with me, and that’s fine. But I know how much effort I put into my client’s cases. I know how hard I fight for them. I know what I do, so I know that I’m the best. And if that’s self promotion so be it. You ought to know the truth. Now, with that said, don’t forget that winning requires good cases. If you think you can hire me and you beat your spouse or ignore your kids or are a crappy person – no, I can’t magically take your situation and fix it. You can take steps to improve your life, but don’t expect me to pull in miracles. So, if you’re ready to get the best on your side. Buckle up and let’s hit it! I’ll be waiting for you call. Until then ~
Ascent Law LLC
8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5507 SEO by Jeremy Eveland source http://lawyerdivorceutah.com/2017/03/07/who-is-the-best-divorce-lawyer-in-utah/ from http://divorcelawyersaltlakecityut.blogspot.com/2017/03/who-is-best-divorce-lawyer-in-utah.html
First, you need to discuss the issue carefully with your soon-to-be spouse. You don’t want to offend your future husband or wife. It is very important to get a prenup if you have significant assets. Even the first lady of the United States Melania Trump has a prenup with Donald Trump. You really should do a prenup before you get married. If you do it aftewards, it is more difficut and sometimes courts throw them out. What Is a Prenuptial Arrangement? A prenuptial agreement in Utah is a binding agreement legally done with lawyers, that is made “in contemplation of marriage,” implying that two individuals negotiate as well as authorize the arrangement with the intent that this is what they want to happen after they get married. The contract needs to be signed prior to the marriage ceremony. It outlines a process for how the spouses will divide up their assets if they must (meaning a divorce or, occasionally, if one of them dies, or separation). Prenuptial agreements should discuss all of your property and assets. Retirement accounts such as 401(k)s, IRAs, etc. are essential to mention as well. Prenuptial arrangements need to be finalized prior to the wedding. Both parties should have separate lawyers from different law firms. Watch this youtube video that explains more: Please call me when you need a prenup in Utah.
Ascent Law LLC
8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 876-5875 SEO by Jeremy Eveland source http://lawyerdivorceutah.com/2017/03/03/prenuptial-agreement-lawyer-in-utah/ from http://divorcelawyersaltlakecityut.blogspot.com/2017/03/prenuptial-agreement-lawyer-in-utah.html
Nope. Because there is no alimony calculator that the courts use in Utah. I explain a lot in this video: Alimony is a payment from one spouse to the various other in order to help the recipient partner maintain a way of living as close as possible to the marital standard of living. It is not gender-based; either spouse might request alimony from the other. A court will not just give out alimony to you if you are monetarily disadvantaged, however. Simply put, you can’t get alimony from your spouse if you are the one that has more income, whether by residential or commercial property, or both. Often, courts award spousal support payments after having the marital residential owned by the spouses sold. By doing this, the court knows the revenue and various other assets of the partners, in addition to the financial obligation commitments that each must bring, as well as can make an alimony honor that’s ideal to the conditions.
When the court works out the spouses’ property rights, it will certainly take into consideration any requests for alimony by either side. Normally, the court looks to the standard of living at the time of separation to identify suitable alimony, yet it can likewise look at the scenario at the time of trial if there has been a considerable adjustment in resources because the time being separated. The general rule is 7 years. If your marriage was brief and there are no minor children, the court might not award you any alimony. The court could also consider how long you were married. Did one party not go to college so the other could? If the marital relationship was long as well as one partner is at the limit of a major adjustment in earnings because of the collective efforts of both partners throughout the marriage, that change likewise will be a factor in the spousal support award. The court has substantial ability to do whatever the judge wants to do when awarding spousal support as well as looking at who is “at fault” in causing the marital relationship to fall short too.
The court does not need to utilize an established formula– plugging in the partners’ revenues and child-support obligation, to name a few elements– to come up with a payment quantity. It can order spousal support based upon an income-equalization calculation where neither partner earns enough to be self-supporting as well as cover the other spouse’s needs. I have seen the income equalization method used alot. Commissioner Luhn used it on a case for me last year when we had a “temporary alimony” case. That is when we move forward in a divorce case to get temporary orders – and we asked for temporary alimony at the time.
Yes, if you are paying spousal support, your alimony payments are tax deductible. If you are getting spousal support, the Internal Revenue Service taxes what you get as earnings. So you must report them on your taxes. You could review the law on spousal support in the Utah Codes Section 30-3-5. Two of the most important cases in Utah law that discuss alimony in Utah are: Batty v. Batty 153 P. 3d 827 (2006) and Sellers v. Sellers 246 P. 3d 173 (2010). For information on spousal support as well as tax obligations, look at IRS Publication 504.
In Utah, alimony payments usually last just as long as the years the marriage existed. The court might make it for a shorter or longer time, but only if the right situation exists. Also, alimony automatically ends when the recipient remarries or when either party passes away. Where the recipient spouse doesn’t remarry but moves in with a new companion, the payor spouse can ask the court to terminate alimony payments. We have done this on several occasions.
Regardless of what your specific circumstances are, if you have questions about alimony in Utah and how to get it, stop paying it, modify it, etc., please give us a call to help. We really do enjoy helping people with divorce and alimony issues.
Ascent Law LLC SEO by Jeremy Eveland8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5507 source http://lawyerdivorceutah.com/2017/03/01/alimony-calculator/ from http://divorcelawyersaltlakecityut.blogspot.com/2017/03/alimony-calculator.html The Utah State Holiday Visitation Schedule is located at Section 30-3-35. I’m going to post the full text below in case you want to read it. You should know that the code does change from time to time. This was put into place in 2010. Sometimes clients want to change the standard holiday schedule in their custody order or divorce decree. That is done on a regular basis. One recent change we did was where the mom and children lived out of Utah and Dad lived in Utah and had minimum parent-time. We created a holiday schedule during Christmas where she would bring the kids and split the Christmas break with Dad so that Mom had 1 week of Christmas and Dad had the 2nd week of Christmas and they alternated who got which week with odd and even years. That was a good resolution for them. You may had a different situation too where the standard holiday schedule doesn’t really work for you. If that’s the case, please give our office a call and we can help you with that. Thanks for visiting
Ascent Law LLC
8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5507 SEO by Jeremy Eveland —- HERE IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE LAW —- 30-3-35 Minimum schedule for parent-time for children 5 to 18 years of age. source http://lawyerdivorceutah.com/2017/02/20/utah-state-holiday-visitation-schedule-30-3-35/ from http://divorcelawyersaltlakecityut.blogspot.com/2017/02/utah-state-holiday-visitation-schedule.html
Yes, we do.
A custody battle is when you and your ex fight over who should have custody of the kids. Typically, it is about physical custody. Meaning where the kids spend the night. There is some confusion about physical custody, but the standard in Utah looks at where the child spends the night. If the child spends the night at your house the majority of the time, then you are said to have primary physical custody. If you have more than 111 overnights in a year each, then you have a joint physical custody situation. If you have 255 or more overnights in a year, then you have sole physical custody. This is simple math. The more overnights you get the better off you are in terms of custody.
The best way to win a custody battle is to not engage in petty behaviors like name calling and treating the other parent like crap. You want to take the higher road. The next step is to begin gathering facts as to why the kids should be with you. For example, who helps the kids with homework? Is it you? Then we need to put down how often you do that. Are you teaching the kids responsibility by giving them chores to do? We need that information – get that to us. And just like that, we take each thing that you are doing for your kids and we outline it to the judge. Also, and this is very important — you don’t want anything negative. If there is anything negative, we want to end it so you can be riding on the white horse saving your kids. Facts make or break a custody battle, so you want to have all the facts on your side. You be the parent that your kids need and we show it to the judge. You can come out as a winner if we do this right.
If you are ready to win your custody battle, give us a call. We’re ready to help you.
Ascent Law LLC
8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5507 SEO by Jeremy Eveland source http://lawyerdivorceutah.com/2017/02/15/custody-battles/ from http://divorcelawyersaltlakecityut.blogspot.com/2017/02/custody-battles.html So I was asked by a new client: which courthouse will my divorce be in? We don’t get to pick which courthouse your case will be in. Utah law requires that we file your divorce case in the county where you have resided in during the last 3 months. If you have minor children, then we must file where the minor children have resided for the last 6 months. This makes it so that you have Since our main office is located in West Jordan, sometimes clients believe that we can file their case in the West Jordan Courthouse. Although we wish that we could (after all, the West Jordan Courthouse is only a 2 minute drive from our office); however, all cases in Salt Lake County must be filed in the Matheson Courthouse, located at 450 South State Street. Here is a photo of the building: You’ve probably seen this building before. Most cases in Salt Lake end up here. There are other courthouses in Salt Lake City, but this is the main one. Now, if you live in South Jordan, Sandy, West Jordan, Draper, or Riverton for example, you must file your divorce case in the Matheson Courthouse. Now, about 1 out of ever 4 cases is administratively assigned to the West Jordan Courthouse. This means that you may get lucky and not have to drive all the way downtown. But it is completely out of our control. This is done by the administrative office of the courts and has nothing to do with us. The Salt Lake County District court is in the Third Judicial District. All of the courts of general jurisdiction in the state of Utah are divided up into judicial districts and are called “district courts.” All divorces must be filed in a district court. Justice courts in Utah do not have the proper jurisdiction for you to file for divorce there. In fact, if you tried to file for divorce in Justice Court, they very likely would not accept your case filing and reject it. The Third District includes Salt Lake County, Tooele County and Summit County. If you are filing for divorce and you live in Park City, Utah; then, you would file in the Third District Court, Summit County Department. If you live in Tooele, Utah or Grantsville, you would file in the Third District Court, Tooele Department. The court in Provo, Utah County, does the same thing that the Salt Lake District Court does.. If you live in Lehi, American Fork, Orem or Provo, you must file your case in the Provo courthouse located at 125 West 100 North, Provo, Utah. But, a random amount of cases is re-assigned to the American Fork Department of the Fourth Judicial District. So, despite the fact that if you live in Utah county and you are required to file for divorce in the Provo Department, it is possible that you case is reassigned to the American Fork Department. Now, with that said, you should understand that divorce courts in Utah use the court commissioner system, meaning that sometimes you do not appear before a judge, but before a court commissioner. In Utah County, the Court Commissioners are in Provo. So, if your case is reassigned to American Fork, you may still have to go to the Provo Courthouse for your hearing if it is before a court commissioner. Keep this in mind because you don’t want to go to the wrong courthouse. I hope this has been helpful to you. Please let us know other questions that you have so we can better help you with your legal needs. Be sure to call us if you need a family law attorney. Until the next post – thanks for visiting!
Ascent Law LLC
8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5507 SEO by Jeremy Eveland source http://lawyerdivorceutah.com/2017/02/14/divorce-court-in-utah/ from http://divorcelawyersaltlakecityut.blogspot.com/2017/02/divorce-court-in-utah.html
An order to show cause in Utah is a way that your ex-spouse can force you to comply with a court order. Perhaps it best to use an example. Let’s say there is a temporary order in place in your divorce case that requires you to pay temporary alimony to your spouse during the divorce case. Let’s say it is for $500 per month. So, for whatever reason, let’s say that you don’t pay your spouse the $500 per month. Your spouse can bring an order to show cause before the court, asking you to be held in contempt of court for your failure to obey the lawful court order. (i.e. – not paying the $500 per month). So, contempt of court can be a monetary sanction – meaning you pay your spouse’s attorney’s fees, costs, and a punitive dollar amount. Contempt can also be by putting you in jail for a weekend or, until you are current on your payments. This is drastic, but I’ve seen it happen. You really don’t want to get thrown into jail. Contempt can play a big role after a court has actually issued a judgment, order, temporary order, or decree to control the actions of the parents, which it can do at any type of point throughout the separation or divorce, or custody proceedings. As soon as the court has provided such ruling, it is extremely important for you to obey them and for your ex to obey them as well. Courts hate it when a parent neglects their orders. If an attorney and his client can create evidence that you have willfully violated the provisions of a court order; then, they can “make a motion” or file an “order to show cause” for a contempt ruling.
In Utah, it goes to 2 hearings: First, there is a hearing before the court commissioner. This is just where attorney’s make argument. The court commissioner will certify the issue for contempt. If certified for contempt, then the court will allow an evidentiary hearing to take place on the order to show cause. Second, there is an evidentiary hearing. This is set before the district court judge in your case. This is like a mini-trial because you will have to take the witness stand and testify and your ex will take the stand and testify and any other witnesses will also need to be there. Technically, a contempt action is appropriate anytime you or your ex goes against any kind of provision of the court order or decree. Most of the time, however, the violation or infraction needs to be considerable. To find a party in contempt of court requires there to be a “willful intent” to violate the order. The court can not just conclude that the party did not act based on the decree. The court has to rule on the evidence that the accused purposely did so and did so without a good reason.
Remember that a contempt charge is civil in nature and not a crime. This means that usually you’re not looking at jail time. Still, I have seen courts put a non-compliant person behind bars for failing to pay child support of alimony on purpose. I hope this has been helpful. Let me know your thoughts.
Ascent Law LLC
8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5507 SEO by Jeremy Eveland source http://lawyerdivorceutah.com/2017/02/10/order-to-show-cause-contempt-charges/ from http://divorcelawyersaltlakecityut.blogspot.com/2017/02/order-to-show-cause-contempt-charges.html |
ABOUT MEHello i am Neoma Lubbers from Salt Lake City UT 84101. If you need divorce and bankruptcy lawyer, child custody, adoption or family law attorney then Call 801-676-5506 for the top divorce and bankruptcy attorney in Salt Lake City Utah 84101 now. I recommend them to anyone in utah. ArchivesNo Archives Categories |