Affordable Family Law Attorneys in Salt Lake City, Utah
190+ Years Combined Experience • Flat-Fee Divorce Options • Free 30-Minute Consultation
At Wall & Wall Attorneys at Law, we understand that family legal issues are both emotionally and financially challenging. Our family-owned law firm in Salt Lake City offers compassionate, expert guidance for all your family law needs.
Legal family issues affect every aspect of our lives including emotional health, happiness, and stability. You deserve compassion, responsiveness, and direct, insightful communication every step of the way during this difficult time. Our Utah family law attorneys know you must be well informed to make important decisions. We are fast, our consultation is free, and we will work to get you results.
If you want to appeal a court decision in your divorce, custody, or other family law case, call Wall & Wall Attorneys at Law PC, Salt Lake City UT, or contact us online to set an appointment.
Call Our Award-Winning Utah Family Law Attorney
Welcome to Wall & Wall Attorneys at Law
With a collaborative approach backed by over 190 years of combined experience, our dedicated Salt Lake City family law attorneys provide affordable and reliable legal services. Whether you are facing divorce, child custody disputes, or support challenges, we are here to help you navigate these sensitive times with clarity and care.
Our free 30-minute consultation helps you understand your options and sets you on the path toward a favorable resolution.
Our Family Law Services
Comprehensive Legal Support Tailored for You
Our expertise covers a wide range of family law matters, including:
-
Divorce & Mediation
We offer flat-fee divorce options and collaborative mediation to resolve issues quickly and cost-effectively. -
Child Custody & Support
Our attorneys work diligently to secure arrangements that prioritize the best interests of your children while addressing financial support. -
Property Division & Spousal Support
We help you navigate asset and debt division, ensuring a fair resolution during emotionally charged times. -
Additional Family Law Services
From alimony to legal guidance on domestic relations, our team is committed to protecting your rights.
How can a divorce attorney help me?
Our experienced team is prepared to answer this question and more during your personalized consultation.
Top Family Law Attorneys in Utah to Represent Your Case
Divorce and all legal issues associated with this pivotal life event can be resolved through negotiation, mediation, and dynamic representation in the trial. Legal elements connected to divorce include custody, visitation, and asset and property division. We have over 190 years of combined legal experience helping people through this stage in their lives, as well as the compassion and responsiveness to deal effectively with your personal family law issues.
Your best legal support will come from a family law attorney near Salt Lake City who communicates openly with you and helps you make important decisions with the information and insight you need. We can help you with several issues related to family law, including, but not limited to:
- Adoption: Adoption is a legal process where an individual assumes the parenting responsibilities of a child from their biological parents. In Utah, an experienced family lawyer can help potential parents navigate the complex legalities and paperwork, including consent, home study requirements, and post-placement assessments, ensuring the process proceeds smoothly.
- Alimony: Alimony, or spousal support, is a regular payment one spouse makes to the other to provide financial assistance following a divorce. An affordable family attorney well-versed in Utah’s alimony laws can help evaluate factors like earning capacity, the standard of living during the marriage, and the recipient’s needs, advocating for a fair alimony agreement.
- Annulments: Unlike divorce, an annulment essentially declares a marriage null and void, as if it never occurred. A Utah family law attorney can guide clients through the specific grounds for annulment in Utah, including misrepresentation, fraud, incest, or bigamy, and handle the necessary legal documentation.
- Asset and Property Division: Marital property and debts must be divided during a divorce. A family lawyer can help ensure a fair division by using their knowledge of Utah’s equitable distribution laws. This may include evaluating the length of the marriage, each party’s contribution to marital property, and the future needs of both parties.
- Child Abuse: Child abuse cases involve severe and sensitive issues where a child’s safety is paramount. In Utah, a dedicated family law lawyer can work closely with the Department of Child and Family Services to take necessary legal actions, ensuring the child’s well-being and legal safety is prioritized.
- Child Custody: Child custody decisions determine a child’s residential arrangements and the allocation of decision-making rights between parents. A family law attorney in Utah can assist clients with various custody arrangements, such as sole, joint, and split custody, always focusing on the child’s best interests according to Utah law.
- Child Support: Child support is a financial obligation paid by the noncustodial parent to the custodial parent. A family law attorney in Utah can help calculate child support based on specific state guidelines considering the income of both parents, the number of children, and the custody arrangement.
- Contempt of Court: Contempt of Court occurs when a person disobeys a court order during a family law proceeding. An experienced family lawyer can assist in bringing a contempt action or defend against one, ensuring the client understands potential penalties and remedies under Utah law.
- Divorce Modification: In Utah, if significant life changes occur after a divorce, a family lawyer can assist with divorce modifications, such as child support, custody, or alimony. As the courts require a substantial and material change in circumstances, legal guidance is essential to ensure the changes meet the qualifications.
- Grandparent’s Rights: In Utah, grandparents can petition for visitation rights and, in some situations, custody. A skilled family law attorney can help grandparents understand their rights and navigate the legal process, focusing on the child’s best interest and the previous relationship between the grandparent and grandchild.
- Guardianship: A family lawyer legal expert in Utah can guide clients through establishing guardianship, a legal arrangement that allows a responsible adult to manage personal and property interests for someone unable to do it themselves, such as a minor child or an incapacitated adult.
- Legal Separation: Legal separation allows couples to live apart while remaining legally married, often serving as a step towards divorce. In Utah, a family law attorney can help discuss possible benefits, negotiate terms, and draft a separation agreement that addresses issues like property division, child custody, and support.
- LGBT, Same-Sex Couple Family Law & Divorce: Navigating family law as an LGBT couple requires an understanding of evolving laws. An affordable family attorney in Utah will stay updated with the latest developments, providing legal guidance for issues like adoption, child custody, and divorce.
- Mediation: In Utah, mediation is a requirement for couples seeking a divorce unless waived by the court. A family law attorney can help navigate this process, assisting the parties to reach an agreement on issues such as child custody, property division, and alimony. The attorney can provide legal counsel and ensure that all relevant issues are addressed in the mediation sessions.
- Modifications: Post-divorce life can bring significant changes, necessitating modifications to the divorce decree. A family law attorney in Utah can assist in legally modifying orders related to child support, custody, or alimony. They can guide you through the legal procedure, which often requires demonstrating a substantial change in circumstances.
- Parent Time: After a divorce, noncustodial parents are entitled to spend time with their children. In Utah, a detailed parent-time schedule is often formulated. A family lawyer can assist in creating this schedule, negotiating terms, and ensuring it serves the child’s best interests.
- Parental Kidnapping: In situations where a parent removes, retains, or conceals a child in violation of the other parent’s rights, it is considered parental kidnapping. A family law attorney in Utah can help enforce the violated parent’s rights, working closely with law enforcement and the court system to ensure child safety.
- Paternity Actions: Paternity actions are necessary to establish the legal relationship between a father and a child born out of wedlock. A family law attorney can guide either a mother or father through the process, including paternity testing, and securing rights to custody, visitation, or child support.
- Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements: These agreements can protect assets and clarify debt issues in the event of a divorce. A family law attorney in Utah can help create a comprehensive agreement detailing the distribution of assets, financial rights, and obligations before or during the marriage.
- Protection Orders: In situations of threatened domestic violence, a family law attorney can assist in filing for a protection order in Utah. These orders are designed to prevent future violence, provide a safe space for the victim, and can be crucial in custody disputes.
- Relocation: After a divorce, relocating with a child can be complex. A family lawyer can help navigate Utah’s specific laws about relocation, ensuring it’s done legally and with the least disturbance to the child’s life and relationships.
- Shared Custody: Shared custody means both parents are responsible for the child. A family law lawyer can help negotiate shared custody arrangements in Utah, supporting parents’ cooperation and communication effectively for the child’s well-being.
- Termination of Parental Rights: In specific scenarios like abuse, neglect, or abandonment, terminating a parent’s rights may be in the child’s best interest. An experienced family law attorney can guide clients through this drastic measure under Utah law, ensuring the child’s safety and well-being are prioritized.
- Visitation: Visitation rights enable the noncustodial parent to maintain a relationship with their child post-divorce. A family law attorney can help establish a detailed visitation schedule that suits the client’s circumstances and preserves the parent-child relationship following Utah guidelines.
- Virtual Visitation: With technology advancements, virtual visitation has become increasingly popular. A family lawyer can assist in setting up virtual visitation rights in Utah, allowing parents to maintain regular contact with their children through video chats, instant messaging, and other digital platforms, which is especially beneficial in cases where physical visitation is limited due to distance or other constraints.
Why Choose Wall & Wall Attorneys at Law?
Your Trusted Family Law Experts in Utah
-
Experience You Can Rely On:
Benefit from over 190 years of combined legal expertise. -
Affordable, Transparent Options:
Our flat-fee divorce packages and paralegal assistance program ensure you receive quality legal help without breaking the bank. -
A Personalized, Compassionate Approach:
We treat each case as unique—listening to your concerns and tailoring our strategy to fit your needs.
What makes our approach unique?
Our family-owned firm believes in a collaborative, empathetic process that keeps your best interests at heart every step of the way.
How We Resolve Your Family Law Issues
Our Step-by-Step Process
-
Free 30-Minute Consultation
Start with a no-obligation session where we listen to your situation and outline possible legal strategies. -
Personalized Case Review
We conduct a thorough evaluation of your case to identify the best course of action, addressing both legal and emotional concerns. -
Tailored Legal Strategy
Our team develops a clear, actionable plan that focuses on your goals—whether it’s achieving a fair divorce settlement or establishing solid custody arrangements. -
Resolution & Ongoing Support
We remain by your side throughout the legal process, ensuring you understand every step and feel confident in the progress of your case.
How can our process alleviate your legal challenges?
Our clear, step-by-step method is designed to minimize stress and maximize results, so you can focus on rebuilding your life.
Appeals of Court Decisions in Family Law Cases
In contentious family legal matters, as in any other court case, the outcomes are sometimes undesirable for one party or the other. For example, if you’re in the divorce process and do not agree with your spouse on child custody arrangements, the court will make the decision and issue it in the divorce decree. But, if the court’s decision is unacceptable to you, can you appeal the judge’s decision or ask for a modification of the custody order? Here is some information on the legal alternatives parents may have under Utah family law in cases with adverse outcomes.
Custody Cases in Utah Appellate Courts
If there are grounds for appeal in family court, the case may be considered by the appellate court in Utah if the party submitting the appeal does so within the statute of limitations. These are the two kinds of appeals courts in Utah:
Utah Court of Appeals — The Court of Appeals hears appeals in many cases, including various types of family law cases. These include divorce appeals, property division appeals, child custody appeals, adoption appeals, and others.
Utah Court of Appeals, Appellate Clerks’ Office
450 S. State, 5th Floor,
P.O. Box 140230, Salt Lake City, UT 84114
Phone: (801) 578-3900
Utah Supreme Court — The Supreme Court hears appeals only in severe matters. There are extraordinary writs that allow the higher court authority that lower courts cannot usually exercise. The Utah Supreme Court is further empowered to send cases for resolution in the Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court also addresses questions referred from other courts for its legal opinions.
Utah Supreme Court, Appellate Clerks’ Office
450 S. State, 5th Floor,
P.O. Box 140210, Salt Lake City, UT 84114
Phone: (801) 578-3900
Utah Supreme Court — The Supreme Court hears appeals only in severe matters. There are extraordinary writs that allow the higher court authority that lower courts cannot usually exercise. The Utah Supreme Court is further empowered to send cases for resolution in the Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court also addresses questions referred from other courts for its legal opinions.
Representation in Utah Appeals Cases
Utah’s Pro Se Guide to Appeals Procedures discusses the complex and frequently confusing appeals process. In addition to these obstacles for appellants, the appeals courts are pretty rigid in enforcing deadlines for every filing throughout the Utah appeals process. To emphasize the seriousness of failing to file by required deadlines, it bears mentioning here that parental rights have been lost in Utah due to failure to file documentation on time.
The Utah appellate courts strongly advise obtaining guidance from a qualified family law appeal attorney when seeking, for example, an appeal of a child custody decision from a lower court in the State.
Courts that Issue Custody Orders in Utah
Both parties to a child custody case may file a petition to modify the existing court order. The two kinds of courts that issue custody orders in Utah are:
- Juvenile courts — These courts address violations by juveniles, like shoplifting, underage drinking, or vandalism. They also hear cases regarding child welfare, such as child neglect or child abuse.
- District courts — These courts handle criminal cases, like sex crimes, murder, or armed robbery. The district courts also hear civil cases regarding family and domestic matters, like divorce, property divisions, and child support.
A petition for modification of child custody, for example, must be filed with the court that issued the original order.
Primary Objectives of Utah Courts
The overarching objective across the Utah lower courts and state appellate courts is always to preserve the best interests of the children whose lives are to be affected by a court’s decisions. Children’s interests are prioritized over parents’ desires in custody cases. In such cases, the Utah courts’ decisions are the health, safety, and proper care of the children involved.
So, the appellate courts examine the same factors weighed in the lower courts, such as distance between parents’ homes, history of spousal or child abuse by a spouse, and many others. Plus, the upper court may consider additional factors such as a remarriage, substantial changes in a parent’s income, etc.
Requirements in the Utah Appeals Process
As mentioned, the State courts’ appeals process is complex and involves various requirements for filing documents within rigid deadlines. Such documents include, for example, the petition for the appeal, affidavits, summons, proof of service. In appeals of child support decisions, for example, notification is required to be delivered to the Utah Attorney General’s Office, Child Support Division. An appeal of a family law matter may require filing various other necessary documents.
Parties approaching the appellate courts may be required to participate in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) before being allowed to file an appeal. In these circumstances, mediation is provided as an alternative means for working toward a resolution.
Frequently Asked Questions About Family Law
The cost of mediation is determined, in large part by the mediator’s hourly fee. This averages around $100 to $300 per hour, depending on the skill and experience of the mediator. Some mediators also charge for a full-day or half-day session (no matter how much time you use).
Family law is a broad term that relates to laws that affect family relationships. This includes divorce, adoption, child custody, and paternity.
A financial affidavit, in family court, is a sworn legal document that outlines your family income, expenses, assets, and liabilities. In most states, both parties in a divorce must complete and file a financial affidavit.
The Family Law Act of 1975, also referred to as FLA, is an Australian piece of legislation that gave the courts much greater latitude in dealing with divorce and family court cases. Just a few of the things that this bill allowed were no-fault divorce and custody discussion about ex-nuptial children. With the enactment of this bill, divorce was granted based on living separately for at least 12 months. It also quickened the divorce process, reducing the waiting period to one month. FLA defines marriage as a ”union between 2 persons, to the exclusion of all others voluntarily entered into for life”. This has been interpreted by the Australian courts to include same-sex marriages and common-law marriages. Although this is an Australian bill, the Utah courts and legislature have used this ground-breaking act as a basis for rulings and legislation in our state.
In general, all court cases are matters of public record. However, in sensitive cases, your attorney can file to have the court records sealed. Exceptions to public records are the identities of minor children and the identities of victims of sexual abuse and crimes.
Some US states recognize live-in relationships when they fall into the parameters of common-law marriage. Essentially, this is when a couple has lived together for so long, they are virtually married. However, each state defines this arrangement somewhat differently. For instance, New Hampshire recognizes common-law status only for inheritance purposes. It’s important to note that Utah is one of the handful of states that accepts common law marriage as a type of marriage. In addition, if the marriage was formed in Utah (or another state that recognizes this status as a valid marriage), the couple will be considered married by the law in other states, even if they do not recognize such unions that are formed in their state.
A family attorney is a lawyer trained and experienced in handling matters that come before the family courts, such as adoption, divorce and custody disputes. He or she represents the best interests of the clients and lends his or her expertise and experience to the proceedings. After all, family law situations are stressful situations. This is no time to be teaching yourself the nuances of the law so that you can represent yourself.
In general, attorney fees are not tax-deductible. However, if they are incurred trying to collect money, such as suing a former spouse for child support, you may be able to deduct them from your tax return. Court fees are never tax-deductible.
View Additional Frequently Asked Questions About Family Law
Schedule a Free Family Law Case Review with the Best Family Law Lawyer Near Salt Lake City
Call Wall Attorneys At Law PC at (801) 441-2388 or contact us using our family law attorney contact form to discuss your legal case and learn about your rights in Utah. We are an experienced, responsive law firm with in-depth knowledge of divorce and family law to help you through the many challenges and concerns about children, assets, and debts. Our no-obligation case review will provide you with the opportunity to have your personal situation reviewed by an award-winning family law attorney near Salt Lake City.