Providing Guidance through the Divorce Process | Topham Family Law
We understand the stress involved with divorce and the uncertainty that sets in during the process. We tailor our services to minimize the impact of the divorce process on your everyday life, so you can focus on your family and moving forward in your life.
Family Focused Divorce
As a second generation family law firm, we understand the complex issues involved when divorcing parties have children. Many clients wish to preserve family ties after divorce.
Contested Divorces
If you and your spouse have trouble agreeing on how things should go during the divorce. For example, you may have strong disagreements on things like who should get what assets, who should have primary custody of children, how the debts will be split, or any number of other things.
Even in highly contested divorces, it may be possible to use conflict resolution strategies such as mediation to help get everyone on the same page. If that doesn't work, however, you will need to go to court and have a judge listen to arguments from both parties, and then rule on each issue.
Attorney Jaime Topham has years of experience helping clients through contested divorces. While they can be more difficult and stressful than uncontested divorces, we have a great reputation for helping our clients get everything they are entitled to by crafting a strong and convincing argument on your behalf.
Uncontested Divorces
Uncontested divorces are the most common type in Utah. These divorces occur when both parties are able to agree on all the different decisions that need to be made regarding the divorce. This includes custody of children, child support, division of assets and debts, and much more.
Even if you don't agree on every little thing going in, it is typically possible to work with attorneys or mediators to find common ground on those areas where there is still contention. Putting in the effort to come to an agreement so you can have an uncontested divorce is very beneficial to all parties involved, especially children.
Order Modification
Once a final divorce order is put in place, it isn't necessarily the end of all legal issues. Over time, situations change and sometimes it may be necessary to alter an order. This could include adjusting parenting time, changing child support or spousal support, and any number of other things. Whether you are looking to have a modification made, or you want to stop an attempted modification by your ex, we are here to help.
Order Enforcement
It can be very frustrating when you get through your entire divorce, only to have your ex ignore the order that was either agreed upon or imposed by the courts. Enforcing orders can be surprisingly difficult if you don't have experience in this area. Our law office can work with the courts, and law enforcement, to help enforce all legal orders and get you what you are entitled to.
Protective Orders
If your spouse presents a danger to you or your children, it is important to act quickly to get a protective order. A protective order will prevent your spouse from having contact with you and your children, when necessary, so that you can feel safe while we navigate the divorce process. If your spouse is abusive physically, verbally, emotionally, sexually, or any other way, please contact us right away to get the protection you need.
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDANCE
Decisions that are made during a divorce can affect you and your family for years to come and having an experienced attorney to guide you, step-by-step, is critical in obtaining the best outcome for you and your children. Common issues in a divorce include:
- Custody and parent-time: We understand that your children's happiness and stability are your number one priority when getting a divorce. It is very important to our firm that the children of a marriage be treated with respect and dignity as their parents work through the struggles of restructuring their lives. As your attorney, we will advocate for your parental rights and the best interests of your children so they can have a happy and healthy childhood.
- Child Support: Each parent has the responsibility to support their children. In divorce, this often means one parent will pay support to the other for the children's care. We do everything possible to ensure that your children receive the financial support they need.
- Alimony: It is quite possible that you will need additional finances beyond the amount you receive as child support. We explore your alimony options with you and work to get you the money that you need.
- The House: Many clients are concerned about whether they can keep the family home in the divorce. We will assist you in evaluating whether that is the best long-term option for you and your children or whether a different option would serve you better.
- Property and Business Division: We will assist you in determining what property or business interests are subject to division in the divorce. We have extensive experience working with premarital assets and separate assets, such as inherited property or businesses, and we work hard to protect them. We will assist you in evaluating the best division of the marital assets for the highest future returns.
- Retirement Interests: Under Utah law, you are entitled to a share of the retirement interests your spouse acquired during the marriage. Likewise, your spouse is entitled to a share of the retirement interests you acquired during the marriage. We will assist you in determining how to divide those interests to get the best possible future return.
- Debts: Debts are an uncomfortable reality for most divorcing couples. There are several strategies for dealing with the debts of the marriage and we evaluate each strategy to resolve the debts in a way that has the most favorable long-term outcome.
Why choose us?
The ending of a marriage can cause a great deal of stress and be emotionally exhausting. We are here to assist you every step of the way so you can unburden yourself from that stress. We will explain, in plain English, the process, possible outcomes, roles and responsibilities of divorcing parents, and expectations for the future. We will work with you to determine what works best for both you as you move forward with your life.
Whenever possible, we aim for amicable agreements as parties have the ability to control the outcome of the divorce. However, when necessary we will aggressively protect your best interests in court.
Contact Topham Family Law
If you need legal help in any of the above practice areas, we are here for you. Please contact us to set up a consultation or to have your questions answered by an experienced attorney serving people throughout Tooele, Salt Lake, Weber, Davis and Utah County.