Fillmore Spencer LLC helps Utah Valley residents resolve important family legal issues, from divorce, child custody and division of marital property to family business mediation and adoptions, completely and finally, so you can get on with your life while keeping family lines of communication open.[
In late 2013, Utah averaged 3.6 divorces per 1,000 people, slightly higher than the national average of 3.4. For women, Utah had the fourth highest rate nationwide. One reason may be that marry young, two years younger on average. Regardless of the reason, Fillmore Spencer helps navigate the shoals of divorce and all its various, and at times, complex, aspects, including alimony and the division of property. We not only litigate in the courtroom, we counsel in alternative dispute resolution processes, including mediation and arbitration.
Child custody is one of the courts’ top concerns. A court will step in and take control if you and your spouse cannot come to terms on such issues as visitation and childrearing. If you and your spouse agree to any form of joint legal or joint physical child custody, a parenting plan must be filed with the court, outlining how important childrearing issues and events in the child’s life will be handled.
Once custody guidelines are determined by the court, there is the matter of child support. The courts follow state child support guidelines, but judges are allowed to exercise discretion. When it comes to child custody and support, Fillmore Spencer LLC understands what factors matter most to the judge in considering the child’s best interests and presents your arguments in the best possible light.
Alimony, formally known in Utah as spousal maintenance, is another area in which judges can exercise discretion. Key factors are the number of years the couple was married, their standard of living at the time of separation and how much each contributed to the operation of the household and the other’s employment training and success. Alimony automatically terminates should the recipient remarry or be proven to have set up a household with someone else.
Though by Utah law, attorneys are not permitted to help place aspiring parents with adoption candidates, Fillmore Spencer LLC facilitates all manner of adoptions, including third-party, stepparent, in-family and public adoptions. We represent you, file your petition to adopt and handle any contract, relinquishment document, paternal consent form or other paperwork required, as well as manage payments for birth-parent expenses.
Fillmore Spencer LLC provides counsel and representation in other family law-related matters.
For instance, we draft ironclad prenuptial and postnuptial agreements that dictate financial and other arrangements to be implemented upon your death or the dissolution of your marriage.
We also provide counsel and represent you when you participate in family mediation programs to resolve disputes between you and your spouse, children, siblings or probate beneficiaries. Mediation is less formal than court and the atmosphere typically is less stressful. It is conducted under the supervision of a professional mediator and emphasizes open communication. Mediation can solve disputes without the time and expense a trial entails, another reason why Utah law requires you to first consider a mediated divorce before pressing dissolution of your marriage in court.
The attorneys at Fillmore Spencer LLC in Provo offer experienced, thoughtful and compassionate counsel and representation in all family law matters, helping you resolve nagging, intractable family issues once and for all. Call us at (801) 426-8200 or contact us online to schedule a free initial consultation regarding your family law needs.
This website is lawyer advertising for general information only. The information provided is not formal legal advice, nor does it establish a lawyer/client relationship.
