Changes to a family’s structure can be painful. Whether it’s divorce, annulment, child custody or parental rights, dealing with any of these situations is devastating and exhaustive. It is key to have an attorney who specializes in family law to be an advocate for any children involved, to ensure their outcome is the best it can be. The attorneys at Jason White & Associates near Lindon, are experts in Utah family law. Whichever situation you or a loved one is facing, let our team be an advocate for you.
Child Custody
Child custody is settled based upon the welfare of any children involved in the case. Determining what that means for the child can be a difficult and exhaustive conclusion to reach, let our attorneys help you. Some of the factors that mediators and the Utah courts look at can include:
- The physical and mental well-being of the child and the parents
- Environmental security
- The child’s age and gender
- Lifestyle and social components
- Caregiver’s capability to provide food, shelter, clothing and medical care
- Love and emotional connection between child and parent
- Quality of schools in the area
Custodial Arrangements
- Physical Custody: The ability for a parent to have a child living with them. Most courts will award joint custody. However, the time-split allotments may vary beyond 50/50.
- Sole Custody: Sole custody arrangements award one parent total custodial rights, allowing the other party limited interactions and visitations only.
- Legal Custody: Is the privilege and obligation to make decisions about a child’s upbringing. There are many factors that influence this decision, including education, religion, medical care and discipline. Legal custody can be awarded to an individual parent or jointly.
- Joint Custody: This will allow both parents to synchronize their schedules and share decision making responsibilities.
- Bird’s Nest Custody: This arrangement allows the children to reside in the familial home and the parents alternate between who lives in and provides full child care.
Parental Rights
Parental rights refer to the entitlement a parent has to make decisions about a child’s education, healthcare, rearing, and religion. Determining parental rights and accountabilities can be challenging, especially when it involves parent liability of any criminal conduct of a child. You are only accountable for your children’s actions until they are 18 years of age.
Mediation
Mediation can help smooth over disputes and arguments to reach a successful solution for everyone involved. This also can aid in avoiding difficult, timely trials and save costly court fees. An impartial third party works with the parents to come to an agreement. Keep in mind, not all outcomes with mediation are legally conclusive, but they are helpful.
Child Support
Child support is a pre-determined amount of money, typically paid monthly to the caregiver who has primary custody of the children. These funds are designed to provide for necessities like housing, food, medical care costs, clothing, and educational costs. The Utah courts use a calculator, factoring the income of both parents to decide on child support amounts.
Adoption
Adoption has multiple sides. Usually viewed as a way begin or add to a family, adoptions also involve the dissolution of parental rights. Let an attorney from Jason White & Associates serving the Lindon, UT, area to guide your family through the adoption process. We can ensure a legal, safe and loving environment for all who are involved in adoption.
Protective Orders
If you are divorcing due to any kind of mental, physical or emotional abuse, you can defend yourself and your children with protective and restraining orders. Protective orders are a legal barrier between you and your family and the abuser. Though a protective order cannot fully remove the possibility that someone will harm you, it enables you to call the police and have the abuser incarcerated should they breach the mandatory guidelines of the order.
Contact a Family Law Attorney in Utah County
When going through a divorce, there is no need to face any child custody issue alone. You have an advocate with Jason White & Associates. Call 801.477.1546 to set up an appointment with one of our trusted family law attorneys in the Lindon area.
We service the following cities and their surrounding areas: