Whether we want to think about it or not, about half of all married couples will face a divorce in their lifetimes. The reasons are many and varied, but deciding to divorce is always quite difficult to deal with and emotions usually run high. This is when many costly mistakes can be made. This is why it is so important to quickly contact an experienced family law firm like T.R. Spencer Law Office and talk to their attorneys about protecting your financial and family interests.
There are four important issues that should take priority when planning for your divorce and future well-being:
- Custody of Children: If you are a parent of minor children, this should be your main concern above and over anything else. Children can be emotionally scarred for life if you can’t resolve any differences with your spouse over a custody plan or visitation.
- Child Support: To ensure that the children will be financially cared for, which can become more difficult when parents need to support separate households, a temporary order of child support should be obtained as soon as possible.
- Assets and Property Division: Because Utah is a common-law state, when a married couple purchases property or makes investments together in both names, each will hold a one-half interest. Any separately held or titled property will usually go to the spouse who owns it. However, this is not always the case, especially with a jointly held home. The judge could determine that there is an equitable reason to divide property in a different manner. Therefore, it is important to immediately protect your property interests.
- Alimony/Spousal Support: If you cannot support yourself on your own while the divorce is pending, you can request a temporary order for alimony payments while the divorce is pending in court and before final orders are issued. The court will determine your standard of living during the marriage, your ability to work, and other factors when deciding on an award of support.
Make sure you bring all documents with you to the first meeting with your lawyer that can help him with your case. Important papers to gather are pre-or post-nuptial contracts; bank and financial statements; deeds to property; mortgage, credit card, household bills and loan documents; tax returns; and insurance policies. We may request other documents depending on your specific circumstances. The sooner our firm can review important documents, the sooner we can get started on your case.
Don’t go it alone during one of the most difficult times of your life. Call the experienced family law attorneys at T.R. Spencer Law Office at 801-566-1884 or send us an email at info@trspencer.com or on our contact page.