Any changes to a family’s structure is challenging. Whether it’s divorce, annulment, child custody or parental rights, dealing with any of these situations is exhausting and devastating. When children are included in any of these, it is imperative to have an attorney who specializes in family law to be an advocate for the children, ensuring their outcome is the best it can be. The attorneys at Jason White & Associates near Spanish Fork are experts in Utah family law. Whichever situation you or a loved one is facing, let our team be an advocate for you and your family.
Child Custody
Child custody cases are settled based on the welfare of the child or children involved. Determining what that means for the child can be a difficult conclusion to reach. Determining factors that mediators and the Utah courts look at include:
- Environmental security
- The child’s age and gender
- The physical and mental well-being of the child and the parents
- Quality of schools in the area
- Lifestyle and social components
- Caregiver’s capability to provide food, shelter, clothing and medical care
- Love and emotional connection between child and parent
Custodial Arrangements
- 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.
- 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.
- Joint Custody: This will allow both parents to synchronize their schedules and share decision making responsibilities.
- Sole Custody: Sole custody arrangements award one parent total custodial rights, allowing the other party limited interactions and visitations only.
- 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.
Family Law Mediation
This kind of mediation can help smooth over disagreements and reach successful arrangements for all parties. 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. Although helpful, not all outcomes with mediation are legally conclusive.
Child Support
Child support is a pre-determined amount of money, typically paid monthly to the spouse who has primary custody of the child or children. These funds are designed to provide for necessities like food, medical care costs, housing, clothing, and educational costs. The Utah courts use a calculator, factoring the income of both parents to decide on child support amounts.
Protective Orders
If you are divorcing due to physical or verbal abuse, you can defend yourself and your children with protection and restraining orders from Jason White & Associates. These orders keep you removed from the abuser. Though a protective order cannot fully remove the possibility that someone will harm or stalk you, it will enable you to call the police and have the abuser incarcerated should they breach the mandatory guidelines of the order.
Parental Rights
Parental rights refer to the entitlement of a parent to make decisions about a child’s education, healthcare and religion. Determining parental rights and accountabilities can be difficult in Utah County, 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.
Adoption
Adoption has many sides. Typically seen as a way begin or add to a family, adoptions also involve the dissolution of parental rights. Allow an attorney from Jason White & Associates serving Spanish Fork to guide your family through this process. We can ensure a legal, safe and loving environment for all parties involved in adoption.
Contact Us
If you need a child custody or family law attorney in the Spanish Fork area, call Jason White & Associates to schedule an appointment today.
We service the following cities and their surrounding areas: