The experienced Attorneys at Reneer & Associates offer aggressive representation in all areas of family law. We represent clients in all areas of the family and juvenile law. For more information click on the link below.
Divorce
Uncontested Divorce
Contested Divorce
Child Custody
Child Support
Spousal Support
Decree Modifications
Property Division
Mediation
Domestic Violence
Prenuptial Agreement
Juvenile Law
Adoption
Grandparents' Rights
DIVORCE
The breakup of a marriage with its child custody and financial concerns can often be a time of stress and confusion. Having an experienced attorney on your side can give you a sense of order in the midst of chaos.
Utah is a no fault divorce state, meaning if one of the parties wants to a divorce, the court will grant it. A person simply alleges that the marriage is irreparrably broken without reasonable prospect of reconciliation. However, divorces involve more issues than the dissolution of marriage. Child custody, visitation and support must be determined. Property accumulated during the marriage must be divided. Also the payment of alimony or spousal maintenance must be determined. Lawyers at Reneer & Associates have represented many clients in cases involving custody and business and asset valuations.
Divorces in Utah can be either Contested or Uncontested.
UNCONTESTED DIVORCE
In the case of an amicable divorce, the two parties (divorcing husband and wife) agree on most or all points of discussion including distribution of real estate, cash resources and personal property such as cars, boats, antiques and assets such as stocks and business interests. Even in the case of an uncontested divorce, spouses who have been married more than a few years often need the guidance and assistance of a lawyer to help craft equitable agreements related to anticipated retirement income streams.
Uncontested divorces often cost less and are completed faster than contested divorces. Our attorneys are prepared to help keep proceedings as non-adversarial as clients request.
CONTESTED DIVORCE
When a divorce is contested, it is all too easy for a husband or wife to focus on the points of difference rather than on the end goal: a satisfactory settlement that allows separated spouses to go their separate ways in peace and start new lives.
A contested divorce includes more points of contention, and may require extensive meditation and/or litigation to arrive at a satisfactory settlement agreement. Lawyers at Reneer & Associates are determined to mitigate the negative impact of litigation, and represent our clients with an eye to preserving their parent-child relationships and protecting as many assets as possible. However, if required we are experienced litigators and will aggressively represent you to ensure that you are treated fairly.
CHILD CUSTODY
Determining which parent children will live with is an important decision. In Utah, the court will make its decision based upon the best interests of the child. In order for lawyers at Reneer & Associates to make an effective argument that granting our clients custody is in the best interest of their children, it is necessary for us to be familiar with our clients' stories. Our firm provides the responsive and personal service needed to help our clients seek sole custody or joint custody of their children.
CHILD SUPPORT
Utah takes parents' obligation to pay child support very seriously. Parents have a duty to provide reasonable support for their children. Under Utah law, all other financial obligations are secondary to the obligation to pay child support.
Utah has guidelines by which child support is set. The guidelines taken into consideration are the gross income of each of the parents and the type of custody arrangement. The Court may consider other factors such as any special needs of the children.
Using our attorneys' knowledge of and experience with Utah child support guidelines, Reneer & Associates works with our clients to establish child support that is reasonable and in the best interests of the children involved.
SPOUSAL SUPPORT
Spousal support, commonly called alimony, in divorce is an area of the law that depends greatly on the discretion of the family law court that handles a marital dissolution. There is no standard formula that determines how much, if any, spousal maintenance a husband or wife should receive after a divorce. In Utah family law judges will take into account such factors as the length of the marriage, the ability of each spouse to earn a living and the degree to which one spouse or the other sacrificed his or her career options for the sake of the wage-earner of the two.
Contact an experienced divorce attorney at Reneer & Associates to schedule a consultation regarding spousal support and your planned or pending divorce.
DECREE MODIFICATIONS
Did you know that at least half of all Family law issues are not divorce related? Many of those non-divorce related issues involve modifications to previously entered decrees.
Our lives are in a constant state of flux. We may suffer the loss of a job, a reduction in benefits or possibly remarry after divorce. Whether the change in your life is personal or financial, Reneer & Associates can offer assistance in having your spousal support or alimony, child custody, visitation or child support decree modified.
A decree establishing spousal support, child custody, visitation or child support is based on a particular set of circumstances. When those circumstances change substantially, the decree can be changed to make the arrangement more reasonable and in the best interests of your children. Lawyers at Reneer & Associates have the experience needed with the law and with judges to make an effective argument on your behalf informing the court of your changed circumstances.
PROPERTY DIVISION
Property division can be challenging to settle fairly when any marriage ends in divorce. When one spouse or both have partial or full ownership of a business, asset distribution can be even more complex. Discuss the complications involved in the property division aspect of your divorce with a knowledgeable and experienced attorney. Attorneys at Reneer & Associates will work to protect your right to your share of the marital property.
MEDIATION
If you have a mediation scheduled to try and resolve your family law issues amicably give the experienced attorneys at Reneer & Associates a call. Our attorneys are experienced advocates and will guide you through the mediation process to ensure that you are treated fairly in the mediation.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Divorce and domestic violence often go together. Either one may precipitate the other, even between otherwise educated, reasonable people.
If you are a victim of domestic violence in Utah, be aware that you can obtain an order of protection at little or no cost with the help of any judge. You are also invited to contact an attorney at Reneer & Associates.
If your marriage has reached the point where you believe reconciliation is not a safe or viable option, we can help you begin the process of divorce. This may help give you further protection from an abusive, or falsely accusing spouse.
Contact a lawyer at Reneer & Associates to schedule a consultation regarding orders of protection, domestic violence, divorce, child custody or any related family law matter.
PRENUPTIAL AGREEMENTS
Premarital agreements or "prenups" are often under consideration by couples who are preparing to marry late in life, or when one of the engaged parties has children from a previous relationship, or has much greater assets than the other.
To discuss the pros and cons of preparing a prenuptial agreement with an experienced family lawyer, contact Reneer & Associates.
JUVENILE LAW
We are prepared to help you fight to regain custody of your children if they have been removed from your care. If you are a relative seeking guardianship status on behalf of a minor child in your family whom you believe is in need of protection, discuss your options with one of our attorneys. If you believe that your family has been wrongly targeted by Child Protective Services, you most likely need legal representation. The sooner you have an attorney working to protect your legal rights and those of your child, the more satisfactory the end result is likely to be.
We also represent children in the role of guardian ad litem to ensure that their rights are protected. If you are in need of any juvenile law assistance contact the experienced attorneys at Reneer & Associates.
ADOPTION
Whether it's a non-relative person or couple wishing to welcome a child into their home, a stepparent wishing to adopt the child of their spouse, a guardian who stands in loco parentis or a grandparent or other relative wishing to adopt the child they are raising, our lawyers can help. If you are a family who wishes to adopt a child or a birth parent who would like to give her child up for adoption, contact us.
GRANDPARENTS' RIGHTS
A heartbreaking result of a separation or divorce between parents is often a distancing between grandparents and grandchildren. At a time when children need more, not less, adult guidance and loving positive role models, the barriers that come between grandchildren and their grandfathers and grandmothers seem unfair. Isn't there some legal protection of grandparents' rights to visitation?
Talk with us about the legal avenues available if you are a grandparent seeking more quality time with your grandchildren after their parents have separated or divorced. Solutions might be more within your grasp than you realize. We are prepared to help you find a way to be the grandparents that your grandchildren need, if at all possible.
Note: If your grandchild has been adopted outside the family, you most likely have no further legal rights with regard to your grandson or granddaughter. However, we may have valuable suggestions even in such cases. Contact us to schedule an in-depth consultation regarding grandparents' rights and opportunities.
