Paternity

Paternity in Utah

A Paternity Petition is required to establish the rights and responsibilities of both parents where one or more children were born to the parents without the benefit of marriage. Like a divorce case, the filing of, or defending against a Paternity Petition is a time where clear thinking is required, as the decision made during a Paternity Petition case will effect the relationship between the parents, as well I as the relationship of each parent with his or her children for years to come.

It is at this critical juncture, that the advise of an attorney can be most beneficial to a client. I have experience in Paternity Petitions and other family law matters, and can help you navigate the court process.

Each month I receive a number of calls from potential clients seeking assistance with a paternity matter. From these calls the the follow ing list of "Frequently Asked Questions" to help you decide which attorney would be the best fit to assist you in this trying time:

QUESTION # 1 : How are attorneys paid for their services?

ANSWER # 1 : In family cases, such as a paternity case, attorneys charge an up-front "retainer." The amount of the retainer varies depending on the difficulty or the matter and generally runs from $2,000.00 to $5,000.00.

QUESTION # 2: How is the retainer money used?

ANSWER # 2: Retainer monies are used to pay for litigation costs, such as court tiling fees and document service fees, as well as for the attorney's time spend working on your case. For example, hourly charges range from $150.00 per hour to $225.00 per hour. 

QUESTION # 3: If I am seeking to establish a Paternity Order, what are the steps in the paternity process?

ANSWER #3: The steps in a paternity case can be boiled down to the following: (a) meeting with you, the client; (b) preparation of the Paternity Petition; (c) service of the Paternity Petition; (d) answer to the Paternity Petition (by the other party); (e) conducting of discovery; (f) pretrial; and (g) trial before the assigned judge.