The Emotional and Physical Tolls of Divorce

Prior to establishing Common Ground Divorce Services of Utah, David Musselman founded Utah’s first divorce mediation training facility. A pioneer in holistic divorce proceedings, mediator David Musselman is experienced in helping clients navigate the legal and personal challenges that arise during the separation process.

Divorce is one of the most emotionally fraught experiences an individual can endure. The combination of a relationship breakdown, lifestyle and financial changes, and strong negative emotions such as guilt, fear, or anxiety, can result in serious psychological or physical problems. Significant weight gain or loss, poor immune function, and cardiovascular issues may occur as a result of the extreme stress that can accompany divorce.

Some individuals may also experience an identity crisis as their role as a parent or partner is altered during the divorce. There is also some evidence that divorce can increase the likelihood of developing an eating disorder or addictive behavior. For these reasons, couples entering divorce proceedings are highly advised to seek professional counseling in addition to legal services.

Factors That Impact Alimony Decisions in Utah

David Musselman possesses more than two decades of experience as a communication coach and divorce mediator. The president and lead mediator for Common Ground Divorce Services of Utah, David Musselman works with clients to negotiate divorce arrangements, such as child custody and alimony.

To protect dependent spouses from financial instability after a divorce, Utah courts may require the more financially secure spouse to pay alimony for a limited time. Alimony is usually ordered when marriages have lasted at least five years unless extenuating circumstances exist, such as an illness, disability, or dependent children.

If a former spouse will lose his or her ability to maintain the standard of living the person enjoyed during the marriage, an alimony order is much more likely. Judges may also consider how spouses impacted each other’s financial or employment situations.

This can include one spouse leaving his or her career to raise children or one spouse supporting the household while the other earns a degree. Many factors determine how much alimony is awarded, but it will not exceed the amount the higher-earning spouse can pay.

Divorce Mediation - a Viable New Route

Based in Sandy, Utah, divorce mediator David Musselman leads Common Ground Divorce Mediation and provides counsel to couples seeking resolution. David Musselman and his team of mediators are on hand to advise clients on the substantial, unforeseen costs associated with divorce.

With new criminal and civil jury trials delayed in many states, there will be a backlog even when business gets back to normal. Setting in place remote work solutions takes time, effort, and expense on top of the existing costs of the court system. Those expenses will be passed on to couples in the final bill, adding to a total litigated divorce process that already exceeds an average of $50,000.

Beyond money, mental stress results from drawn out litigation. Achieving a timely, successful resolution is essential in maintaining positive relations.

The divorce mediation option does away with costly courts and attorneys. Collaborative in nature, the emphasis is on finding the healthiest possible outcome that will not lead to acrimony and further litigation down the road.

An Overview of Divorce Mediation

David Musselman is an experienced divorce mediator based in Utah. Drawing on 25 years of experience, he currently leads Common Ground Divorce Services of Utah. David Musselman graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in organizational communication and advanced certification in conflict resolution and mediation. Throughout his career, Mr. Musselman has mediated many divorce proceedings.

Mediation is a common approach to negotiating divorce settlements. In mediation, the two parties to a divorce hire a neutral party to help them discuss and find solutions to issues pertaining to the divorce. The process can sometimes include lawyers for both parties.

Mediation is a more affordable method of settling divorce issues than a standard court process because it excludes court fees. Mediation is also confidential, meaning that there are no public records of the sessions. The mediation process focuses on what the involved parties want and think is fair, instead of having a court decide. That said, the involved parties can always ask their lawyers for advice during the mediation process.

Calculating Child Support in Utah - A Brief Overview

David Musselman has more than 20 years of experience as a divorce mediator. He founded Common Ground Divorce Services of Utah. As a divorce mediator, David Musselman provides various services, including child support calculations.

Child support laws were established to ensure that children's basic needs are met. These needs include food, shelter, medical care, and clothing.

Calculating child support payments in the state of Utah depends on both parents' income and the amount of time the child spends in each parent's home. As part of the calculation process, both parents are required to provide proof of their income in the form of pay stubs, employer statements, and/or tax documents. A formula table established by Utah law is used to determine the parents' support obligations for their child or children.

The amount of support required from each parent is also dependent on custodial status. In Utah, a divorced parent may have joint physical custody, sole physical custody, or split custody. Accounting for the type of custody arrangements helps ensure that both the custodial and noncustodial parent contribute their fair share of money toward their children's care.