Situated near the southern end of the Salt Lake Valley, Riverton is located on a low plateau west of the Jordan River approximately twenty miles south of Salt Lake City. For most of its history Riverton was an agricultural community, but widespread residential development that began in the late 1960s has largely transformed it into a bedroom community. The earliest area settlers lived in scattered dugouts and primitive log houses bordering the river on the bottomlands. Archibald Gardner was the first person to live in Riverton, and early settlers paid tribute to his pioneering efforts in the mid-1850s by calling the area Gardnersville. The size of the settlement long remained small because water was available for the bottomlands only near the river. Begun in 1870 as a local cooperative undertaking, the South Jordan Canal, when completed in 1876, opened up the benchland to farming and settlement. The community expanded again when the larger Utah and Salt Lake Canal, financed wholly by Salt Lake County, was finished in 1881. Construction of these canals, which are still in use, was undertaken with only basic tools and contracted manual labor. Riverton came under the jurisdiction of the West Jordan Precinct in its early years. In 1867 the settlement politically became part of the South Jordan Precinct. A judicial precinct was established locally in 1879, and the name of the small settlement, boasting little more than a hundred people, was officially changed from Gardnersville to Riverton. Riverton’s residents reflected the predominant religious affiliation characteristic of most rural Utah towns. Much of the cultural, educational, and community life revolved around activities sponsored by the local wards of the Mormon Church.
In the early years, Mormons met in the dugouts and log homes of members, often in the home of Nicholas Thomas Silcock, the community’s first branch president (called in 1870). Many of the activities and traditions in the community were initiated in a church setting during years when it was principally an agricultural community. As in other predominantly Mormon Utah communities, there was an overlapping and mixing of ecclesiastical and civic roles and actions. In 1886, with 233 members in thirty-five families, Riverton was organized as a ward with Orrin Porter Miller as its first bishop. Members met in a combination meetinghouse/schoolhouse which had been built in 1879. By 1900 there were 517 members (ninety-two families) and construction was begun on a new meetinghouse. Completed in 1908, this domed structure in the Romanesque style was designed by Richard Kletting and was generally recognized as one of the finest LDS meetinghouses in a rural setting. It was demolished in 1940. Public schools in the community had their beginnings in private homes and in a one-room schoolhouse which was built in 1879. A two-story brick school was built in 1892 on Redwood Road; it served students through the eighth grade. In the mid-1920s a new elementary school and junior high school were constructed on this site. As population increased in the 1970s and 1980s, the Jordan School District constructed additional elementary schools and a middle school within the boundaries of the community. In the decade of the 1890s, farming in Riverton underwent a transformation, shifting from simple farms supplying family needs to commercial farming. This paralleled a similar development in Utah agriculture. Although the farmer normally still owned his land, he specialized in what he grew or raised and used his cash profits to buy most of the things he needed. The local agricultural economy was severely tested during two extended periods of drought–one at the turn of the century and another in the early 1930s. Crops that were grown by commercial farmers in Riverton included alfalfa, sugar beets, tomatoes, and wheat. The livestock industry in Riverton was represented by sheep, dairy cows, and poultry. Commercial production and marketing of these agricultural and livestock products was accomplished through the establishment of various businesses, including an alfalfa feed mill, a canning factory, an egg-processing plant, and a dairy cooperative.
A central business district developed which was centered at the intersection of Redwood Road and “Herriman Road” (12,600 South). On the northeast corner of this intersection, a two-story commercial building was constructed by sheepman/developer Daniel Densley in 1893. Several businesses were accommodated on the first level of this building and the upper floor was used for dances, plays, and large community gatherings. Another sizable business was a retail store built by Thomas P. Page about the turn of the century. It was regarded for many years as the largest concern of its kind in the county outside Salt Lake City. The Page-Pixton (later Page-Hansen) store sold everything from building materials, coal, and dry goods to groceries, grain, and housewares. The Jordan Valley Bank was started in 1905 as a community bank. This bank was a casualty of the Great Depression, and many people suffered financially when it closed its doors. For a time, the town also housed many automobile dealerships. Although the move was controversial, in 1946 Riverton incorporated, operating under a town board form of government. The most pressing problems which city officials have dealt with in the latter part of the twentieth century have been those associated with the rapid increase in the city’s population. To illustrate, in 1970 the city had a population of 2,820, a figure which expanded to 11,700 in 1992. This has made a tremendous difference in land use as farmland has been converted to residential use. This change is great in view of the fact that approximately 94 percent of Riverton’s land was agricultural in 1960. Riverton has increasingly become a popular country-style suburb, an inevitable development as a consequence of the Salt Lake Valley’s expanding population.
Divorce In Riverton, Utah
Getting divorced is often a complicated process that involves heightened emotions. Unfortunately, this causes many people to make rash decisions when it comes time to negotiate a settlement. Imagine ending a marriage that lasted for more than ten years. You and your husband have finally decided that it is time to call it quits. No matter how fast you want to get through the process and get on with the rest of your life, it is important to take the time to make decisions that will benefit you in the future. Specifically, you need to focus on what you want when it comes to dividing the marital property. When going through a divorce, some people rush through the process and give up more than they should while dividing marital property. Expediting the process is not worth risking a future financial bind because you did not fight for what you need to maintain a home for you and your children.
Equitable distribution
While some states use community property laws to dictate property division in a divorce, Utah is an equitable division state. This means that you will not necessarily split your marital property equally. These laws simply require that you and your husband divide your property in a way that is fair to each of you. If the two of you cannot come an agreement, the court will divide the property for you. In general, the court will come close to a 50 percent split for couples that have been married for many years. However, for those with shorter marriages, the court will attempt to return each of you to the financial position you had before your marriage. If you and your husband are able to come to a settlement that you both agree on, the court will still review it to make sure it is a fair arrangement.
Separate property
Usually, couples have some property that is separate from the marital property. This typically includes anything you owned before your marriage as well as gifts or inheritances you received while you were married. Separate property is not subject to division unless it is indistinguishable from marital property.
Riverton Utah Marital Property Laws
During marriage, couples acquire the rights to some of the property and assets, as well as debts, acquired by one or both of them. Marital property doesn’t include things that are considered “separate property” owned by either spouse, for example, property owned before marriage, inheritance, gifts, property specifically excluded by valid prenuptial agreements, and property gained after legally separating. In addition, keep in mind that you are also on the hook still for your separate debts from before marriage. In Utah, marital property is divided “equitably” or fairly, which may not be an even 50-50. Usually for longer marriages, it is about 50% to each party. For short-term marriages, the court generally puts people back to their position before the marriage, such as giving people what they had before the marriage and typically what they made during the marriage. Parties can agree on how they want to divide the property outside of court, but a judge will review it to ensure its fair.
Riverton Utah Default/Uncontested Process
If you do not respond to your spouse or partner’s petition for divorce or separation or you file a response but reach an agreement, your case will be considered either a “default” or an “uncontested case.” In a “true default” case, you are giving up your right to have any say in your divorce or legal separation case. Before you choose this option, make sure you read the papers your spouse or domestic partner filed very carefully. What your spouse or partner asked for in his or her papers is probably going to be what the court orders. Most people, however, want to take part in the decisions that are going to be made about their future. Whether you decide to not respond but get a written notarized agreement with your spouse/partner or you choose to file a response and reach an agreement with your spouse or domestic partner afterward, you will be involved in the case and will participate in the decisions that are made in your divorce or legal separation. Whether you choose to respond or not to your spouse’s or domestic partner’s petition for divorce or legal separation, you can still work out an agreement.
In your agreement, you can both agree to end your marriage or domestic partnership. You can also agree about:
• How to divide your property and your debt,
• Whether anyone will pay the other spousal or partner support, and
• What child support and custody and visitation orders you will need, if you have children together.
You may be able to reach an agreement on all of these issues, or only some of them. When you sign the agreement, make sure that you understand everything you are agreeing to. For some issues, like child support, when you have an agreement you have to meet certain legal requirements, so make sure you follow the rules. If you are considering getting a divorce, then you will want to seek out the services of a divorce attorney. Divorce attorneys have a lot to offer you if you are considering getting a divorce, ready to file divorce papers or are going through the divorce right now. A divorce attorney can do many things for you such as help you through the proceedings and give you legal advice along the way. However, it is important to weigh out the pros and cons that come along with any financial decision that you make in your life. If you want to get a divorce with your partner, the best thing to do is to seek out the services of a divorce lawyer who will represent you in court. Divorce lawyers have the right offering for you if you want to get a divorce, and you are ready to make the decision to cut the ties with the person that you loved once. The divorce lawyer will be the one to go through the proceedings and provide you all the needed legal advice during the case, but it would also be important for you to weigh in all of the pros and cons that come along with it.
Here are some of the most notable pros associated when you hire a divorce lawyer-
These type of lawyers are the ones who are experts when it comes to the Matrimonial Law and Family Court considering that you are not knowledgeable about the law that should be applied during the proceedings of the divorce. Divorce lawyers are there to abide by all the applicable civil procedures. To add more, you will be likely going against your spouse’s lawyer in court, which could be one of the finest divorce lawyers out there where you do not stand a chance. Also, you are expected to hold the same standards as what this seasoned divorce lawyer of your spouse if you choose to represent yourself which in reality will likely end up in a very lopsided defeat on your side. Divorce lawyers are there to provide you with the best objective advice considering that couples who undergo divorce proceedings experience exhaustion and stress because of the emotional roller coaster for this event that happens in their lives. Divorce lawyers are also the experts when it comes to splitting the assets and wealth of the couple to ensure there is fairness that should be agreed between the couple, and they are the ones who know what is the right move when it comes to child custody, spousal support, and of course the asset division.
Riverton Utah Lawyer
When you need legal help in Riverton Utah, please call Ascent Law LLC for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.
8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C
West Jordan, Utah
84088 United States
Telephone: (801) 676-5506
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Riverton, Utah
Riverton is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 45,285 as of the 2020 census.[4] Riverton is located in the rapidly growing southwestern corner of the Salt Lake Valley.[5]
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