Vernal Family Lawyers

Tulsi J. Patel is a former prosecutor who is very experienced in all aspects of litigation from beginning to end. She has handled a wide variety of cases such as divorce, adoption, custody, protective orders, narcotics, violent sex crimes, aggravated assault, armed burglaries, robberies, fraud, and thefts. With Tulsi on your side, you'll have an extremely compassionate, detailed, and aggressive advocate. You'll never have to worry about where you stand in your case. Most importantly, Tulsi is an honest advocate. She will help you understand the best path to achieving your goals while keeping you informed of cost expectations...

Keith Backman received a B.A. Degree in English in 1990 then decided to continue his education and received a J.D. Law Degree in 1993 from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at BYU. After graduating law school, Keith started his career as an attorney with Helgesen, Houtz & Jones. He is now a partner in the law firm. His practice is focused on Business Law, Contracts, Family Law, Real Estate Law, Estate Planning and General Counsel Services. He has represented clients in almost every court along the Wasatch Front and has appeared in the Utah Court of Appeals and the Utah...

James R. Tanner is a Utah employment law attorney. He was an employment lawyer with the federal government until he retired in 1998. Since that date, he has had a private practice of law in Tooele, Utah. He currently has a private practice of law with his son, Richard J. Tanner. Their firm, Tanner Law Office PLLC, provides legal services in the area of employment law, divorce and family law, criminal defense, wills, and general practice matters.

Jared Pearson is a licensed Utah litigation attorney. Before forming Pearson Law Firm Jared practiced law in both Salt Lake and Utah County and represented companies and individuals in a number of matters, including family law, divorce, bankruptcy, criminal defense, contract disputes, personal injury, real estate transactions, and corporate law. Jared is an experienced bankruptcy attorney that has handled many Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcies. Jared has the knowledge and resources to handle any consumer bankruptcy case from start to finish and has the experience to foresee specific issues based on the unique circumstances of any given case...

FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY OF THE YEAR, AS RECOGNIZED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF CONSUMER BUSINESS REVIEW. Dana D. Burrows Attorney at Law in Orem, Utah provides professional legal advice and representation to clients along the Wasatch Front. Dana D. Burrows has continuously been “Recognized as one of the Top Legal Leaders for Utah Business as identified by his peers" for almost all of his professional career. He is respected by Judges, Mediators, and other Attorneys throughout the state of Utah. Specializing in family law and divorce services, Dana D. Burrows Attorney will fight for your interests by using our experience...

Nicolas D. Turner has spent most of his life in Southern Utah, being a graduate of Pine View High School. He received his Associate of Arts at Dixie State College (now Dixie State University) in St. George and his Bachelor’s Degree at Southern Utah University in Cedar City. After receiving his Juris Doctor from Gonzaga School of Law in Spokane, Washington in 2009, Nick returned to St. George and joined Gary G. Kuhlmann & Associates, P.C., the predecessor of Turner and Kuhlmann. In addition to practicing law, Nick teaches business law and personal finance at Dixie State University,...

Joshua Eldredge had the opportunity to grow up all over the country due to his father serving as an F-16 fighter pilot in the Air Force. Because of his diverse interactions, Joshua quickly learned how to connect and gain trust of those around him. Developing those strong relationships allowed him to see the importance of bring peace of mind to those around him who are facing difficult family challenges. This opportunity helped him begin his journey to become a family law attorney. While in law school, Joshua served as President of the J. Ruben Clark Law Society and...

Ryan E. Simpson is a partner with Ascent Law. He’s a native of Utah, and he’s licensed to practice law in both State and Federal Courts in Utah. Ryan graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from University of Utah. After completing his undergraduate studies, he went on to obtain his Juris Doctorate from Gonzaga University School of Law. Ryan’s area of expertise is in bankruptcy, asset protection, real estate transactions, construction law, collection law, and estate planning. He has helped thousands of Utah residents obtain debt relief through Bankruptcy.

Ben grew up in Provo, Utah, and graduated from Provo High School. After high school, he joined the Army Reserves before going to Warsaw, Poland to serve an LDS mission. After returning from military duty in Afghanistan, he completed his BA in Philosophy at the U of U, and law school at BYU. Ben has personal experience in business finance, accounting, and asset protection. Since 2001, he has been an avid real estate investor, having personally owned nearly sixty parcels of real estate, and facilitating hundreds of transactions for investors. He is also a producer of the feature film,...

Wayne is a partner at Bearnson & Caldwell.

Daniel J. Tobler was born and raised in Southern Utah. The son of a school teacher and farmer, Mr. Tobler learned the value of education and hard work at an early age. He graduated from Pine View High School, attended Dixie College and served a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. At age 22, Mr. Tobler graduated with honors from Dixie State College with an Associate Degree. Two years later he graduated from Weber State University with a Bachelor Degree, also earning honors. Mr. Tobler received his Juris Doctor, again...

With nearly 30 years as a legal professional, Vernon Jolley is an accomplished trial attorney who is admitted to practice in Utah and California and before various federal district courts, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court in Washington D.C. Vernon has helped thousands of clients in many areas of the law, including civil/business litigation, contract law, personal injury and family law. He is deeply committed to the cause of Fathers Rights and to helping fathers in all areas of the law. In addition to logging more hours in the courtroom...

Russell is a founding partner of Atticus Legal Group, LLC.  His practice focuses on achieving optimal outcomes for individuals in domestic actions, including divorce, and custody actions. Nathan also defends individuals involved in minor criminal matters, often involving protective orders and domestic violence claims.
Russell has successfully conducted both jury and bench trials before various courts in the State of Utah.  He has argued a civil appeal before the Utah Court of Appeals, and drafted briefs for appeals before the Utah Supreme Court.
Russell received his J.D. from Gonzaga School of Law, in 2006 and B.S., from the University of Utah in...

One of the best attorneys in Utah. He handles Divorce, Paternity, Custody, Child Support, Alimony, Protective Orders, Stalking Injunctions, DUI, Assault, Possession, and all other Felony and Misdemeanor Criminal Cases. Spencer has been able to secure favorable outcomes for his clients given his experience. Spencer fills in as a Pro Temp Judge as well as his normal legal practice, which brings a different perspective to the cases he handles. He brings a lot of experience to the table when dealing with alimony, child support, custody and property division. He is aggressive in criminal defense and knows most of the prosecutors...

A 20 year Air Force veteran, Darrin served his last 11 years as a Judge Advocate and has acquired a vast breath of legal skills and expertise. He has worked as a both as a criminal prosecutor and a criminal appellate defense attorney. He has drafted hundreds of wills and assisted numerous clients with divorce, child support, and child custody matters.

I have practiced law since 1984. In my years of experience, I developed my approach which considers each client's individual and legal needs. While I prepare each case for litigation, my aim is to spare the expense and emotional toll of litigation and to help my clients achieve the best result as quickly as possible. Because my clients come from all walks of life, I choose to practice in a broad range of legal matters. Some of the issues I handle are family law, including divorce, personal injury matters, probate and estate administration, estate...

A former federal prosecutor now representing businesses and individuals across a range of practice areas, Matthew R. Howell began his career as an Assistant United States Attorney for the U.S. government in Salt Lake City, Utah, prosecuting crimes against federally insured financial institutions and crimes committed on Indian reservations and federal lands. After four years, Matt joined David K. Isom Law Offices, where he focused on coal contract litigation and arbitration and other complex commercial litigation, including qui tam (whistleblower) claims and class action lawsuits. Since joining Fillmore Spencer LLC in 2005, Matt has worked on cases large and...

Mr. Unrau has practiced law for over 19 years. His main areas of experience are: Family Law (divorce, custody, paternity, adoption), Criminal Defense (DUI, Possession, Murder, Assault, etc.), Juvenile Court (Juvenile Criminal Defense, DCFS matters), Bankruptcy and General Practice (Contracts, Landlord/Tenant, etc.). Mr. Unrau is an experienced Mediator with hundreds of successfully mediated cases. Mr. Unrau is also trained as a Guardian ad Litem, and is occasionally appointed to represent the interest of minor children or incapacitated adults in various cases. Mr. Unrau's staff is friendly, efficient and helpful.

Trent V. Cahill offers 15 years of legal experience to his clients and is licensed in both Michigan and Utah. Trent has an extensive knowledge of and background in a variety of legal areas-specifically that of business law, family law, and estate planning. Among other accomplishments, he has assisted clients as they wade through a messy divorce, directed the drafting of the documents necessary to restructure multi-million dollar corporations, overseen the documentation of annual minutes for over 300 entities, and provided in-house counsel type services to multiple organizations.

Melanie Cook is licensed to practice law in Minnesota and Utah. She volunteers as an advocate for the Domestic Violence Pro Bono Initiative (Davis County) each Wednesday morning. Melanie is an adjunct professor at Broadview University and teaches law to paralegals. Also, Melanie mentors paralegal students with career goals and academic advice, providing volunteer opportunities at law firms and pro bono clinics throughout Salt Lake, Davis and Weber County. In 2012, Melanie received her Certificate in Advocacy and Problem Solving from Hamline University School of Law. In 2011, Melanie published an article entitled “Third Party Rights and Child Custody” in...

As an attorney licensed in Nevada and Utah with the highest of ethical standards and client advocacy, I have served as in-house counsel for the largest transportation company in Nevada. I am an expert in providing quality, evidence-based advice regarding contracts, torts, and all manner of legal issues facing transportation companies. As In-House Counsel, I have established a reputation for settling cases far below reserve amounts and procuring over $10M in corporate savings. As a litigator, I have an unsullied record of providing the best possible outcomes for clients, regardless of whether the outcome is a favorable settlement or in-court victory....

Attorney Brad Carr practices primarily represents landlords and family law clients. He is the founding partner of Carr | Woodall. He has handled thousands of eviction landlord matters and hundreds of divorces. Mr. Carr has four children of his own. He fights hard for his clients because he knows exactly what they have on the line.

In his free time, you can find Mr. Carr doing just about anything as long as it is outside. He water skis, snow skis, snowboards, races motorcycles, hikes, camps, plays tennis, plays pickle-ball, and the list goes on. He and his wife often joke that...

Nonie Ferguson is a Partner at Just Law, LLC. She has been a practicing attorney since graduating from Nova Southeastern Shepard Broad Law Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 2012. Currently, she practices almost exclusively in Family Law, but she has a vast amount of experience in Criminal Law and she does take on Criminal Law cases. While in Florida, Nonie practiced in the area of Criminal Law as an Assistant Public Defender. As a criminal defense attorney Nonie worked in the felony criminal trial division representing accused first, second, and third degree felony offenders and juvenile delinquents. Nonie has...

Douglas D. Adair, Attorney at Law, has the distinction of being a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. He is actively involved in the Family Law Executive Committee of the Utah State Bar. He earned a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from the S. J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah in 1993. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance degree from the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah in 1989. He founded Adair Law Firm in 2006 after many years of practicing law in prominent law firms. His Family Law...

Bruce Nelson
Principal Attorney

Bruce Nelson is the founder and principal attorney of The Nelson Law Firm, PLLC. Bruce focuses his practice on business & civil litigation, family law, alternative dispute resolution, business and corporate matters, personal injury and many others.

Bruce works closely with clients to achieve their desired legal solutions. Such results are frequently obtained through negotiation as opposed to litigation although each matter has its own unique characteristics.

Before founding Nelson Law in 2004, Bruce utilized his extensive business and corporate experience in new product and new business development, training, along with conducting needful discovery for mergers and...

Grew up a musician in Las Vegas. Went back to school and obtained accounting degree at UNLV. Then was accepted to law school at BYU. Graduated and passed Utah State Bar in 1978 and have practiced law throughout the state of Utah ever since. Sang with Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Taught college at Washington Institute of Graduates Studies. Written two articles for Utah State Bar Journal and published two books. Have five children, two grandchildren. Passionate about justice and the law.

JEFF D. RIFLEMAN, Attorney at Law, Mediator Mr. Rifleman holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree (J.D.) from St. Mary's University School of Law of San Antonio, Texas. Mr. Rifleman completed his undergraduate work by earning his Bachelor of Science degree (B.S.) in Consumer and Community Studies from the University of Utah. Additionally, Mr. Rifleman received training and certificates in Mediation and is qualified as a court appointed mediator in Texas courts, trained in peer-school mediation, family dispute/divorce mediation, domestic violence, and has volunteered time mediating small claims cases in Utah courts. Admitted: Utah Supreme Court U.S. District Court for the District of...

Andrew Fackrell has been practicing Family Law in the the State of Utah since 2011. In that time he has appeared in countless court hearings and mediations throughout the state, and has represented scores of men and woman in a wide variety of domestic relations matters, including divorce, child custody, child support, alimony, step-parent adoptions, protective orders, enforcement and contempt proceedings, and modifications of existing court orders.


Andrew is licensed to practice law in the federal and state courts in Utah, and is a member of the Utah State Bar's Family Law and Constitutional Law sections. He received his Bachelor of...