Business Details
Your Trusted Legal Partner in Salt Lake City
Wharton Law is a Salt Lake City-based legal practice dedicated to providing individualized attention for clients navigating complex family and probate matters. With over a decade of experience, we specialize in high-conflict domestic cases, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and alternative family structures. Our team prioritizes listening to clients' unique needs while delivering strategic legal guidance. Recognized for groundbreaking work in name and gender changes, surrogacy, and child advocacy, we combine deep local knowledge with national expertise. Our commitment to community service and ethical representation has earned trust across Utah.We offer personalized consultations to help clients understand their rights and responsibilities while pursuing equitable solutions. Our attorneys balance assertiveness in court with compassion for clients' emotional challenges. By focusing on domestic law and probate matters, we maintain specialized expertise that informs every case. Our approach emphasizes transparency, affordability, and respect for clients' goals. Whether handling divorces, adoptions, or estate planning, we strive to make complex legal processes accessible and understandable.
Services
Divorce & Separation
Child Custody
LGBTQ+ Advocacy
Adoption & Surrogacy
Estate Planning
Name Changes
Child Advocacy
Probate Law
Guardianship
Asset Division
Highlights and features
- We offer over a decade of specialized experience in domestic law
- Our team is recognized for groundbreaking LGBTQ+ legal advocacy
- We handle high-conflict cases with strategic courtroom representation
- We provide individualized attention for unique family situations
- Our attorneys combine local knowledge with national legal expertise
What people say
Caring, non-judgmental
Knowledgeable and confident
Fees were VERY fair
Kept everyone happy
Highly recommended
Services
Divorce & Separation
We handle all aspects of divorce and legal separation with strategic counsel. Our attorneys guide clients through property division, alimony determinations, and custody arrangements while prioritizing amicable resolutions when possible. For high-conflict cases, we provide assertive courtroom representation. Our experience spans complex asset divisions and contested custody battles across Utah.
LGBTQ+ Advocacy
Our firm leads in LGBTQ+ legal rights with expertise in same-sex marriage adjudications, name/gender changes, and hate crime representation. We handle adoption and surrogacy cases for queer families while advocating for policy changes. Our work combines compassionate client service with systemic legal reform efforts across Utah.
Estate Planning
We create comprehensive estate plans including wills, trusts, and healthcare directives. Our attorneys help clients establish power of attorney arrangements and navigate probate court requirements. We specialize in customized solutions that protect assets and ensure clients' wishes are honored across Utah's legal landscape.
Adoption & Surrogacy
Our team handles private, state, and interstate adoptions while representing intended parents and gestational carriers. We draft donor agreements and navigate surrogacy laws to protect all parties' rights. Our experience includes complex cases involving LGBTQ+ families and international adoption requirements.
Child Advocacy
We serve as private guardians ad litem in contested custody cases and represent children's interests across Utah. Our attorneys handle guardianship petitions, conservatorship arrangements, and child protection matters while maintaining strict ethical standards in advocating for vulnerable minors.
People
Chris Wharton
Attorney at Law
Chris Wharton leads our firm with over 15 years of family law experience. He specializes in high-conflict divorces and LGBTQ+ advocacy, combining courtroom expertise with compassionate client representation. His work has shaped legal precedents in Utah's family courts.
Chandler Miles
Senior Paralegal
Chandler Miles manages case logistics with eight years of domestic law experience. They coordinate client consultations, prepare legal documents, and support attorneys in complex family law matters across northern Utah jurisdictions.
Tia Shim
Of Counsel
Tia Shim provides specialized expertise in estate planning and probate matters. With a decade of experience in trust administration and healthcare directives, she helps clients create comprehensive end-of-life legal arrangements tailored to their unique family needs.
Questions
What areas of law does Wharton Law specialize in?
We focus on domestic law including divorce, child custody, adoption, and estate planning, with specialized expertise in LGBTQ+ legal matters and high-conflict family cases.
Do you offer consultations for new clients?
Yes, we provide affordable initial consultations to discuss your legal needs and develop a tailored representation strategy for your case.
How does your firm handle high-conflict divorce cases?
Our attorneys combine assertive courtroom representation with strategic negotiation to protect clients' interests while minimizing emotional distress in complex divorce situations.
Can you assist with LGBTQ+ family law matters?
Yes, we specialize in LGBTQ+ legal advocacy including same-sex marriage adjudications, surrogacy agreements, and name/gender change petitions across Utah.
What locations do you serve across Utah?
While based in Salt Lake City, we represent clients throughout Utah including Sandy, Orem, and surrounding areas for all our practice specialties.
