Domestic Violence Defense Attorney in Utah
Expert defense. Clear answers. Your family and your future protected.
A domestic violence allegation moves faster than any other kind of case. There is often an order in place before there is a hearing, and it can reach your home, your children and your job within a day. Richards & Richards handles the charge, the order and the custody fallout together.
Callback within 24 business hours. $100 for a one-hour consultation, credited to your retainer if we take your case.
Request a Consultation
We'll call you back within 24 business hours. $100 for a one-hour consult — credited to your retainer if we take your case.
Carl knows how the state builds a case
DUI instructor of instructors
States licensed: Utah · Colorado · Nebraska
Carl Anderson spent years on the other side. That's the advantage.
Before Carl joined Richards & Richards, he was a prosecutor with the Dawson County, Nebraska Attorney's Office. He handled thousands of criminal cases on behalf of the state, including jury trials.
That record means he has firsthand knowledge of how the state builds a case against you: which witnesses they lean on, which evidence they treat as ironclad, which corners they cut when they're overloaded. When he reviews a DUI stop or a drug-possession report, he's looking at it with the same training as the prosecutor you're up against.
DUI is his specialty. Carl is certified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as a standardized field sobriety test administrator, instructor, and instructor of instructors. He knows exactly how the officer who arrested you was trained — and how officers deviate from that training. If the arrest was bad, we find out at the suppression hearing, not at trial.
Carl is licensed in Utah, Colorado, and Nebraska. He's a father of five. He speaks Spanish.
He took the time to explain everything to me face-to-face. Whenever I contacted him he would return my call or email within a few hours.
— Andrew, Weber County · DUI Defense
What These Cases Involve
A domestic violence allegation rarely stays in one courtroom. Here is what tends to be running at the same time.
Not sure which one fits your case? Tell us what happened and we will tell you where you stand.
Talk to Us →Serving Ogden and Communities Across Utah
Our office is in Ogden and we defend domestic violence cases across nine Utah counties. If there is an order in place, call before you do anything else.
Weber County
North Ogden, Ogden, Riverdale, Roy, South Ogden
Davis County
Bountiful, Centerville, Clearfield, Farmington, Kaysville, Layton, Syracuse
Salt Lake County
Draper, Herriman, Murray, Riverton, Salt Lake City, Sandy, South Jordan, Taylorsville, West Jordan, West Valley City
Utah County
American Fork, Eagle Mountain, Lehi, Orem, Pleasant Grove, Provo, Saratoga Springs, Spanish Fork, Springville
Cache County
Hyrum, Logan, Mendon, Nibley, Providence, Smithfield
Box Elder County
Brigham City, Garland, Mantua, Tremonton, Willard
Tooele County
Grantsville, Stansbury Park, Tooele
Sanpete County
Ephraim, Manti, Mount Pleasant
Rich County
Garden City, Randolph
Not seeing your city? We defend these cases across Utah. Call and we will confirm whether we can help with yours.
Call 801-528-9357Why Choose Richards & Richards for Your Case
Most complaints about lawyers are not about who won. They are about communication — the lawyer goes quiet, and you learn what happened to your case after it has already happened. We built this firm around the opposite.
You Get a Real Defense Plan
After your consultation you get a written summary of everything in motion: the criminal charge, any no-contact or protective order, what each one restricts, how they affect a custody matter, and what we intend to do about each.
One Attorney, One Point of Contact
The attorney on your case handles your case. You are not shuffled between five lawyers or handed to a paralegal who cannot make decisions. When you call, you reach the person who knows your file.
A Former Prosecutor on Your Side
Carl Anderson prosecuted criminal cases for the state before joining the firm. He knows how the other side builds a file, what they rely on, and which parts of it will not hold up when someone actually tests them.
We Are Transparent About Costs
You get our rate and retainer requirement upfront, plus an honest estimate of what the work costs through resolution. We also tell you plainly what we cannot promise, because no lawyer can promise you an outcome.
Clear Communication, Always
We answer calls and emails within 24 business hours. When something significant happens on your case, you hear it from a person, not a form letter. We explain what it means and what happens next.
A Family Firm Since 1988
Two generations of Ogden-raised attorneys. We are invested in this community, and we built this firm on the principle that you are not just a case number.
Ready to talk it through? A one-hour consultation is $100, credited to your retainer if we take your case.
Request a Consultation →What Our Clients Say
Five-star reviews from our public Google Business Profile, from people who came to Richards & Richards in the middle of an investigation, an arrest, or a charge.
I needed help keeping a stalking injunction in place. Kevin did an excellent job putting my case together and making me feel comfortable about the situation. When it came time for the hearing, we had no problem keeping the injunction in place.Ben F.
Helped me get a much better ruling on a case I originally thought was going to ruin me. Kevin Richards negotiated it down to a minor inconvenience — at a very affordable rate with payment options.Ben
I have used Mr. Anderson many times to represent my son and I have always been impressed with the fact that he treats us like family.Anonymous
Mr. Anderson made sure I understood every aspect of my case and always kept me informed. He was available to answer questions at all hours of the day.Emma
Very professional, tough. Gets you what you want. Worked with several attorneys and he was the only one who got us the results we wanted and needed.Jasmin S.
He took the time to explain everything to me face-to-face. Whenever I contacted him he would return my call or email within a few hours.Andrew
Reviews are sourced from our public Google Business Profile. Some have been condensed for length; the clients and the underlying text are real. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Every review here started with one conversation. If you are facing a criminal charge in Utah, yours can start today.
Request a Consultation →Questions We Get About Utah Domestic Violence Cases
These come up in almost every first consultation. Here is what we tell people.
- Can the other person drop the charges?
- No. The State decides whether the case goes forward. Prosecutors in these cases routinely continue even when the complaining witness asks them not to. What that person wants may still matter to the outcome, but it does not end the case.
- What does a no-contact order actually stop me from doing?
- Read the order itself, because they are not all the same. Many bar contact of any kind, including through friends or social media, and many exclude you from a shared home. Violating one is a separate charge, so assume nothing and ask us.
- Will this affect my custody case?
- It can, and the two cases talk to each other. Family courts take these allegations seriously, and what happens in the criminal case can carry into custody proceedings. That is why we look at both together rather than one at a time.
- Does a domestic violence conviction affect my right to own a firearm?
- Yes. Firearm consequences are among the most significant parts of these cases. State and federal restrictions can attach in ways that surprise people, including for offenses that look minor on paper. If this matters to you, raise it at the first meeting.
- Can I go home to get my things?
- Not unless the order permits it, and not without asking first. People create a second case for themselves this way more often than any other. Call us and we will tell you what the order allows and whether it can be changed.
- What if the allegation is not true?
- Then the work is showing that, carefully and in the right order. False and exaggerated allegations do happen, particularly around separations, but insisting loudly rarely helps. Messages, timelines and witnesses do. Bring everything.
- Is domestic violence a separate crime in Utah?
- It works as a designation attached to an underlying offense. The underlying charge might be assault or something else, with the domestic relationship changing how it is treated and what follows from it. We can explain where your case actually sits.
- What should I bring to the consultation?
- Every order you have been served with, and your phone. The charging paperwork, the no-contact or protective order, and the messages between you and the other person. Do not delete anything, including things you wish you had not sent.
General information about Utah law, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case turns on its own facts.
Still have a question about your own situation? That is what the consultation is for. One hour, $100, credited to your retainer if we take your case.
Request a Consultation →This one moves faster than the others.
Domestic violence cases put orders in place before anyone has heard your side. The first few days are when the most can be done, and they are the days most people spend waiting.
$100 for a one-hour consultation, credited to your retainer if we take your case. Callback within 24 business hours.