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Utah Divorce Pro Se Information |
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Written by Rebecca Long
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Tuesday, 24 November 2009 09:13 |
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There is a high proportion of divorces in Utah that proceed through the court system with at least one party unrepresented by an attorney. A look at divorce data in Utah offers some ideas on why Utah has such a high rate of pro se divorce litigants.
by RebeccaLong
There is a high proportion of divorces in Utah that proceed through the court system with at least one party unrepresented by an attorney. A study of divorce data in Utah gives some ideas on why Utah has such a high rate of pro se divorce litigants.
The State of Utah has just as many divorces as the rest of the United States of America. The rate of divorce in Utah is around 0.43% of the entire population, and is slightly higher than the national rate of 0.41%. In Utah, the average for a first divorce is 31 for males and 29 for females.
The number of children involved in a Utah divorce is rising rapidly. In 2000, there were more than 10,000 kids involved in divorce and the amount now is a lot higher.
According to a study of statistics by Utah State University on the most recent information available, almost half of the divorces in Utah happen during the first five years of marriage. Almost 1/5 of divorces in Utah happen before the couple make it to their first wedding anniversary.
So why do many parties in Utah decide to go without representation? One possibility is that children and custody problems can add complexity and expense to a divorce case, making it unaffordable for some. Also, in Utah, a lot of the couples are young and have not been married long enough to reach their best money earning years, and are not able to afford legal representation.
Recently, the Utah courts have been attempting to calculate the amount of divorce cases that have at least one party unrepresented by a lawyer. At lawyer continuing education classes, representatives from the Utah court system have estimated that 70% of Utah divorces involve at least one participant who does not have an attorney. Lawyers are asked by Judges to find a way to provide assistance to parties who are planning on going to court without a lawyer.
Because of budget cuts within the Utah court system, Judges and Commissioners are working more cases with less administrative support and they are losing their patience with pro se litigants (parties without representation), who do not have any idea of appropriate procedure or argument.
Several Utah law firms have answered the call and are providing free consultations, or affordable billing choices for self-representation assistance on specific parts of the litigation. Firms like Long Okura in Salt Lake City offer both. If you're considering a court appearance without an attorney, consider finding some help first.
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