There is a high percentage of divorces in Utah that proceed through the court system with at least one party unrepresented by an attorney. An examination of divorce data in Utah provides 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 more than the national rate of 0.41%. In Utah, the average for a first divorce is 31 for males and 29 for females.
In the year 2000, there have been 10,600 children involved in a divorce in Utah. The number has risen very much in the years since.
Statistics from 2000, which is the most recent available data, show half of Utah divorces happen within the first five years of marriage. In Utah,’% of divorces occur during the first twelve months of marriage.
A possible reason for Utah’s high rate of self-representation might be that with the brief length of marriage before divorcing and couples getting married at a young age, the parties have not had a lot of time or opportunity to earn high wages and are unable to afford an attorney. Another issue could be the high rate of divorce cases involving child custody issues that creates more expense and makes the case more expensive.
Recently, the Utah courts have been making an attempt 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 will not have an attorney. Lawyers are asked by Judges to find a way to provide advice to parties who are planning on going to court without a lawyer.
Commissioners and judges are now having to handle an increased caseload because of cutbacks in funding for the Utah court system, and are receiving less administrative assistance than before. This makes dealing with self-represented litigants even more frustrating as the lack of proper arguments and procedures decreases the efficiency of the courts.
Many Utah law firms have answered the call and are providing free consultations, or affordable billing options for self-representation assistance on specific parts of the litigation. Firms like Long Okura in Salt Lake City provide both. If you’re considering a court appearance without an attorney, think about finding some help first.
To find out more about Utah divorce, visit longokura.com.
categories: divorce,legal,utah,lawyer,attorney
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