| Utah Divorce Representation Information |
| Written by Rebecca Long |
| Tuesday, 17 November 2009 08:47 |
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The State of Utah has a high rate of parties going through divorce proceedings without a lawyer. An examination of statistics sheds some light on why Utah has such a high rate of cases with lack of legal representation.
The State of Utah has a high rate of parties going through divorce proceedings without a lawyer. An examination of statistics sheds some light on why Utah has such a high rate of cases with lack of legal representation. Divorces in Utah are just as common as in the other states. In Utah, the divorce rate is approximately 4.3 for every 1000 residents. This rate is a bit higher than the average USA rate of 4.1 for every 1000. First marriages ending in divorce in Utah have a median age of 29 for women and 31 for men. According to statistics from 2000, in Utah over ten thousand children were affected by a divorce that year. This number has since increased significantly. Statistics from 2000, which is the most recent available data, show that 50% of Utah divorces happen within the first 5 years of marriage. In Utah,'% of divorces occur within the first twelve months of marriage. One possible reason for the low rate of legal representation in Utah is that a lot of residents marry at a young age. Combined with Utah's statistically short marriage spans in divorces, the couple may not have had much chance to develop careers and are financially unable to hire an attorney. Also the higher number of divorce cases with children means increased expenses in custody battles which makes legal assistance even more difficult to afford. Recently, the Utah courts have been trying to calculate the number 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 have been 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 a higher caseload due to 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 correct arguments and procedures decreases the efficiency of the courts. Several law firms have responded to this call by offering free consultations or allowing clients to hire the attorney for bits and pieces of the litigation when the help is strongly needed. Some firms are providing both, such as Long Okura, P.C. in Salt Lake City, Utah. Consider obtaining help before you walk into court without an attorney. |