Utah has a very high number of divorce cases where parties are unrepresented. Looking at the statistics provides some insights into this phenomenon.
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 children involved in divorce and the amount currently is much higher.
Statistics from 2000, which is the most recent available data, show that 50% of Utah divorces happen within the first five years of marriage. In Utah,’% of divorces occur during the first twelve months of marriage.
One possible reason for the low rate of legal representation in Utah is that many residents marry at a young age. Combined with Utah’s statistically short marriage spans in divorces, the couple might not have had much chance to develop careers and are financially unable to hire an attorney. Also the higher number of divorce cases with kids means additional expenses in custody battles which makes legal assistance even more difficult to afford.
Attempts are being made this year (2009) by the Utah state courts to calculate what proportion of divorces involve parties without legal representation. The courts estimate that approximately 7 out of 10 divorce cases have an unrepresented party. Local Utah attorneys are being encouraged by judges to make an effort to supply services for litigants who are attempting to navigate through the legal process without representation.
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 help 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.
Several firms in Utah are responding by providing pay-as-you-go services for pro se litigants that cannot afford a full retainer or by providing free consultations. Some local law firms, like Long Okura, are providing both options. Self-represented parties ought to think about obtaining help before appearing in court unrepresented.
Talk with a Utah divorce attorney to learn more.
categories: divorce,legal,utah,lawyer,attorney
Mail this post