Online Resources
Dolowitz Hunnicutt & Gibbs, PLLC encourages everyone to consult competent legal counsel before making big decisions or starting a lawsuit. That said, we also believe people facing divorce or other family law legal matters can benefit from educating themselves about Utah law. The following are a few links to helpful online legal resources.
Not every divorce involves lawyers.
To prepare the necessary documents to file for an uncontested divorce, Utah's court system has established the Online Court Assistance Program also known as "OCAP." This functions somewhat like "Turbo Tax" asking one question at a time. Once you have entered all of the requested information, OCAP generates a lengthy PDF document that you can print out, sign, and hand deliver to the clerk's station at your local courthouse.
Parents going through a divorce in Utah are required to participate in a divorce orientation and divorce education class
Which address co-parenting and other divorce-related topics.
Utah's Office of Recovery Services provides an online calculator
To estimate child support figures and generate child support worksheets.
Utah's court system offers self-help pointers for divorces and parentage/paternity cases.
Utah's Legislature has enacted several statutes providing the key laws on how family law functions in Utah. For instance:
Utah Code Section 30-3-5 is the general divorce statute, which covers several topics, including the factors upon which courts rely to determine alimony.
Utah Code Section 30-3-33 lists advisory guidelines for parents in custody cases, including the principle of right-of-first-refusal.
Utah Code Section 30-3-35 sets out the standard minimum parent-time visitation schedule for child custody cases involving children over the age of 5.
Utah Code Section 30-3-35.1 explains the alternative, expanded parent-time visitation schedule, often referred to as a "5/9 Schedule."
Utah Code Section 30-3-35.5 explains the minimum parent-time schedule for children under age 5.
Utah Code Section 30-3-37 includes the parent-time schedule when the noncustodial parent lives in a different state or more than 150 miles from the children.
The Utah Uniform Premarital Agreement Act establishes the rules and guidelines for prenuptial agreements (and, by extension, postnuptial agreements).
This statute explains how domestic violence protective orders work in Utah.
There is a common misperception that "common law marriage" exists in Utah. Rather, Utah statute recognizes "unsolemnized marriages" provided they meet the rigorous elements set forth in this statute.
Utah Rule of Judicial Administration 4-903 describes custody evaluations in Utah.
International Cases Under the Hague Convention
Hague Convention Actions: A Nuts-and-Bolts Primer, by James M. Hunnicutt. Utah Journal of Family Law (2018)