Online Resources
Dolowitz Hunnicutt & Gibbs 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 Child Support 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:
Title 81 Chapter 9 Part 3 of the Utah Code sets forth multiple potential parent-time schedules for cases involving custody of minor children.
Section 81-9-202 of the Utah Code lists advisory guidelines for parents in custody cases, including the principle of right-of-first-refusal.
Title 81 Chapter 6 of the Utah Code addresses child support.
Title 81 Chapter 4 Part 5 of the Utah Code addresses alimony.
The Uniform Premarital Agreement Act establishes the rules and guidelines for prenuptial agreements (and, by extension, postnuptial agreements).
Title 78B Chapter 7 of the Utah Code explains how domestic violence protective orders and civil stalking injunctions 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 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)