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 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.
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 five years of marriage. In Utah,'% of divorces occur during the first 12 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 may not have had a lot of opportunity to develop careers and are financially unable to hire an attorney. Also the higher number of divorce cases with kids means extra expenses in custody battles that makes legal assistance even more difficult to afford.
Attempts are being made this year (2009) by the Utah state courts to calculate what percentage 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.
The Utah state courts are running leaner now because of recent budget cutbacks. Judges and commissioners have less administrative assistance, and are handling a higher volume of cases. The extra stress of having to deal with an unrepresented party is more acute now, as the the efficiency of their court is reduced even further when an attorney isn't present to supply the correct procedures and arguments.
Many Utah law firms have answered the call and are providing free consultations, or affordable billing options for self-representation assistance on specific elements of the litigation. Firms like Long Okura in Salt Lake City offer both. If you are considering a court appearance without an attorney, think about finding some legal assistance first. - 31397
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.
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 five years of marriage. In Utah,'% of divorces occur during the first 12 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 may not have had a lot of opportunity to develop careers and are financially unable to hire an attorney. Also the higher number of divorce cases with kids means extra expenses in custody battles that makes legal assistance even more difficult to afford.
Attempts are being made this year (2009) by the Utah state courts to calculate what percentage 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.
The Utah state courts are running leaner now because of recent budget cutbacks. Judges and commissioners have less administrative assistance, and are handling a higher volume of cases. The extra stress of having to deal with an unrepresented party is more acute now, as the the efficiency of their court is reduced even further when an attorney isn't present to supply the correct procedures and arguments.
Many Utah law firms have answered the call and are providing free consultations, or affordable billing options for self-representation assistance on specific elements of the litigation. Firms like Long Okura in Salt Lake City offer both. If you are considering a court appearance without an attorney, think about finding some legal assistance first. - 31397
