Center Now Assisting Self-Help Parties in Seventh Judicial District
Salt Lake City, Utah— The Utah State Courts has expanded the Self-Help Center services to the Seventh Judicial District. The Self-Help Center assists individuals who are representing themselves in court to better understand court processes. The Self-Help Center program was launched in December 2007 in the Second and Eighth Judicial Districts as part of a pilot project.
The center staff provides legal information via a toll-free telephone help line as well as e-mail.
The toll-free phone number is 888-683-0009. Help line hours are Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Individuals can also receive assistance by e-mailing the center staff at selfhelp@email.utcourts.gov or going to the court’s Web site, www.utcourts.gov/howto.
Self-Help Center services are available to anyone who has a court case in the Seventh Judicial District, which includes Carbon, Emery, Grand, and San Juan counties. The center staff continues to provide services to anyone in the Second and Eighth Judicial Districts, which include Daggett, Davis, Duchesne, Morgan, Uintah, and Weber counties.
The center staff is available to provide information about what to do before going to court, how to prepare paperwork for court, how to represent oneself in court, and what to do with an order issued by the court. Assistance is available in all civil matters including the areas of family law such as adoption, paternity, divorce, custody and child support, as well as domestic violence, guardianship/conservatorship, probate, landlord-tenant disputes, and small claims. Center staff will also refer individuals to appropriate legal services providers and other community resources.
“The Self-Help Center services are not a substitute for an attorney,” explained Salt Lake City Justice Court Judge John Baxter. “Center staff can explain how the courts work and provide forms and referrals; however, the staff cannot provide legal advice.” Judge Baxter chairs the court’s Standing Committee on Resources for Self-represented Parties, which initiated the Self-Help Center pilot project.