Certified Advocate Partners Program

In February 2021, the Certified Advocate Partners Program (CAPP) was authorized by the Utah Supreme Court to operate within the Utah Regulatory Sandbox. In this program, Advocates are able to give legal advice on civil protective orders and stalking injunctions in Utah. We provide legal training and, under our direction, advocates provide victims with legal services. They are supervised by our Program Director, Hayley Cousin, and are able to reach out to any TLC attorney for assistance when needed.

We are optimistic that this program will help more victims receive legal protection from their abusers, enabling them time and space to recover and begin the process of moving on to the next step in their lives. We want to enable victims to make informed, empowered decisions that bring them closer to safety and stability.

Advocates

A current list of advocates can be found on the Community Justice Advocates of Utah website.

Our Vision

Many victims of domestic violence and stalking have limited financial resources, which means that they don't have the ability to retain an attorney to help them with any necessary legal action. However, these victims typically have access to a free victim advocate through a domestic violence service provider or local law enforcement office. These advocates are trained to help victims access services and understand what resources are available to them. Advocates are often the only person who helps victims with protective orders, but they are barred from giving legal advice. This, we believe, results in fewer victims getting the legal protections they are afforded under Utah state law.

We know that these advocates are a tremendous resource, and are a wealth of knowledge when it comes to protective orders. They commonly attend protective order hearings and know a great deal about why orders are or are not awarded and what standards a judge uses to make decisions. But they aren't able to convey this information to clients under current rules, which can result in improper and failed requests for protective orders. This can further discourage victims from taking steps away from abuse.

We want these victims to get the help they need, using the resources they already have access to.

Our Data

From June 2021 through June 2024, CAPP advocates have assisted 358 clients. In the 327 closed cases, advocates have provided 841 unique services.

Our advocates helped clients seek 225 protective orders. Using their legal training, they were able to achieve high rates of having protective orders awarded for clients. Of the 225 requests, an ex parte order was issued in 205 cases and denied in only 20 cases. In most of the cases where an ex parte order was denied, the CAPP advocate had correctly cautioned the client that they may be unsuccessful, but the client requested to proceed regardless.

In the 205 cases with ex parte orders issued, only 17 clients were denied final orders by the court at the hearing. 118 clients were awarded final protective orders, 39 clients chose to dismiss their request at the hearing (generally because an alternate agreement, typically in a divorce case, was agreed upon), and 31 clients are awaiting their hearing or we are waiting on updated data from their final hearing.

When comparing our outcomes to data provided by the Administrative Office of the Utah State Courts, clients who receive legal services from a CAPP advocate are roughly twice as likely to receive an order than the statewide average.

Our advocates also assisted 102 clients who came to seek help with a protective order and ultimately chose to not pursue a request, either because it was not the right time for their situation or because the advocate was able to advise them that they would be unsuccessful. These are clients who otherwise may have applied for an order and have been denied due to lack of grounds or evidence. We want victims to be able to make informed decisions that will lead them to success, and CAPP helps facilitate that.

Timpanogos Legal Center has a special focus on providing legal services to people in rural areas of Utah, who traditionally have less access to free legal services, compared to people living in urban areas. 77% of clients served through CAPP have lived in rural areas of Utah.

We currently have 16 active CAPP advocates.

Inquiries & Media

If you have questions about our program, including the development of CAPP and information on applying to a future class of advocates, please reach out to Hayley Cousin, Program Director, at hayley@timplegal.org.

Legal Assistance Pilot Program Helps Rural Victims of Domestic Violence and Abuse in Utah by Kristi Eaton, The Daily Yonder

Need help getting a protective order? A new program in Utah makes the process easier by Becky Jacobs, Salt Lake Tribune

Utah's Certified Advocates Partners Program Made Possible by Regulatory Sandbox by Maddie Hosack, IAALS