Judges and Commissioners in Utah Judicial Districts 4 and 8 may set your divorce or paternity case for a Pretrial Calendar. This calendar is for parties whose cases have stalled and where neither party has an attorney. At the Pretrial Calendar, you will be appointed a volunteer attorney who will help you try to reach an agreement so that you can avoid the stress and time required for a trial.
District 4: Utah, Wasatch, Juab, and Millard Counties
District 8: Duchesne, Daggett, and Uintah Counties
Please do not contact TLC and request for your case to be added to the pro se calendar. We are unable to schedule cases for the pro se calendar; only the judge or commissioner assigned to your case can do so.
Information for Attorneys Interested in Volunteering
We have worked to make this a convenient opportunity to provide pro bono service that usually spans only between 2 and 4 hours on one day.
- All hearings are currently virtual.
- This remote pro bono opportunity allows you to hone your skills at interviewing, negotiating, and arguing before the Court.
- There is no prep work. You only need to review the pleadings and represent the party at the negotiations and hearing.
- You will represent the party on a limited basis for the negotiation session and hearing on that day only. You will not need to commit to any time before or after the day of the hearing.
- You will not need to file any documents. Per a signed Standing Order for the Pro Se Calendar, you will be automatically attached to the case as the attorney of record the day before the hearing so you can access the necessary case documents and receive the Webex link to attend the hearing.
- You will not be asked to nor need to draft any documents.
- You will feel fulfilled in having made a difference in the lives of the parties. For many people, the pro se calendar is their only opportunity to receive high quality legal advice and representation on their case.
Process:
- View the upcoming calendars and contact lani@timplegal.org to sign up for a case. Verify you do not have a conflict in that case.
- Attend the negotiation meeting managed by TLC and held via Zoom to meet with your client and review the pleadings. TLC will move you into breakout rooms to facilitate negotiations between you and the opposing party/counsel.
- After negotiations, log into the court hearing, via Webex, to report on whether a full, partial, or no settlement was reached or whether a date needs to be set for trial and what the remaining issues for trial are.
Practice Pointers:
- Be clear with your clients that your representation is on a limited scope basis and for the purposes of that hearing only. You can request a copy of the Limited Representation Agreement from TLC for your records if you would like.
- When you make your appearance before the court, note that you are making a limited appearance for the purposes of that day’s hearing only.
- Review available resources below and on our Statewide Resources page concerning divorce and custody.
Pro Se Calendar Next Steps
Pro Se Pretrial Order
Pro Se Calendar Checklist
Utah Domestic Codes and Links to State Court Pages
Email lani@timplegal.org if you are interested in volunteering with the Pro Se Calendar or if you have any questions about the program.
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