Utah Divorce Forms & Papers

Divorce Papers > Utah Divorce Forms & Papers

Most people are unsure about the divorce procedure in Utah. Many are also of the opinion that the system does not protect the interest of people in divorce cases. But regardless of this belief one can still go ahead and file a divorce on your own if you read a little about the laws and procedures of filing a divorce and find a few authentic sites to download the Utah divorce forms and papers. Prior to filing, the spouse must have been a resident of Utah (or a member of the Armed Forces stationed in Utah) and a resident of the county where the divorce is filed for more than 3 months immediately prior to filing. In addition, there is a 90-day waiting period after filing before a divorce will be granted. (Utah Code Annotated; Sections 30-3-1 and 30-3-18].

Divorce grounds for Utah:

The no-fault grounds for divorce in Utah are: 1) irreconcilable differences of the marriage; or 2) living separate and apart without cohabitation. for 3 years under a judicial decree of separation. [Utah Code Annotated; Section 30-3-1].

Whereas a fault based divorce can be filed on the ground of: 1) adultery 2) felony conviction 3) if deserted for a year 4) inhuman and cruel treatment 5) in sanity or 6) being impotent

No matter what the reason for a divorce is, if you are wish for a Do It Yourself divorce, you can go for an agreed divorce or a default divorce

In an agree divorce, both spouses agree upon the terms and conditions of the divorce and also issues related to property and child custody. An agreed divorce is preferred by most people and it is also less time consuming.

A default divorce on the other hand is not signed by one of the spouses. The divorce is initiated by one of the spouse, he/she files for its and places a few rights as mentioned in the decree. The other spouse just defaults in such cases and it is termed as agreed as per the Utah divorce laws and guidelines.

A divorce cannot be granted as default if a divorce is uncontested. Both the parties have to legally agree upon the divorce backed with evidences and testimonies. For cases related to child support a financial verification form also needs to be submitted.

Procedure to file a divorce in Utah:

Utah divorce process consists of the following stages:

A divorce petition needs to be filed in the court. This is the first stage of proceeding with the divorce.
Temporary orders and motions needs to be filed. These orders are essential to determine the division of property and child custody.
The next stage is the litigation stage which is the most time consuming process as its involves gathering facts and making the necessary preparations for the trial. One should also note that a trial is only applicable in case of a contested divorce where spouses do not agree to the terms and conditions. A trial would take much longer than an agreed or default divorce case.
Both parties have to undergo a settlement through negotiations which is termed as mandatory mediation. Most of the cases end here after both the parties agree to a settlement.
One has to further go through a trial which involves presenting your case in front of a judge or a jury
Trials are further carried over by appeals if the judge makes an error during the trial

Child custody in Utah:

Most partners prefer a shared arrangement for child custody in the state of Utah. For sole custody the reason for the same needs to be mentioned in the document and both the spouses should agree upon it. However the financial status of a spouse cannot be considered as a reason for child custody. The custody of children is decided in lieu with the interest of the child and what would best suit them.

USE THESE WORDS IN THE COURT DOCUMENTS FOR UTAH

Use these exact words, all in capital letters: IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE JUDICIAL DISTRICT, IN AND FOR COUNT~ STATE OF UTAH
Use these exact words, all in capital letters: COMPLAINT FOR DIVORCE
Use the word "Plaintiff". Be sure the "P" is capitalized.
Use the word "Defendant". Be sure the "D" is capitalized.
Use these exact words: DECREE OF DIVORCE. Be sure to use capital letters only when placed as the title of your final document.
Use the word "County" here.

For detailed divorce laws in Utah state, please see Utah Divorce Laws page.

Free Utah Divorce Forms for Download

Following divorce forms are free for download. Most of the forms are provided with instructions on how to fill the form. To download any of these divorce papers and forms just right click on the link and select "Save As...".