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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- With thousands of people appearing without lawyers, the Utah court system will ask lawmakers to spend $107,000 to put attorneys in two courthouses to provide information but no legal advice.
"It is difficult for a lay person to effectively participate in Utah's courts because of the complicated nature of the law and the complex rules of evidence and procedure," according to a summary of a survey conducted for the state Judicial Council.
More than 12,000 people last year participated without a lawyer, according to the survey.
The survey reported that 47 percent of people filing for divorce, or about 6,000, chose not to pay attorneys to help them, while 54 percent of protective-order cases, or roughly 2,800, were filed without them.
Why? The survey found that most people believed their cases were not complicated and they could not afford a lawyer. About 60 percent made less than $60,000 a year.
Finding solutions for people who skip formal help is a "major national movement right now," said Mary Boudreau, a manager at the Utah Administrative Office of the Courts.
The survey suggested that most who did not have a lawyer were "fairly satisfied" with their court experience. But judges and court staff said the parties typically needed more time than people who were represented by a lawyer.
The $107,000 project sought by court officials would put an attorney in a rural courthouse and an urban one. They would help people find forms and direct them to free legal clinics and other resources.
The survey found that people who represent themselves expected court staff to provide advice, failed to bring necessary witnesses and evidence, and did not always understand legal procedure.
------ Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune, http://www.sltrib.com
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APTV-11-27-06 1318MST
