What is Utah Legal Services?

last modified 2010-01-06 10:21

“Equal Justice Under Law” is one of our nation's most basic principles. Economic realities leave this promise too often unfulfilled. Utah Legal Services (ULS) is a nonprofit law office incorporated in 1976 committed to making equal justice a reality by providing free legal help in non-criminal cases to low-income Utahns.

ULS serves the entire state with offices in Salt Lake City, Ogden, Provo, St. George and Cedar City. Specialized units also serve groups with special legal needs including migrant farm workers, American Indians and Senior Citizens. Based on 2000 census data, Utah has 360,000 persons eligible for legal help from ULS. (Up from 275,000 in 1990.) Many of these poor families live great distances from the Wasatch Front and are dependent upon the outreach programs of ULS.

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Last year, Utah Legal Services . . .

assisted "Jane". "Jane’s" marriage was very abusive and lasted about twenty years. Her husband would intimidate and hit her during arguments. He found a girlfriend and wanted to leave but did not want to pay child support or divide the marital property. He went to a lawyer and had divorce papers drafted and tried to force "Jane" to agree to his demands. He wanted custody of their children and all of the marital property. When she refused to sign, he started to beat and choke her. He pinned her down on the bed and again tried to force her to sign.

She filed for a protective order against him. At the hearing, he came prepared to say that she was unstable and that he only restrained her from hurting herself. However, with Utah Legal Services’ help, she presented witnesses and other evidence corroborating her story. In the end, she was protected from him, awarded temporary custody, child support and alimony.

If this sounds familiar to you or someone you know, contact Utah Legal Services to see if we can help.

(801) 328-8891 (within S.L. county) * Toll Free (800) 662-4245 (outside S.L. County) * Fax (801) 328-8898