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Legal aid groups ask for $325,000 ongoing to expand statewide domestic violence and family law services
Summary
Nonprofit legal services and lawmakers told the committee that nearly half of divorce cases have unrepresented parties and asked for ongoing state support to expand brief‑advice clinics, protective‑order assistance and extended family law representation in urban and rural Utah.
Senator Kathleen Wyler and representatives of Utah Legal Services and the Legal Aid Society of Salt Lake asked the subcommittee for $325,000 in ongoing funding to expand civil legal services to domestic violence victims and low‑income families.
Why it matters: Presenters said a large share of family‑law cases involve parties without counsel — roughly 40–50% for divorce and custody cases in their materials — and that unrepresented litigants create delays, increase workloads for courts and risk unfair outcomes. The groups said civil legal services reduce social costs and produce positive return on investment; they cited an estimate of about $13 saved for every $1 invested in family/domestic services.
Stuart Ralphs and other legal‑aid representatives said statewide need outpaces current capacity: in 2024 the two statewide legal‑aid providers served more than 10,000 Utahns; protective‑order/stalking‑injunction work and family law help accounted for many requests. Presenters asked the Legislature to supplement federal grants and philanthropic funding so legal aid can expand brief advice clinics, ‘‘lawyer of the day’’ programs, community education and extended representation in rural counties.
Former Representative Larry Snow, among others, urged support for rural delivery models and noted local success in Washington County where a regional legal aid center has served many clients. The presenters said current state spending on civil legal services is well below national averages for comparable populations; their materials estimated Utah should be spending about $4.7 million (statewide) to meet national average funding ratios, compared with roughly $800,000 currently in state support.
Ending: Advocates requested an ongoing appropriation of $325,000 to expand services statewide and said additional staffing and retention efforts are necessary to recruit lawyers into legal aid practice.
