Representing yourself? Start here.

1. Learn the three usual paths. Spouses who agree on everything can file an uncontested divorce. Many who disagree settle through mediation. Only the rest go to a contested hearing or trial. About two in three family cases end up uncontested.
2. Understand the costs. A lawyer handling the whole case is the most expensive route, and there is a lot of room between that and doing it all alone. See typical costs side by side.
3. Start gathering financial records. In Utah, each side must exchange a completed Financial Declaration early in the case, so pay stubs, tax returns, account statements and debts will all be needed.
4. Know that partial help from a lawyer exists. Some attorneys will review your papers or coach you for a hearing without taking the whole case.

How Solstice helps: talk it through privately, in your own words, before you commit to anything. You don't need a case number or any documents to start a conversation.

1. Prepare and file your petition. The Utah courts' free MyPaperwork tool builds many family-law forms through a guided interview.
2. Serve your spouse with the papers, following the court rules, and file proof that you did.
3. Take the required classes. Utah requires a divorce orientation course, plus a parenting course when you have minor children.
4. Exchange financial information through your Financial Declaration and initial disclosures.
5. Reach agreement or prepare for a hearing, often with a mediator's help.
6. Wait out the 30-day minimum before a judge can sign the final decree.

How Solstice helps: keep every paper in one place, get each deadline calculated from the court rules, and draft your documents section by section. You review everything, and you decide what gets filed.

1. Write down the date and the way you were served. Your deadline counts from it. If you were served in person in Utah, a response is generally due in 21 days. If you were served outside Utah, it is generally 30 days.
2. Don't ignore the papers. If you never respond, the court can decide the case without hearing from you. This is called a default.
3. Read every page, including any notice about the divorce orientation course. Respondents who take it within 30 days of being served pay the lower fee.
4. Get help early. Free and low-cost options are listed below, and many have waiting lists, so reach out this week.

How Solstice helps: upload what you received so you can ask questions about it, then enter the date you were served. Solstice shows your response deadline along with the rule it comes from, so you can check it yourself.

Deadlines depend on how and where you were served. Service by publication and some other situations use different periods. Always confirm against the court rules or with the court's self-help center.