Last updated: November 7, 2026
Important note
This is general information, not legal advice. A deadline on court papers or a benefits notice may change what you can do next. Do not wait for a legal aid office to accept your case before you check the deadline. A lawyer, court, or agency can help you confirm which steps apply.
Bottom line
Single mothers in Utah can ask for free or low-cost help with custody, divorce, child support, abuse, eviction, benefit appeals, work rights, and court forms. Start with Utah Legal Services if you need a lawyer for a civil case. If you must handle a court case without one, the Utah Courts Self-Help Center can explain forms and court steps, but cannot give legal advice or represent you.
Choose your first call based on the problem and any deadline. Free advice does not mean that a lawyer has taken your case. For broader safety questions, see the national legal help guide. If legal trouble has affected your income, the Utah family help guide covers other kinds of support.
If you need legal help today
Immediate danger: Call 911 if you can do so safely. For abuse, stalking, threats, or fear of going home, call or text Utah’s 24-hour LINKLine at 1-800-897-5465. The Utah Domestic Violence Coalition says the line is free and confidential, and advocates can help connect you with local services. If someone may watch your phone, browser, location, or messages, try to use a safer device or ask an advocate how to contact them safely.
If you have an eviction summons, a court hearing, a protection-order hearing, or a benefits notice, find the date you were served or got the notice. Save the whole paper and envelope. Call the office on the paper to check the filing method and deadline. For help with shelter, food, bills, and other urgent needs while you handle the case, use the Utah emergency help guide.
Where to start
- Custody, divorce, or parent-time: Ask legal aid or court self-help whether you need a divorce, parentage, custody, or change-of-order case.
- Abuse, threats, or stalking: Speak with LINKLine or a local advocate about support and court options. A protective order is not a promise of safety.
- Eviction: Read the notice or summons now. A landlord’s notice and a court summons do not have the same deadline.
- Benefits cut or denied: Ask for a hearing by the deadline in your notice. The correct office can differ for Medicaid eligibility and health-plan care disputes.
- Child support: Contact the Office of Recovery Services (ORS) for support services; custody and parent-time issues belong in court.
Quick legal help table
| Your problem | Where to start | Ask this first |
|---|---|---|
| Custody, divorce, parentage | Legal aid, court self-help, family clinic | Which case and forms fit my family? |
| Abuse or stalking | LINKLine, local advocate, Utah Courts | What support and order options are safe for me? |
| Child support | ORS | How do I apply and track my case? |
| Eviction | Utah Courts tenant guide, legal aid | When must I respond to the court? |
| Benefit denial or cut | Appeal office named on notice | Where do I file, and by what date? |
| Work or housing bias | Utah Labor Commission | Which complaint form and time limit apply? |
Free and low-cost legal help
Utah Legal Services
What it does: Utah Legal Services (ULS) helps people with civil legal issues, not criminal defense. Depending on the case, it may give advice, help with papers, negotiate, handle an agency matter, or represent someone in court. ULS serves the state, so the lawyer helping you may not work in the closest office.
Who may qualify: ULS screens for the type of case, income, household size, assets, legal status, possible conflicts, and staff time. Its current eligibility page says most cases have an income limit at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. It also lists exceptions, including some abuse cases, to usual income or legal-status rules. Do not assume you are barred from asking for help without a screening.
How to apply: Use the online application or the details on the ULS contact page. It lists 801-328-8891 for legal help. The eligibility page lists weekday intake calls from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Ask whether those hours still apply if you are calling later.
Reality check: Sending an intake form does not make the office your lawyer. Ask whether it accepted your case, what work it agreed to do, and what deadlines you must still meet.
Utah Courts Self-Help Center
The center gives free information to people without lawyers, including which court forms to use, what filing means, and where to find a clinic or attorney. Staff lawyers do not give legal advice, make your decisions, or represent you. The court lists phone, text, and email help on weekdays. Its MyPaperwork tool prepares forms for some case types. Completing an online interview is not always the same as filing a case. Check the tool’s instructions and the court’s filing rules.
Free clinics and brief advice
The Utah Courts legal clinics list shows options by county and some statewide phone or online services. Check the clinic’s topic, hours, appointment rules, and language support before going. Many clinics give short advice, not a lawyer for the full case.
The Utah State Bar Virtual Legal Clinic offers a free talk with a volunteer lawyer by phone or email, usually up to 30 minutes. A call-back is not promised by any fixed date. The Bar’s legal help page points to other services and ways to find a licensed lawyer.
Program-status warning: The Bar’s Modest Means page still says new applications are paused. The old reopening estimate on that page has passed. Do not treat that estimate as a live reopening date. Use clinics, legal aid, or other lawyer options instead unless the Bar confirms applications have resumed.
Custody, divorce, parentage, and parent-time
A family court case may involve legal custody (major choices for a child), physical custody (where a child lives), parent-time (visits and time together), child support, or a change to an older order. If you were married, a divorce case may address several of these issues together. If the parents were not married, a parentage case may be the way to ask for orders about a child’s legal parents, custody, support, or parent-time. Start with Utah Courts’ custody case guide and parentage guidance.
Ask whether an older court order already controls your case. If you need to change an order, ask about a modification rather than filing a new case without checking. Court rules about where to file, giving papers to the other parent, required classes, and hearings can matter. A domestic relations injunction can take effect in a custody case and restrict some actions while the case is pending. Read all orders that apply to you.
Legal help options: ULS can screen your case. Timpanogos Legal Center lists a legal advice hotline, help with some family-law papers, and clinic referrals. Its hotline currently lists 801-649-8895, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Tell the office if a call-back is not safe. For qualifying Salt Lake County matters, Legal Aid Society may help with divorce, custody, parentage, enforcing or changing orders, and some guardianship issues.
If work or court dates affect care: Utah’s child care assistance guide explains possible help with care costs. Help with child care does not replace legal advice about a custody order.
Reality check: A clinic can help you understand forms but cannot promise custody, a court date, or a certain support amount. Do not copy another family’s agreement without checking whether it fits your facts.
Child support help
Utah’s Office of Recovery Services (ORS) helps establish or enforce child-support and medical-support orders, collect payments, find parents for support purposes, and review certain orders. A parent or caregiver can apply. Families receiving cash assistance or Medicaid may be referred to ORS but still need to give the agency an application and case details. Applying only for SNAP, WIC, or child care does not normally start an ORS support case.
Use the ORS child support application online or ask for a paper form. ORS says a separate application is needed for each parent-and-children family group. Keep the application number. If children have different other parents, ask whether you need more than one application. Send copies, not original records, and include any support orders, divorce decree, or proof of parentage that applies.
Important limit: ORS cannot represent either parent, give legal advice, decide custody, or enforce parent-time. A court handles custody and parent-time. If support is tied to cash aid, ask ORS how support collections and assigned support may affect your family. The Utah child support guide covers more help and next steps.
Protective orders, stalking, and family safety
Abuse, threats, or stalking may call for more than court forms. A trained advocate can help you think through safe contact, shelter, children, transport, legal choices, and whether using a shared phone or device creates a risk. This article is not a personal safety plan.
Utah Courts explains several kinds of protective orders, including orders for abuse in a close relationship, stalking, dating violence, sexual abuse, and protection of children. The correct form depends on the people involved and what happened. The court says asking for a protective order has no filing fee. A judge reviews the filing and may make a temporary order and set a hearing; a temporary order generally must be served before it takes effect against the other party. Follow the exact instructions on your order.
Ask the court or an advocate which documents you need, who serves the papers, whether contact details can be kept private, and what a scheduled hearing requires. Avoid assuming that filling in MyPaperwork alone creates an enforceable order. Do not contact the other person to arrange service on your own without getting safe guidance from qualified staff.
In Salt Lake County, Legal Aid Society’s protective-order program may help qualifying petitioners with protective orders or stalking matters. Its page explains the service area and case limits. For other counties, ask LINKLine for a local advocate. The Utah domestic violence guide lists other support paths.
Reality check: A protective order is a legal tool, not a guarantee that harm will stop. An advocate can help you consider what support is safe in your own situation.
Eviction and housing legal problems
Utah eviction cases can move fast. The court’s tenant eviction guide separates a landlord’s notice from a court summons and complaint. These papers have different rules:
- Before a court case: A notice for unpaid rent generally gives three business days to pay or move. Some other notices use three calendar days, five days, or fifteen days, depending on the reason and tenancy. Read the notice; do not use one rule for every case.
- After a lawsuit is served: A tenant generally has three business days to file an answer to a summons and complaint in an eviction case. Some special papers, such as a possession bond, have their own fast rules. Check your papers right away.
- If the court issues an order: The time to leave may be short. Ask legal aid or court self-help at once about any remaining options. Requesting a hearing does not always stop removal.
Do not ignore papers because you are talking to your landlord or applying for rent help. A missed answer can lead to a default judgment. Keep the lease, rent receipts, repair requests, photos, messages, notices, and the date each paper arrived.
ULS may review tenant rights or an eviction case. People’s Legal Aid also lists help with eviction and debt-collection lawsuits. A lawyer or clinic may offer advice, check defenses, help answer, or negotiate; a full representation slot is not assured.
For shelter, rent, food, and utility referrals, use Utah 211 housing resources or dial 211 when available. Tell the worker if children need a safe place tonight or a court date is close. The Utah housing assistance guide gives other housing paths. Rental help does not file a court answer for you.
Benefits appeals and agency problems
If SNAP, TANF cash assistance, Medicaid, child care, or another benefit is denied, reduced, delayed, or stopped, read the notice before calling. Find the program, the date on the notice, the decision, and where to appeal. Ask if benefits can continue during an appeal and whether that could cause an overpayment if the decision goes against you. Do not assume every case has the same time limit.
| Type of decision | Where to ask | Key time rule |
|---|---|---|
| Most DWS public assistance decisions | DWS fair hearings | Often 90 days from notice; check exceptions. |
| Some non-SNAP overpayment recovery actions | DWS fair hearings | May be 30 days from notice. |
| Medicaid or CHIP eligibility | DWS eligibility fair hearings | Generally 90 days from notice. |
| Medicaid disability review | DHHS hearing office | Generally 90 days from notice. |
| Medicaid care or plan dispute | Plan first when required; then state hearing | May follow a different appeal clock. |
Public-assistance decisions: The Utah Department of Workforce Services (DWS) fair-hearing page gives the request form, filing options, and contact details. DWS rules generally allow 90 days for many cases, but a notice seeking repayment of some non-SNAP overpayments may allow 30 days. Certain SNAP amount disputes may be raised during the certification period even when that lasts longer than 90 days. Ask DWS which rule fits your notice; do not wait to get a lawyer before requesting review.
Medicaid and CHIP: Utah’s Medicaid hearing instructions say Medicaid or CHIP eligibility appeals go through DWS. Disability-review disputes can go to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) hearing office. A member challenging a managed-care plan action generally must first use the plan’s appeal process. The notice and the type of decision control the next step.
If the matter is an ORS, child welfare, or another DHHS action rather than a benefits eligibility issue, the human services hearing page shows other deadlines. That page lists 15-day or 30-day rules for some cases; ask the agency named on your own notice.
How to prepare: Write a one-page timeline with the application date, notices, calls, missing records, and what you want reviewed. Save a dated copy of your request and proof the office received it. Related guidance includes Utah SNAP help and Utah TANF assistance.
Work, housing discrimination, and disability rights
The Utah Labor Commission’s Antidiscrimination and Labor Division (UALD) receives complaints about certain work and housing discrimination and unpaid wages. Use its forms to ask about your type of claim. Not every unfair decision is unlawful discrimination.
For employment discrimination, the state page lists a 180-day state filing limit for many claims, with possible federal review in certain cases filed after that but within 300 days. Deadlines and employer-size rules can vary. Pregnancy and childbirth-related treatment may fall under protected categories, but an office must review your facts. Do not rely on a general time limit if your claim is about wages, leave, or another law.
If a landlord rejected you or treated you differently because of a protected trait, ask UALD about a fair housing complaint. For unpaid pay, ask UALD about its wage claim process. These are different processes.
The Disability Law Center is Utah’s disability-rights protection and advocacy organization. It may help with access to services, education, housing, work, or disability-related rights, subject to its priorities and resources. Ask for intake even if another legal office could not take your case.
Court fees, forms, interpreters, and filing
Utah courts charge fees for many civil cases. The statewide court fee schedule was updated in May 2026. A filing fee depends on the case type, so confirm it before paying. People with limited means can ask a judge for a fee waiver. The court lists SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, TANF, legal aid, household income, and ability to pay for basic needs among the factors. A judge may waive all, some, or none of the eligible fees. Some costs, such as certain private service fees, cannot be waived.
The filing procedures guide explains when self-represented people can use MyCase, MyPaperwork, email, mail, or delivery in person. Not every case can be started or filed online. The court must receive a filing; simply mailing a form or filling in an interview may not meet a deadline. Court papers often must also be served on the other party using the proper method.
If you need another language or communication support, ask for a court interpreter as soon as you know your hearing date. Utah Courts asks people to request interpreters at least three days before a hearing. Ask the court for help even if the date is sooner. Also ask about disability access if needed.
Scam warning: Utah Courts warns about fake court-payment texts and QR codes. Do not pay, open a link, or give account details based only on such a message. Check with the clerk through an official court contact.
Documents to gather
Do not wait until you have every paper before asking for help. Start intake, then ask how to send a missing record. For safety cases, ask an advocate which records are safe to store and share. The best folder is simple, dated, and easy to copy.
| Item | Why it matters | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Notices and envelopes | Show dates and deadlines | Keep every page and note when received. |
| Court orders and case number | Show rules already in place | Bring signed copies if you have them. |
| Pay stubs, benefit letters | May support legal aid screening or fee waiver | Save copies; ask if other proof works. |
| Lease, receipts, landlord messages | Help explain a housing case | Put records in date order. |
| Child records and support orders | May be needed for custody or support | Ask which records apply to your case. |
| Messages, photos, timeline | Help staff understand events | Keep original dates and wording when safe. |
| Names and questions | Help conflict screening and short appointments | Put your urgent question first. |
Five steps before your first call
- Describe your problem in one plain sentence.
- Say the date of your next hearing or notice deadline.
- List the people in the case for conflict checks.
- Make a short timeline of what happened.
- Ask whether you will get advice, forms help, or a lawyer for the case.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Waiting for a lawyer. Court and appeal deadlines can pass during intake.
- Thinking intake means representation. Ask for clear confirmation of what the office will do.
- Confusing a landlord notice with a court summons. They have different rules and time limits.
- Assuming ORS can change custody. ORS handles support services, not parent-time orders.
- Using an unsafe contact method. Ask an advocate about private ways to receive calls and papers.
- Giving away your only copy. Keep records and proof of filing.
- Missing court because you filed a form. Filing does not always cancel or move a hearing.
- Paying fake court texts. Confirm demands with the court itself.
If legal help is unavailable
If an office cannot take your case, ask whether the reason is income, a case type it does not handle, a conflict, limited staff, a service-area rule, legal-status screening, or a deadline. Ask for a referral that handles the same problem. Then contact court self-help, another local clinic, the Virtual Legal Clinic, Timpanogos Legal Center, or the Utah State Bar.
Ask whether a paid lawyer offers limited-scope help: this can mean paying for advice, a form review, or one hearing rather than full representation. Agree on the task and fee before work begins. If a benefit was denied or rent is due, keep seeking practical help too. The Utah community support guide may help you find local services and people who can assist with calls and paperwork.
If you miss a deadline, contact the court or agency right away to ask if any options remain. Do not assume an appeal or late form will be accepted. If language, disability, travel, or child care prevents access, tell the office and ask about available accommodations.
Phone scripts
Calling legal aid
“I need help with [issue]. I got papers on [date]. My next deadline is [date]. Can you screen my case? What papers should I send, and has your office agreed to represent me?”
Calling court self-help
“I am handling a [type] case in [county] without a lawyer. What forms and filing steps apply? How can I check my deadline and ask for an interpreter or fee waiver?”
Calling about child support
“I want to apply for support services or ask about my ORS case. What forms and copies do you need? Can you tell me how to track my application number?”
Calling about a benefit appeal
“My [benefit] notice is dated [date]. I disagree with the decision. Where do I request a hearing, when is it due, and how do I get proof that my request arrived?”
Resumen en español
Esta guía ofrece información general, no asesoría legal. Si usted o sus hijos están en peligro inmediato, llame al 911 cuando sea seguro. Si hay abuso o amenazas, puede llamar o enviar un mensaje a LINKLine de Utah al 1-800-897-5465, las 24 horas.
Para un problema legal civil, comuníquese con Utah Legal Services o con el Centro de Autoayuda de los Tribunales de Utah. Guarde avisos, órdenes, sobres, fechas y números de caso. Si tiene una audiencia o un plazo corto, dígalo al comienzo de la llamada. La oficina ORS ayuda con la manutención de menores, pero no decide la custodia ni el tiempo de crianza. Para apelar una decisión sobre SNAP, TANF, Medicaid o cuidado infantil, siga las instrucciones de su aviso y guarde prueba de la solicitud. Una solicitud de ayuda legal no garantiza que un abogado tome su caso.
FAQs about Utah legal help
Can single mothers get a free lawyer in Utah?
Sometimes. Utah Legal Services screens for case type, income, household needs, legal-status rules, conflicts, and available staff. Some abuse cases have exceptions. You may get advice or a referral instead of full representation.
Where can I get help with custody or parent-time?
Start with Utah Legal Services and Utah Courts family-law self-help. Timpanogos Legal Center and Legal Aid Society of Salt Lake may also help when their case and service-area rules fit.
What if I need a protective order?
Call 911 for immediate danger. Contact LINKLine for support, then ask an advocate or Utah Courts about the right form, filing, service, and hearing steps. An order cannot guarantee safety.
Can ORS change a custody order?
No. The Office of Recovery Services handles child-support services. Custody and parent-time issues usually go through the courts.
How fast must I answer an eviction case?
Utah Courts says tenants generally have three business days to answer after receiving an eviction summons and complaint. A landlord’s earlier notice may have a different rule. Read your own papers and get help right away.
What if SNAP or Medicaid was denied?
Read the notice and ask for a hearing before its deadline. DWS handles many public-benefit and Medicaid eligibility appeals. Some Medicaid disability or care disputes use a different process. Keep proof of your request.
Can I get a court fee waiver?
You can ask. A judge looks at factors such as income, benefits, legal aid, and basic living costs. The court may waive all, some, or none of the eligible fees.
Does a free legal clinic represent me in court?
Not usually. Many clinics offer a short talk or help with forms. Ask exactly what the lawyer or clinic will do, and keep following deadlines unless a lawyer confirms they have taken responsibility.
About this guide
This guide uses official federal, state, local, and other high-trust nonprofit and community sources mentioned in the article.
A Single Mother is independent and is not a government agency, benefits office, lender, law firm, medical provider, or tax advisor.
Program rules, funding, local availability, and eligibility can change. Always confirm details with the official program before you apply or make decisions.
Verification: Last verified November 7, 2026; next review February 5, 2027.
Corrections: If you see something wrong or outdated, email suggestions@asinglemother.org.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only. It is not legal, financial, medical, tax, immigration, disability, safety, or government-agency advice.
Last updated: November 7, 2026 Next review: February 5, 2027