Divorce Education Requirements for Divorce Involving Minor Children

Date: XX.XX.XX

Regarding: Divorce Education Requirements for Divorce Involving Minor Children

Dear XXXX,

Since yours is a divorce case involving children, you will need to take a mandated divorce education course. This letter explains a about that course and why you should take this course as soon as possible.

If you have children and divorce in Utah, you must take a State-mandated divorce orientation and education course (I’m going to refer to these classes as “divorce education course” or “course” from now on). This course, usually taught at the same time, is administered by the State and is usually taught at courthouses. (The following is a link to divorce education courthouse locations:https://www.utcourts.gov/specproj/dived/locations.html.) The following is from the State Court’s website regarding taking the course in a courthouse:

You may attend the courses in any location regardless of where the divorce or temporary separation case is filed. You do not need an appointment. Registration takes about 15 minutes, so please arrive early. You may bring a support person with you.

• Children are not allowed.
• Late arrivals will not be admitted.
• Intoxicated and disruptive people will not be admitted
• If you have a divorce or temporary separation case pending, bring your case number with you, or you will have to provide it to the instructor later.

If you filed the original Complaint for Divorce, you will need to take the divorce education course within sixty days of filing the Complaint with the Court. If your soon to-be ex filed the Complaint, you have to take the divorce education course within thirty days of being served the Complaint. These are the outer time-limits for taking the course, but there are good reasons to take the divorce education course as soon as possible, namely:

• It costs less if you take the course within thirty days of either filing the Complaint (if you filed) or thirty days of being served with the Complaint (if you didn’t file). (Note: you must pay cash if you attend a divorce education course in person at a courthouse.)
• You cannot have a hearing on Temporary Orders in your case until after you have taken the divorce education course.
• It won’t hold up finalization of your divorce if you finish your divorce education requirement at the beginning of your case.

When you go in to take the course, give the administrator your case number. At the end of the Course, the administrator will give you a Certificate of Completion. This Certificate will incorporate your case number, and the administrator will forward your Certificate to the Court. Please provide us with a copy so we can also provide it to the Court (better safe than sorry).

Here is a link on which you can find calendars for divorce education courses

If you live too far away or cannot attend the divorce education course in person (e.g., because you are incarcerated or in the hospital), you can order a DVD of the course. The following is from the State Court’s website regarding divorce course DVDs:

You may need to show that you qualify to watch the DVDs. If you face circumstances that make attending a live class difficult, please contact:

State Divorce Education Clerk
801-238-7181 English
801-238-7180 en Espanol

Pay the fees to the Divorce Education Clerk, or, if ordering by mail, include the fees. If the judge grants the request to waive the fees, give or mail a copy of the signed order to the State Divorce Education Clerk. If a motion to waive the fees has been filed but not yet ruled on, give or mail a copy of the motion to the State Divorce Education Clerk. For more information and forms to waive fees, see our page on Fees and Fee Waiver.

The State Divorce Education Clerk will mail the DVD to you and include a Statement of Completion of Divorce Education Requirements by DVD form. After you have watched the DVD, complete the form and mail it to the Divorce Education Clerk. Keep a copy for yourself. The State Divorce Education Clerk will file in your case a Certificate of Completion and a Divorce Education/Orientation Certificate and will mail you a copy of both documents.

Hopefully, this letter has helped explain Utah’s divorce education requirements, Please, complete the divorce education course as soon as you can, and provide us with the Certificate of Completion. This will expedite your divorce process. If you have any questions, please call.

Sincerely,

/s/ Marco Brown