A Day on the Pro Se Calendar

When judges and commissioners ask you for help with their cases, you feel the need to answer the call.

In Salt Lake, the commissioners have a lot of cases not involving attorneys. In lawyer talk, we call these cases “pro se” (pro se is Latin for “on one’s own behalf” in case you were wondering).

As you can imagine, Commissioners often have a difficult time with these cases since the people doing them aren’t versed in the law or legal procedure. Because of this, they ask attorneys to help get things sorted out.

I help out every so often, and it’s always interesting.

You might help someone finalize their Utah divorce paperwork because they provided the wrong Return of Service.

You might help with a mediation between two parents over custody and parent-time.

You might help someone who just got out of prison get reestablish parent-time with her kids that she hasn’t seen in 10 years.

You might help enforce a Utah divorce decree because one parent hasn’t paid child support for three years.

And, you know, you might do all of these things on the same day.

The pro se calendar gives you an appreciation of just how difficult it can be to navigate the divorce system alone. Unless you’re a lawyer or have been through the system, it’s Byzantine and intimidating. The language is strange, the culture is different, and you don’t know when to sit or stand.

A useful lesson we lawyers can take from this is that we should educate everyone we meet with about the divorce system. We should educate our clients so they know what’s happening and can follow along. We should also try to educate those who aren’t our clients, so they don’t feel so lost if they have to go it alone.

We’re the ones that know the system, and we should share the knowledge with others.

On the other hand, if you’re thinking about going it alone on your divorce, think very carefully about that. You’re entering a strange new world. It’s usually best to get a guide (read: attorney), but, if you don’t, make sure you do your homework. Lots and lots of homework.

Excellent

Brown Family Law

4.8

Based on 829 reviews

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Ariel Bezoski

Had an hour consultation. Answered all the questions I had, explained everything in an understandable way and followed up.

Response from the owner: Glad we were able to help, Ariel.

Bill C

Carren and Jason were very helpful and quick to respond to my questions and concerns as we worked through my divorce, I would recommend them to anyone.

Response from the owner: Thank you, Bill.

James Herrera

I cannot say enough good things about Brown Family Law. Amy was my attorney and she was great! She always listened and responded quickly. Thanks to her, my case was resolved quickly. Thank you, Amy.

Response from the owner: Glad Amy communicated so well with you, James.

Jace Morris

Fast and kept me involved. Very professional team.

Response from the owner: Jace, thank you.

Shaun Jorgensen

Best attorney ever. They were so helpful and responsive

Response from the owner: Thank you, Shaun.

Christie Berube

When I started my case with Brown Family Law, they had 650 positive reviews. Now, about a year later, they have 820. Not sure how much else you need to convince you, but do yourself a favor and stop looking. You're in the right place.We worked with Nathaniel for nearly a year on our case, and trusting someone with something so vulnerable and close to you as a custody case is difficult, but he made it easy. His knowledge of law and experience with the court system allowed us to make educated decisions quicker. He helped me feel confident in very unfamiliar territory, and having someone like Nate on my team allowed me to make the best decisions possible for our family. He thought of many things I didn't, and gave us the roadmap to success for navigating a complicated and stressful situation. I found myself constantly bragging about our lawyer to family and expressing how impressed I was in his skill and his fearless nature of getting sh** done. Nate got that dawg in him, yanno what I mean?I like the way Brown Family Law works with their clients; it's different than other law firms, and I can see the benefits of those differences. It's always easy to contact someone at the office, and I get a response very quickly. They are extremely communicative, fast, and thorough. They run a tight ship, and it's obvious the quality differences from other law firms.This is a big and heavy decision, but Brown Family Law will take a lot of that weight off your shoulders. Ask for Nate--you won't be led astray.

Response from the owner: Christie, thank you. So glad Nathaniel was able to help you and that we were able to communicate with you so quickly.

Fer Esquivel Guillén

This firm is awesome but special shoutout to Dani, she is an outstanding paralegal. She is very knowledgeable

Response from the owner: Thank you very much for your kind words about Dani.

Karl Bench

I can't say enough about Russell Yauney at Brown Family Law! He has helped me on multiple cases over the years and has always exceeded my expectations. Russell is one of the good guys who isn't afraid to tell you how it is and isn't afraid to stand up and fight for what is right. I'm glad that I have Russell and his team in my corner!

Response from the owner: Karl, glad Russell served you well.

Ryan Farrell

very helpful to fathers who have been broke by the system and targeted for vaporization(1984). Thank you brown family law.

Response from the owner: You're welcome, Ryan. And thank you for the kind words.

Samantha Lachowsky

Nathaniel was my attorney and I couldn't ask for someone more attentive and level-headed than he is. They made my divorce process so much easier and were very patient with me as I navigated the entire process. Thank you Brown Family Law for all of your help!

Response from the owner: Samantha, thank you and so glad Nathaniel did such a good job for you.

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A Day on the Pro Se Calendar

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