Utah Divorce Law in Plain English

“Divorce may be granted for… irreconcilable differences of the marriage.”

You don't need to prove your spouse did something wrong. 'Irreconcilable differences' is the standard ground used in nearly all Utah uncontested divorces. Other grounds (adultery, cruelty, habitual drunkenness, felony conviction, impotency) exist but are rarely used.

“The individual or the individual's spouse is an actual and bona fide resident of the county where the petition is filed for at least 90 days before the day on which the petition is filed.”

Live in your county for 90 days → you can file there. If you recently moved between Utah counties, you generally file where you have been for the last 90 days, not where you live today. Two narrower alternatives exist: being stationed in Utah under military orders for 90 days, or both spouses consenting to personal jurisdiction. There is no income or citizenship requirement.

“The court may not enter a decree of divorce until 30 days after the day on which the petition is filed, unless the court finds that extraordinary circumstances exist.”

After you file, there is a mandatory 30-day waiting period before the judge can enter your decree. The judge can waive it if there are extraordinary circumstances, and can issue temporary orders in the meantime. Have all agreements, signatures, and Packet 2 documents ready on day 30 so the judge can sign as quickly as possible.

“In any action filed under this chapter, the court may order a party to pay the costs… including attorney's fees of the other party.”

If your spouse earns significantly more than you, you can ask the court to order them to contribute to your legal costs. Courts look at each party's income, assets, and whether either party caused unnecessary delay.

“In a decree of divorce, the court shall: (a) specify which party is responsible for the payment of joint debts, obligations, or liabilities of the parties contracted or incurred during marriage in accordance with Section 15-4-6.5; ... (e) if the parties have a child as defined in Section 81-6-101, include: (i) an order for child support and medical expenses as described in Chapter 6, Child Support; (ii) a provision in the child support order that requires payment of an ongoing expense for child care subject to the procedures and requirements of Section 81-6-209.5; and (iii) a statement providing notice that the Office of Recovery Services provides services to individuals who are seeking assistance in the collection or enforcement of child support orders.”

Note the difference between (3) and (4): the court SHALL include the debt, creditor-notice, insurance and children provisions, and MAY include equitable orders about property. Property division is a 'may', which is why an agreement the two of you reach matters so much — the court is not obliged to divide anything for you. One oddity if you are reading the statute yourself: (3)(e)(ii) sends you to § 81-6-209.5 for the ongoing child care expense, and that section no longer exists — it was repealed in May 2026. Your decree still carries the provision; it is the cross-reference that went stale, not the requirement.

“If the parties to the divorce action have a minor child, the parties shall attend the mandatory courses: (i) for the petitioner, within 60 days after the day on which the petition is filed; and (ii) for the respondent, within 30 days after the day on which the respondent is served… a party may file, but the court may not hear, a motion for an order related to the divorce until the moving party completes the mandatory courses… It is an affirmative defense in a divorce action that a party has not completed the mandatory courses and the action may not continue until a party has complied with the mandatory courses.”

Two courses, not one, and the deadlines are not the same for both of you — the petitioner counts 60 days from filing, the respondent counts 30 days from being served. Skipping them does more than delay your decree: the court will not hear any motion you file until you finish, and the other side can raise your non-completion as an affirmative defense that stops the case. If you have no minor child, neither course is required, though you may take the orientation if you want it. A court can waive the requirement under § 81-4-402(7) if it decides the courses are not necessary, appropriate, or feasible.

“The court may include in the divorce decree any equitable orders relating to… any property, debts, or obligations.”

Utah doesn't automatically split everything 50/50. Judges look at each spouse's contribution, economic circumstances, length of marriage, and other factors to decide what's 'equitable.' Agreements between spouses are strongly preferred.

“The court may include in the divorce decree any equitable orders relating to: … (c) any property, debts, or obligations.”

Retirement earned during the marriage is marital property even when only one spouse's name is on the account. Utah's statute does not single it out — the court divides it like any other asset. Splitting it without tax or penalty is the federal part: a QDRO for a 401(k), 403(b) or pension, a transfer incident to divorce for an IRA. Utah Retirement Systems benefits follow § 49-11-612.

“The court may make interim orders as the court considers just and equitable before the expiration of the 30-day period described in Subsection (3)(a).”

If something cannot wait for the decree — who stays in the house, support in the meantime, stopping accounts being emptied — you ask for an interim order. Note the Domestic Relations Injunction (URCP 109) already takes effect automatically on filing and covers some of this without any motion.

“On the entering of a decree of divorce or separate maintenance of joint debtors in contract, the claim of a creditor remains unchanged unless otherwise provided by the contract or until a new contract is entered into between the creditor and the debtors individually. ... a creditor shall provide to the debtors individually all statements, notices, and other similar correspondence required by law or by the contract if: (a) the creditor has been notified by service of a copy of a court order under Section 81-4-204 or 81-4-406 that the debtors are divorced ...; and (b) the creditor has been expressly advised of the separate and current addresses of the debtors by the court order or by other written notice. ... If a debtor who is not ordered by the court ... to make payments on a joint obligation, the creditor may not make a negative credit report ... or a report of the debtor's repayment practices or credit history regarding the joint obligation after the creditor is served notice of the court's order.”

The judge ordering your spouse to pay a joint card does not stop the bank coming after you — to the creditor you are both still on the contract. Two things change only if the creditor is actually served with the order AND told both of your current addresses: they must bill each of you separately, and they may not report the debt against whichever of you was not ordered to pay it. Miss the notice and neither protection ever switches on, which is how one person's non-payment wrecks the other's credit.

“The court shall consider at least the following factors in determining alimony: (a) the standard of living existing during the marriage; (b) the financial condition and needs of the payee; (c) the payee's earning capacity or ability to produce income, including the impact of diminished workplace experience resulting from primarily caring for a minor child of the payor; (d) the ability of the payor to provide support; (e) the tax consequences of alimony on each party; (f) the length of the marriage; (g) whether the payee has custody of a minor child requiring support; (h) whether the payee worked in a business owned or operated by the payor; and (i) whether the payee directly contributed to any increase in the payor's skill by paying for education received by the payor or enabling the payor to attend school during the marriage.”

Alimony — spousal support, in the words most people use — is not automatic: the payee must show financial need AND the payor's ability to pay. A 2-year marriage is treated very differently from a 20-year marriage. Judges have wide discretion, and the nine factors are a minimum the court must weigh, not a limit on what it may. Fault is separate: § 81-4-502(2) lets a court consider it, but it is not one of the nine.

“Alimony may not be ordered for a duration longer than the number of years that the marriage existed unless, at any time prior to termination of alimony, the court finds extenuating circumstances.”

Utah's alimony limit is simple: marriage length caps the alimony term. A judge can order shorter alimony, and courts often do for short marriages. The limit can be exceeded only in rare cases (severe disability, extraordinary dependency).

“Alimony terminates upon the remarriage or death of the recipient or upon cohabitation of the recipient with another person.”

If you're receiving alimony and you remarry or move in with a partner in a marriage-like relationship, your alimony ends — automatically, by law. You don't need a court order. Payors who continue paying after remarriage may be able to recoup overpayments.

“In determining parent-time and custody arrangements, the court shall give primary consideration to the best interest of the child.”

Neither parent has a legal advantage based on gender. Courts look at what arrangement will best serve the child — including each parent's ability to meet the child's needs, the child's relationship with each parent, and stability.

“In determining the best interest of a child, the court shall consider, among other factors: (a) past conduct and moral standards; (b) which parent is most likely to act in the best interest of the child; (c) the extent of bonding between parent and child…”

The 17 factors include: bonding with each parent, each parent's stability, history of domestic violence, willingness to support the other parent's relationship with the child, work schedule, and (for older children) the child's own preference.

“Joint legal custody means both parents share decision-making rights, responsibilities, and authority relating to the health, education, and general welfare of a child.”

Joint legal custody is about decisions, not where the child sleeps. Both parents must consult each other on major decisions (school, doctors, religion) even if the child primarily lives with one parent. Courts strongly prefer joint legal custody in Utah.

“Any modification of a custody or visitation order shall be based upon a substantial change of circumstances occurring since the entry of the previous order.”

You can't modify custody just because you want to or because you disagree with the current arrangement. You must prove that something significant has changed — a new job, relocation, new partner, or change in the child's needs — AND that the modification would benefit the child.

“A parent intending to move the principal residence of a child by 150 miles or more… shall provide 60 days advance written notice.”

Moving out of state (or far within Utah) with your kids requires either your ex's written agreement OR a new court order. Courts look at whether the move is in the child's best interests — not just the moving parent's reasons. 60 days' advance notice is required regardless.

“The court shall consider domestic or family violence as a primary factor in determining custody… The court shall not order joint custody if the court finds that domestic violence has occurred.”

A history of domestic violence is one of the most heavily weighted factors in Utah custody. Courts may require supervised visitation, restrict overnight stays, or deny custody to an abusive parent. If you've experienced DV, document it thoroughly — it significantly affects the outcome.

“The Judicial Council shall approve and implement: (a) a mandatory parenting course in all judicial districts for married parties in a divorce action determining issues of child custody and parent-time… The mandatory parenting courses shall educate and sensitize parties to the needs of the parties' minor child during and after the court process.”

People routinely take the orientation course, file the certificate, and think they are done. They are not — this is a different course with a different curriculum and its own certificate. § 81-4-105(4) allows a provider to run them back to back in one sitting, which is why they get confused for one thing. The fee is $35 including $8 to the Children's Legal Defense Account (UCJA 4-907(6)(B)), waivable on an affidavit of indigency. Your deadline is set by § 81-4-402(4), not by this section.

“(9) A parent may not withhold parent-time or child support due to the other parent's failure to comply with a court-ordered parent-time schedule. … (13)(a) Parental care is presumed to be better care for the minor child than surrogate care. (13)(b) The court shall encourage the parties to cooperate in allowing the noncustodial parent, if willing and able to transport the minor child, to provide the child care.”

Two rules here matter most. If you need child care during your own parent-time, the law prefers the other parent over a babysitter — that is what a 'right of first refusal' clause is built on, and it is a preference for a parent over surrogate care, not a general best-interests test. And neither of you may use the children or the money as leverage: you cannot stop parent-time because support is unpaid, and you cannot stop paying support because parent-time was missed. Enforcement goes through the court.

“If the parties do not agree on a parent-time schedule, and unless otherwise ordered by the court, the non-custodial parent is entitled to… minimum parent-time as provided in this section.”

The minimum schedule gives the noncustodial parent one weekday evening, alternating weekends, alternating holidays and extended summer time. The statute sets no overnight total for it — count the actual calendar. Courts often start here as the baseline, and it is a floor the parties are free to exceed by agreement.

“(1) The parent-time schedule in this section applies when establishing a parent-time schedule for a minor child who is younger than five years old. (2) If the parties do not agree to a parent-time schedule, the schedules in Subsections (3) through (8) are considered the minimum parent-time to which the noncustodial parent is entitled to the minor child. (3) For a minor child who is younger than five months old, the noncustodial parent is entitled to: (a) three two-hour visits every week… (6) For a minor child who is at least 12 months old but younger than 18 months old, the noncustodial parent is entitled to: (a) one three-hour visit every week; (b) beginning on the first weekend after the entry of the decree, alternating weekends beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Friday and ending on Sunday at 7:30 p.m.… (8) For a minor child who is at least three years old but younger than five years old, the noncustodial parent is entitled to: (a) one weekday evening… (b) alternating weekends… (d) extended parent-time for two two-week periods, separated by at least four weeks.”

Young children need more frequent contact with both parents in shorter increments. The under-5 schedule typically includes 2–3 visits per week without overnight stays for infants, gradually increasing as the child grows.

“A court may order the equal parent-time schedule described in this section if the court determines that: (i) the equal parent-time schedule is in the minor child's best interest…”

The 50/50 schedule (equal overnights) requires parents to live reasonably close to each other, have flexible work schedules, and a child old enough to handle the transitions. Courts don't automatically order it — you need to request it and show it serves the child's best interests.

“For purposes of calculating child support, the optional parent-time schedule in this section is 145 overnights. Any impact on child support shall be consistent with joint physical custody.”

Where the minimum schedule (§ 81-9-302) is a floor with no stated overnight total, this one is counted for you: 145 overnights, treated as joint physical custody for support. Parents and the court may consider it when the extra time suits the child.

“If a parent has no recent work history or a parent's occupation is unknown, the court or administrative agency may impute an income to that parent at the federal minimum wage for a 40-hour work week.”

Child support is calculated on gross income — before taxes or deductions. If a parent isn't earning what they could, a court can 'impute' income to them, but not automatically: the statute requires that the parent agree to the figure, default, or get a hearing first. The statute directs courts to use historical and current earnings to decide whether someone is under- or over-employed; it does not use the phrase 'voluntarily unemployed.'

“dividing each parent's monthly adjusted gross income by the combined monthly adjusted gross income to determine each parent's percentage; and (b) multiplying each parent's percentage by the base combined child support obligation”

If you earn $6,000/month and your co-parent earns $4,000/month, your combined income is $10,000. The support table sets the total obligation for your number of children — then you each carry your proportional share (60%/40% here). People often call this the 'income shares model'; that's an accurate description of how it works, but the phrase does not appear in the statute itself. Joint physical custody is calculated under § 81-6-206 and split custody under § 81-6-207.

“A written finding or specific finding on the record supporting the conclusion that complying with a provision of the child support guidelines or ordering an award amount resulting from use of the child support guidelines would be unjust, inappropriate, or not in the best interest of a child in a particular case is sufficient to rebut the presumption in that case.”

You can agree to a different amount than the calculator produces, but the judge has to justify it on the record — and the test has three prongs, not two: unjust, inappropriate, OR not in the child's best interest. The finding can be written or stated on the record. Note too that if your order diverges from the worksheet by $10 or more, the statute treats it as a deviation whether you called it one or not.

“multiplying the number of overnights over 110 and under 131 for that parent by .0027”

Two different numbers, and they answer two different questions. Section 81-9-101 DEFINES joint physical custody as more than 30% of the year, which is 110 nights. This section is about the WORKSHEET: its credit is calculated on the overnights over 110, so at exactly 110 the credit is zero, and the Utah Courts' instructions for form 1020.5FA say plainly that "Each parent must have at least 111 overnights to qualify for Joint Physical Custody." divvi gates the joint worksheet at 111 for that reason. Above 130 overnights the reduction steepens, from .0027 to .0084 per night.

“A child support order shall: (a) require the parents provide health care coverage for the medical expenses of a child; (b) require the parents provide health insurance for the medical expenses of a child if health insurance is available to the parents at a reasonable cost; (c) designate which health insurance plan is primary and which health insurance plan is secondary if, at any time, a child is covered by both parents' health insurance plans; (d) require each parent to share equally the out-of-pocket costs of the premium actually paid by a parent for the child's portion of health insurance; and (e) include a provision that requires each parent to equally share all reasonable and necessary uninsured and unreimbursed medical and dental expenses incurred for a child, including co-payments, co-insurance, and deductibles.”

The 50/50 split of uninsured medical bills is not something you negotiate — the statute requires it in every order. What you CAN agree on is which of you carries the insurance (§ 81-6-208(4)(b), subject to the judge approving it). Two things people miss: your order must also split the cost of the child's share of the premium equally, and it must say whose plan is primary if the children end up on both. If it doesn't say, the law picks the parent whose birthday falls earlier in the calendar year. Keep your receipts — you have 30 days from paying a medical bill to give the other parent written proof, and a court can refuse to make them pay their half if you don't.

“the court or administrative agency shall require in a child support order that: (i) each parent share equally the reasonable work-related child care expenses of the parents; and (ii) the obligor pay a minimal child care award to the obligee if the court or administrative agency is entering or modifying the child support order on or after January 1, 2027.”

Work-related child care splits 50/50, the same as uninsured medical. From 1 January 2027 an order must also set a 'minimal child care award' from a state table (§ 81-6-306) that adjusts automatically as your child ages and stops at 13. This section was repealed and re-enacted by Ch. 155, 2026 General Session, which is when the separate § 81-6-209.5 ongoing-expense scheme was repealed and its subject folded in here.

“The following table is used to: (1) establish a minimal child care award for a child support order established on or after January 1, 2027, if the low income table was not used in the calculation of child support; and (2) modify a minimal child care award for a child support order modified on or after January 1, 2027. Combined Monthly Adjusted Gross Income / Age of the Child: $0-$4,752 — $225 (0 to 23 months), $263 (2 to 3), $263 (4 to 5), $204 (6 to 12); $4,573-$6,911 — $325, $313, $300, $300; $6,912-$10,140 — $410, $338, $338, $305; $10,141-$14,999 — $420, $345, $345, $325; $15,000-More than $15,000 — $450, $375, $375, $363.”

From January 2027 your order also names a set monthly child care amount, read off a state table using your combined income and each child's age, added together for all your children. It changes on its own as they get older and stops when a child turns 13. It does not apply if your support was worked out on the low income table.

“There is no presumption as to which parent should be awarded the right to claim a child as an exemption for federal and state income tax purposes. Unless the parties otherwise stipulate in writing, the court shall award in any final order the exemption on a case-by-case basis. ... the court may not award any exemption to a parent if the parent is not current in the parent's child support obligation. ... An exemption may not be awarded to a parent unless the award will result in a tax benefit to that parent.”

Nobody has a head start on this — not the higher earner, not the parent the children live with. Because you can settle it by written agreement, your stipulation decides it. Two limits the court will apply regardless: a parent behind on child support cannot be awarded the exemption, and neither can one who would get no tax benefit from it.

“A parent, legal guardian, or the office may, at any time, petition the court to adjust the amount of a child support order if there has been a substantial change in circumstances. ... If a child support order has not been issued or modified within the previous three years, a parent, legal guardian, or the office may move the court to adjust the amount of a child support order. ... A showing of a substantial change in circumstances is not necessary for an adjustment under this Subsection (5).”

You do not always need something to have gone wrong. If three years have passed since your order was made or changed, either of you can ask for it to be adjusted without proving anything changed — the difference just has to be 10% or more and not temporary. Outside that window you need a substantial change, and a change in the state's tables does not count as one.

“Base combined child support obligation table -- Both parents -- Child support orders entered on or after January 1, 2023.”

This is the table your number comes from when both incomes are used. Find the row for the two of you added together, then the column for how many children you have. There is a different table — § 81-6-305 — when the paying parent's own income is low enough, and it produces a smaller figure.

“Low income table -- Obligor parent only -- Child support orders entered on or after January 1, 2023.”

If the paying parent's own income is low, the award comes from this table instead of the combined one, and it is read on their income alone. A decree that cites § 81-6-304 for a figure that came from here points a judge at a table the number is not in.

“On and after July 1, 2027, interest shall accrue on a child support payment that is delinquent: (i) at a rate of 6%; and (ii) from the date on which the child support payment becomes delinquent until the date on which the child support payment is paid.”

Unpaid installments become judgments as they come due (§ 81-7-102(4)(a)), and as judgments they carry Utah's general judgment rate — the federal post-judgment rate as of January 1 that year, plus 2% (§ 15-1-4(3)(a)). That is a floating benchmark, so there is no single fixed percentage to quote today. Starting July 1, 2027 a flat 6% applies to delinquent child support, on the principal only. ORS can collect through wage garnishment, tax refund intercept, and other enforcement tools.

“Whenever a child support order is issued or modified in this state the obligor's income is subject to immediate income withholding for the child support described in the order in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, unless: (a) the court or administrative body which entered the order finds that one of the parties has demonstrated good cause so as not to require immediate income withholding; or (b) a written agreement which provides an alternative payment arrangement is executed by the obligor and obligee, and reviewed and entered in the record by the court or administrative body.”

ORS is free and powerful, and its tools sit in different sections of Title 26B Chapter 9. Withholding from your ex's employer starts here (§ 26B-9-303, with the office's own procedure at § 26B-9-304). Bank accounts are reached through financial institutions (§ 26B-9-208), property through the lien provisions (§ 26B-9-110 and § 26B-9-214), and a driver license can be suspended for delinquency (§ 26B-9-502). Federal and state tax refunds are intercepted under 26 U.S.C. § 6402(c). Willful non-payment can be reported for criminal prosecution (§ 26B-9-231).

“The following acts or omissions in respect to a court or its proceedings are contempts of the authority of the court: … (5) disobedience of any lawful judgment, order or process of the court.”

Contempt is a powerful enforcement tool. If your ex repeatedly violates the decree — misses support payments, refuses your parenting time, or hides assets — you can file for contempt. Penalties include fines, payment of your attorney fees, and jail time in extreme cases.

“There is established a mandatory divorce orientation course for all parties with minor children who file a petition for temporary separation or for a divorce. A couple with no minor children is not required, but may choose to attend the course.”

Two different courses get confused with each other. This one is the divorce orientation course — neutral, at least an hour, covering the process and the alternatives to it. The separate mandatory parenting course is § 81-9-103. If you have minor children you will be asked for both; if you do not, neither is required of you.

“The parties shall participate in at least one session of mediation.”

This is the one people are surprised by: if your spouse files an answer, Utah does not let you go straight to a judge. You and your spouse have to sit down with a court-qualified mediator for at least one session first, and you normally split the cost. You can ask to be excused for good cause — through the court, through the ADR Office's Motion to Excuse Mediation, or from a qualified mediator — and domestic violence is a recognized reason to ask. Because you have to do it anyway, doing it early is what keeps the bill down.

“In domestic relations cases, each party shall file… a financial declaration verified by the party… setting forth income, including gross and net monthly income from all sources, monthly expenses, assets and liabilities. … (c) … (2) For the two tax years before the petition was filed, complete federal and state income tax returns, including Form W-2 and supporting tax schedules and attachments, filed by or on behalf of that party…; (3) Pay stubs and other evidence of all earned and un-earned income for the 12 months before the petition was filed.”

Subsection (c) is the part people miss: the declaration itself is only half of it, and a list of attachments comes with it — two tax years of returns, and pay stubs covering the 12 months before filing. The widely repeated 'last 2 pay stubs' figure appears nowhere in the rule. What a given clerk asks to see in practice can be less than the rule entitles the court to; the rule is what a judge may require. The Financial Declaration is one of the most important documents in your divorce. It must be truthful — signing it verifies its accuracy under penalty of perjury. Courts rely on it to set support amounts and evaluate property division. Discrepancies between the declaration and your bank records will be noticed.

“An unsworn declaration under this chapter must be in substantially the following form: I declare under criminal penalty under the law of Utah that the foregoing is true and correct. Signed on the ___ day of ______, _____, at ________________________________.”

You do not need a notary. Signing under this section means you are declaring, under criminal penalty, that what the document says is true — a false declaration is a class B misdemeanor. That is why divvi's documents end with that sentence and a date-and-place line rather than a notary stamp.

“The parenting plan shall include provisions addressing: decision-making responsibility, residential time, holiday schedule, transportation, and the method to resolve future disputes.”

Your parenting plan is a legal document that must address specific topics — it can't just say 'we'll figure it out.' Courts will reject plans that are vague. A good plan covers day-to-day decisions, big decisions (school, medical), holiday rotation, drop-off/pick-up logistics, and what to do when you disagree.

“A party may accept service of a summons and complaint by signing a document that acknowledges receipt of the summons and complaint… If acceptance is obtained electronically, the proof of acceptance must demonstrate on its face that the electronic signature is attributable to the party accepting service and was voluntarily executed by the party. The proof of acceptance must demonstrate that the party received readable copies of the summons and complaint prior to signing the acceptance of service.”

Accepting service is not the same as being served, and it is your spouse's choice — they can always refuse and make you hire a process server. In divvi's cooperative packet no Summons is issued at all: that document is an Acceptance of Service, Appearance, Consent and Waiver, and it is the voluntary appearance and consent that give the court jurisdiction over your spouse, not service. Accepting only admits they received the papers: under Rule 4(d)(3)(D) they keep every other defense, and service counts from the day they accept. Two things matter if it happens online. The signature has to be genuinely theirs, and they have to see the actual documents before signing. And the request cannot be deceptive — Rule 4(d)(3)(B)(ii) forbids stating or implying it comes from a court, a government agency, or law enforcement, and a violation can nullify the acceptance and carry criminal penalties for the person who made the request.

“Unless otherwise provided by statute or order of the court, a defendant must file and serve an answer within 21 days after the service of the summons and complaint within the state and within 30 days after service of the summons and complaint outside the state.”

If you were handed divorce papers, this is the deadline everyone means when they say you have to respond. It runs from the day you were served, not the day the case was filed, and it is 21 days inside Utah or 30 outside it. Missing it does not end your marriage automatically — it lets your spouse ask the court to decide the case without you, which is what a default judgment is. The deadline only exists because you were SERVED: if the two of you agree and you sign an Acceptance of Service, Appearance, Consent and Waiver instead, there is no answer period to miss (see Rule 4(d)). divvi does not prepare an answer; the paths it does cover are the agreed ones.

“A trial court judge demonstrates satisfactory performance by holding: (i) not more than three cases per calendar year under advisement more than two months after submission; and (ii) no case under advisement more than six months after submission.”

The two-month figure is real but it is not your deadline — it is a benchmark a judge is allowed to miss up to three times a year and still be rated satisfactory, and the rule's actual ceiling is six months. Nothing happens automatically at day 61 and you gain no remedy. In practice most uncontested Utah decrees are signed well inside that window; plan for six to ten weeks from filing and treat anything faster as good luck.