Following the recent death of Gary Coleman on May 28, 2010, Mr. Coleman’s ex-wife wants to be declared his current wife in Utah Court.  Shannon Price and Gary Coleman divorced in 2008, but Ms. Price claims that she and and Mr. Coleman continued to live together as husband and wife until his death.  She asks the Utah Courts to declare them “common law” married.  She makes this request because she wishes to administer Mr. Coleman’s estate.

Utah is one of the few states that still allows a declaration of Common Law Marriage.  The declaration must be made by the court within one year of the end of the relationship.  On June 14th, a Utah judge will hear evidence to determine whether or not a common law marriage existed between Gary Coleman and Shannon Price.

Under Utah law, Ms. Price must prove that the parties:

* were of legal age and capable of giving consent;
* were legally capable of entering a solemnized marriage under Utah law;
* had cohabited;
* mutually assumed marital rights, duties, and obligations; and
* held themselves out as and had acquired a uniform and general reputation as husband and wife.

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Long Okura P.C. can help you represent yourself in court.  

At recent Utah legal education seminars, Judges and Commissioners were discussing a newly discovered statistic:  85% of divorce cases in Utah have at least one party representing himself/herself.

There are many reasons that people decide to represent themselves in their family law cases, but often some basic legal advice could really make a difference and save time, money, and heartache.

You can represent yourself AND get legal advice every step of the way –  or only when you feel like you need it.   If you want to represent yourself in your family law case, you should consider our “Self-Representation Assistance” services.

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To Divorce or not to Divorce, that is the question.

Financial strain is often the catalyst to a final decision that a marriage cannot continue on, yet divorce puts the parties through even greater financial strain. How can anyone resolve this riddle? (more…)