Find a Lawyer or Free Legal Help in Utah
Official places in Utah to find a lawyer through the bar's referral service or to get free civil legal help if you have a low income. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
| Lawyer referral service | The Utah State Bar's Get Legal Help page points the public to LicensedLawyer, to learn about licensed Utah lawyers in good standing, and to the Utah State Bar's Modest Means Lawyer Referral Program for reduced-rate help (income qualification required). Source: Utah State Bar, Get Legal Help |
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| Free legal aid | The Utah State Courts' Self-Help Center provides free legal help to people without a lawyer: staff attorneys answer questions about the law, court process and options, help with court forms, and give information about legal aid, pro bono and low-cost services and lawyer referral (they cannot give legal advice or represent you). Contact it by email at selfhelp@utcourts.gov or the toll-free help line 888-683-0009 (Monday-Friday, 11:00 am-5:00 pm). Utah Legal Services provides civil legal aid without cost to people who cannot afford a lawyer (apply online), and LSC lists it as its Utah grantee. Utah Legal Services: https://www.utahlegalservices.org/; LSC grantee list: https://www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/our-grantees |
| Check that the lawyer is licensed | Utah's Office of Professional Conduct points the public to the Utah State Bar's Licensed Lawyer website (licensedlawyer.org) to look up Utah lawyers; its online complaint form also includes a Search Attorney Database tool. |
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | The Utah Office of Professional Conduct (OPC), charged by the Utah Supreme Court with investigating possible grounds for discipline of lawyers and licensed paralegal practitioners, is no longer part of the Utah State Bar. File a complaint with the OPC's online form, or print the fillable form and mail it. An OPC attorney reviews it and investigates if it suggests rule violations; typical timelines for cases not dismissed are about 150 days for initial investigation, 120 days for follow-up, and 90 days for the screening panel. The information you provide is shared with the lawyer; anonymous complaints and complaints against a whole firm are not accepted, and a filed complaint cannot be withdrawn. The process does not provide reimbursement. Public discipline can be searched in the OPC's Attorney Public Discipline list. Public discipline: https://www.opcutah.org/lawyer-public-discipline/ |
| Rules on contingency fees | Under Utah Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5(c) (Supreme Court Rules of Professional Practice, Rule 3-1.5), a contingent fee agreement must be in a writing signed by the client stating how the fee is determined, including the percentage(s) for settlement, trial or appeal; litigation and other expenses deducted from the recovery; and whether expenses are deducted before or after the fee is calculated. It must clearly notify the client of expenses owed whether or not the client prevails, and at the end the lawyer must give a written statement of the outcome and, if there is a recovery, the remittance and how it was determined. Rule 1.5(d) bars fees in domestic relations matters contingent on securing a divorce or on the amount of alimony, support or property settlement, and contingent fees for defending a criminal case. |
| If you disagree with a lawyer's bill | The Utah State Bar's Fee Dispute Resolution Program handles fee disputes between clients and attorneys practicing in Utah, by mediation or binding arbitration. Participation is voluntary; the bar cannot force either side into binding arbitration, and both attorney and client must sign the petition. Binding arbitration has a $10.00 filing fee, and the decision is final except on narrow grounds. Disputes under $10,000 are heard by one lawyer, though for amounts between $7,500 and $10,000 the petitioner may choose a three-member panel. Mail the notarized Fee Dispute Petition Form and Agreement Form, marked "personal and confidential," to Utah State Bar Fee Dispute, 645 South 200 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84111; questions: feearbitration@utahbar.org. |
| If a lawyer takes your money | The Utah State Bar's Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection reimburses losses caused by the dishonest conduct of lawyers and licensed paralegal practitioners licensed in Utah, arising from a lawyer-client, LPP-client or fiduciary relationship. Assigned claims, third-party claims and certain Ponzi or pyramid-scheme investment losses are excluded. File within one year after the date of the final order of discipline, the lawyer's death, or the order of disability; procedures and the claim form are in Rule 4-911. |
Hiring a lawyer for a specific problem
- Hiring a Personal Injury or Car Accident Lawyer in Utah
- Hiring a Divorce or Family Lawyer in Utah
- Hiring a DUI Lawyer in Utah
- Hiring a Workers' Compensation Lawyer in Utah
- Hiring a Bankruptcy Lawyer in Utah
- Hiring a Wills, Trusts or Probate Lawyer in Utah
- Hiring a Criminal Defense Lawyer in Utah
- Hiring a Slip and Fall Lawyer in Utah
- Hiring a Truck Accident Lawyer in Utah
- Hiring a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Utah
- Hiring a Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in Utah
- Hiring a Bicycle Accident Lawyer in Utah
- Hiring an Uber or Lyft Accident Lawyer in Utah
- Hiring a Construction Accident Lawyer in Utah
- Hiring a Dog Bite Lawyer in Utah
- Hiring a Wrongful Death Lawyer in Utah
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General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.