By Jill Coil, Founder and Family Law Attorney, Utah State Bar
CoilLaw’s Utah County attorneys, Jill Coil and Luke Shaw, represent Orem families in divorce, custody, child support, and modification cases in the Fourth Judicial District Court in Provo, ten minutes from Orem, from our Utah County office in Pleasant Grove. If you are facing a divorce or custody matter, you can review the Utah State Courts divorce resources and then talk with a local Orem divorce attorney. We also offer consultations in Spanish and Portuguese.
Where an Orem divorce is filed and how it moves
Orem residents file in the Fourth District Court at 137 North Freedom Boulevard in Provo. You or your spouse must have lived in Utah and in Utah County for three months before filing (Utah Code 81-4-402). The case is assigned to a district judge and a domestic relations commissioner; the commissioner hears the temporary orders, discovery, and most motions, and the judge takes the trial and anything a party objects to. Utah requires a 30-day wait after filing before a decree can be signed, and parents of children under 18 complete a divorce orientation course and a parenting course, both online, before the decree is entered.
An agreed divorce in Utah County can be final a few weeks after filing. A contested one runs through temporary orders, financial disclosures, mandatory mediation, and, where issues remain, a custody evaluation or trial. Most Orem cases settle at mediation, and the ones that do not are usually decided six to twelve months after filing.
Custody and parent-time for Orem parents
Utah decides custody on the child’s best interests using the factors in Utah Code 81-9-204: which parent has provided day-to-day care, each parent’s ability to cooperate and to put the child first, the child’s relationship with each parent, and any history of abuse or domestic violence. Joint legal custody is presumed under 81-9-205. Parent-time follows the statutory schedules in Title 81, Chapter 9, and equal parent-time is now a common outcome for Orem parents who both live near the children’s school and can co-parent. Where one parent has been the primary caregiver, the expanded or minimum schedules are more typical.
Orem is a city of families, and the practical question in most custody cases is which parent’s home keeps the children in their school, their activities, and their routines. We build the custody case on that record, and we get it into the temporary orders, because temporary orders in the Fourth District have a way of becoming permanent.
Child support and alimony
Child support runs on both parents’ gross incomes and the overnight schedule under Title 81, Chapter 6; the number that matters is usually the overnight count, so custody and support are decided together. Beginning July 2026, Utah orders also include a fixed monthly payment for work-related child care rather than reimbursement after the fact.
Alimony is available where one spouse has a financial need measured against the marital standard of living and the other has the ability to pay (Utah Code 81-4-502). It cannot last longer than the marriage, ends on remarriage or cohabitation, and can be reduced for fault. In Utah County, where many households have one primary earner, alimony is contested in a large share of divorces and is decided on budgets and evidence, which is where preparation makes the difference. Our guides to how much alimony is in Utah and whether stay-at-home parents have to return to work explain the analysis.
Property, homes, and businesses
Utah divides marital property equitably, usually close to equally, without regard to fault. The house, retirement accounts, and any business built during the marriage are marital regardless of whose name is on the title. Property brought into the marriage or inherited is separate if it was kept separate. Many Orem divorces turn on the home: who can refinance, whether it should be sold, and how the equity is offset against retirement accounts. We handle that math and the valuation of family businesses and professional practices.
Other family law matters we handle in Orem
Paternity and custody for unmarried parents, protective orders and domestic violence cases, DCFS actions in the Fourth District juvenile court, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, adoptions and stepparent adoptions, and modifications and enforcement of existing orders.
★★★★★ “TR was a very calm, kind, and efficient mediator, who was able to assist us in coming up with a solution to our divisions in one session.”
Amanda R., Google review
CoilLaw serves families throughout Utah County. See our Utah County divorce lawyer page for how cases are filed in the Fourth District Court in Provo.
Related Utah guides
Divorce education classes for Orem parents
If you have children under 18, Utah requires both parents to complete a divorce orientation course and a parenting course before the decree is entered. The petitioner has 60 days from filing and the respondent 30 days from receiving the Notice of Required Classes. Both are offered online through Utah State University in English and Spanish, and the certificates are filed with the Fourth District Court in Provo. Our Utah divorce education classes page has the current fees, the deadlines and how to ask the court to waive the requirement.
Custody help beyond the basics
Orem sits in the Alpine School District, and school boundaries, year-round calendars and UVU class schedules all end up inside Orem parenting plans. Utah’s minimum parent-time schedule for children five to 18 is set out in Utah Code 81-9-302, and it is a starting point rather than a limit. When a custody case needs more than a standard schedule, our Utah County child custody attorney page explains how contested custody moves through the Fourth District and what judges here weigh.
Why Orem families choose CoilLaw
Our Utah County office is at 2100 W Pleasant Grove Blvd, Suite 450 C in Pleasant Grove, about ten minutes north of Orem, and Jill Coil and Luke Shaw appear in the Fourth District Court regularly. CoilLaw is a women-owned Utah family law firm, and we handle Orem cases from the first consultation through the final decree and any modification that follows. Call (801) 884-3775 to get started.
Frequently asked questions about Orem divorce and family law
Where is an Orem divorce filed?
In the Fourth Judicial District Court in Provo, which hears Utah County family cases. The Fourth District also has courthouses in American Fork and Spanish Fork, but divorce and custody cases for Orem residents are heard in Provo.
How long do I have to live in Utah County before filing?
Three months, for either spouse. If you moved to Orem recently, you may be able to file in the county you came from.
How long will an Orem divorce take?
A minimum of 30 days from filing. Agreed cases finish shortly after that. Contested cases usually take six to twelve months, with mediation required before any contested hearing.
Do Orem courts favor equal custody?
Utah does not presume equal time, but the Fourth District orders it regularly where both parents have been involved, live close to each other, and can cooperate. The record of who has cared for the children decides it.
How is child support calculated?
From both parents’ gross monthly incomes and the number of overnights each parent has, using Utah’s guideline tables. A court can depart from the guideline figure but has to explain why.
Do we have to go to mediation?
In any contested case, yes. Utah requires at least one good-faith session before a contested hearing, and most Utah County cases settle in it.
If you have questions about divorce or family law in Orem, we are here to help. Call CoilLaw at 801-884-3775 or contact us online to schedule a consultation at our Utah County office.
