Divorce may come easy for those using the Quick Court kiosk at the Utah County Courthouse, and that's not good, according to one 4th District Court judge.
Judge Lynn W. Davis said there's a high societal price for quick divorces."I fear that sometimes there are marriages that could be preserved but are dismantled by use of the kiosk system," Davis said.
"Divorce procedures should impress upon the parties the gravity of the action they intend to take," Davis said. "This is not going to happen if a divorce may be set in motion impetuously, by a mere flutter of keystrokes."
Kiosk users pay $10 using a credit card, bank debit card or a Quick Court debit card that can be purchased from a court clerk.
Filling out the forms can take as long as 60 to 90 minutes at the kiosks, which are available at a number of locations around Utah.
However, Heather Fisher, information services assistant for the Administrative Office of the Courts, said the kiosks are particularly attractive to those without much money.
"I've talked to people who were separated from their spouses for years and this was the only way they could get a divorce," Fisher said. "A lot of people can't afford to get divorces. For $10, they love it."
All Quick Court users in Utah County are advised to speak with free legal counsel - Jim Backman at the BYU Law School.
Backman arranges for law students to advise those who want to divorce through Quick Court of their legal rights. They also help people fill out their divorce forms.