Per UCJA Rule 4-901, eFiling is mandatory in Utah Juvenile Court. Self-represented litigants are not required to eFile and may choose to file either electronically or physically.
To get started with eFiling in Juvenile Court, you must obtain a Court and Agency Records Exchange (C.A.R.E.) login. Find instructions to request C.A.R.E. access here. In addition, each Agency or Firm Owner/Director must fill out a Firm/Agency Agreement to authorize access to the C.A.R.E. system and grants access to the individuals that need it, including the firm’s attorneys and paralegals. This process protects juvenile information in Utah.
Basics of eFiling in Utah Juvenile Court
Attorneys are required to eFile in Utah. Only in-state attorneys with a Utah state bar number may file. An attorney who is not a member of the Utah State Bar but is working pro hac vice must submit filings through local counsel.
Submissions to Utah Juvenile Court must be completed through the C.A.R.E. system. C.A.R.E. does not support eService, unlike filing in other Utah courts. You must serve parties through another approved method. Parties will not receive email notifications that a document has been filed, and any parties must have a C.A.R.E. login in order to see filed documents on cases. When your documents are signed by the court, you will receive an email, and it is your responsibility to notify other parties.
The C.A.R.E. system has a document size limit of 5 MB. Larger documents must be filed in sections. Juvenile Court eFiling will allow you to upload multiple document sections in one batch. Once eFiled, these will be combined into a single document. In order to meet size requirements, the Utah Juvenile Court recommends that you do not scan documents in color and avoid using colored paper.
Do not eFile documents larger than 8.5” by 11” because these cannot be printed by the Court. For any documents that exceed this size, file a courtesy copy physically.
Exceptions to mandatory eFiling in Utah Juvenile Court
Individuals who are self-represented are allowed to submit a paper filing. In most cases, physical filing will not be accepted from attorneys, JJS, or DCFS. There are a few exceptions:
Paper filings that are part of a courtroom proceeding may be accepted.
You may physically file ex parte motions and related documents per Code of Judicial Administration Rule 04-202.04.
Courtesy copies are physically filed and delivered to the court.
Non-document items (such as DVDs or loose, high-quality photographs) and oversized documents may need to be filed physically. If reducing a document or photograph’s size to 8.5” by 11” would reduce its resolution or lose too much quality by scanning, you must physically file it.
In early phases of eFiling release, some filing fees were required to be submitted to the local court jurisdiction and could not be accepted digitally. This may not still be the case as rollout has been completed.
Where to find more information about eFiling in Utah Juvenile Court
Visit the Utah Courts web page dedicated to eFiling in Utah Juvenile Court for details on the C.A.R.E. system, rules, procedures, forms, and more resources. This page also includes links to C.A.R.E. training and resources.