When you call Tily Law, you talk to Jim, not a call center. A Georgetown trained lawyer who is in Utah courtrooms every week, handles your case personally, and tells you what it will cost before the work begins.
What Cases Does Jim Take?If police want to talk to you: do not talk. Ask for an attorney. Read why →
I have been where you are.
Jim’s robbery conviction, his disbarment, and the twenty year road back. Why it makes him a better lawyer →
Most people come to Jim in one of two situations. If both describe you at once, which happens more often than you would think, call and he will sort it out.
Door 1
I’ve Been Accused, Arrested, or Charged
DUI, drugs, assault, theft, domestic violence, sex offenses, felonies and misdemeanors. Police want to talk to you. You have a court date. Somebody says you did something.
Find your charge →Door 2
I Need Protection, or an Order Was Filed Against Me
Protective orders and stalking injunctions, both sides. Filing costs nothing and the hearing is within 21 days. Also: crime victims who need their own lawyer in someone else’s criminal case.
Protective orders, both sides →Neither one? Jim also handles family law, expungement, eviction defense, lawsuits, and Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
Criminal defense is the heart of the practice, from DUI and drug charges to assault, theft, domestic violence, felonies, and sex offenses. Jim also handles protective orders on both sides, stalking injunctions, crime victim representation, expungement, eviction defense, family law, and Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Tap a topic to see what to do and how Jim can help.
DUI / Impaired Driving
Arrested for DUI or impaired driving?
License suspension, implied consent, breath tests, field sobriety, court dates. What happens next and what your options are.
More information →Drug Possession / Distribution
Charged with a drug offense in Utah?
Possession, distribution, paraphernalia, controlled substance charges. What the law says and how these cases are defended.
More information →Domestic Violence / Protective Order
Charged with domestic violence or served with a protective order?
A DV arrest can trigger three simultaneous proceedings: criminal, civil protective order, and DCFS. Serious firearms consequences can follow, and the protective order hearing comes fast.
More information →Felony Charge
Facing a felony in Utah?
Felonies range from third-degree to first-degree. Prison time, loss of voting rights, firearms, and employment consequences all depend on how the case is handled from the start.
More information →Misdemeanor Charge
Charged with a misdemeanor?
Misdemeanors are not minor to you. A conviction means jail time, fines, probation, and a record that appears on background checks for housing, jobs, and licenses.
More information →Sex Crime Accusation
Accused of a sex offense in Utah?
Sex crime accusations move fast and carry consequences that extend far beyond the criminal case itself. Registry, housing, employment, and family law are all affected.
More information →Assault or Battery
Charged with assault in Utah?
Assault charges range from Class B misdemeanor to first-degree felony depending on circumstances, weapon use, and victim status. The details of the arrest matter enormously.
More information →Theft / Shoplifting / Burglary
Arrested for theft or burglary in Utah?
Many first-offense theft and shoplifting cases qualify for diversion, which can result in dismissal and no criminal record. Do not plead guilty before speaking with an attorney.
More information →Not sure what applies? Call Jim at (801) 641-0883 for a free consultation.
Two cases start the moment you are arrested: a criminal case in court and a license case at the Driver License Division. You have only 10 days from the arrest to request the license hearing. Jim handles both cases.
Pulled Over · Critical First Minutes
When you see red and blue in the mirror, what you say in the next two minutes will shape your entire case.
Once 911 is called, the case belongs to the state. Your partner cannot drop the charges, and the release conditions usually mean no contact, even at home, even by text. A DV arrest can also trigger a protective order and a DCFS investigation at the same time. Do not talk to police, and do not violate the no-contact conditions. Get counsel before your first court date.
Get counsel before your first court date. Call Jim at (801) 641-0883.
You decide how much help you need. You pay for that and nothing more.
Option 1
Full Representation
Jim takes the whole case: strategy, filings, negotiation, hearings, and trial when it comes to that. For contested divorce, custody, and support fights where the outcome matters most.
Option 2
Form & Document Help
You represent yourself. Jim drafts and checks the paperwork, walks you through the procedure, and flags the traps before you hit them. Far less expensive than full representation.
Option 3 · $500 Flat Fee
Uncontested Petition
When you and your spouse already agree on the terms, Jim turns that agreement into a signed decree, with all paperwork drafted and filed. The $500 flat attorney fee does not include the court filing fee, which is paid to the court separately. That filing fee is currently $325 and is set by the Utah courts, which change it from time to time.
Not sure which option fits? Call Jim and he will tell you straight, in one conversation, at no charge.
Which order applies depends entirely on your relationship to the other person. Jim represents petitioners seeking protection and respondents defending against orders, in cohabitant abuse, child, dating violence, and sexual violence protective orders, and civil stalking injunctions.
$0
No filing fee, no service fee, no charge for the copies. Utah Code § 78B-7-105(4)
Same day
The court can issue an ex parte order immediately, before the other person is told.
21 days
Deadline for the hearing once an ex parte order issues. That hearing is the whole case.
2 years
Minimum before criminal provisions of a cohabitant abuse order can be vacated. Do not just agree to one.
Are you the victim of a crime in someone else’s criminal case? The prosecutor represents the State, not you. You can have your own attorney →
A civil stalking injunction is a court order against a person who keeps following, contacting, watching, or threatening you. You do not need to file criminal charges to get one. In urgent cases the court can issue it the same day you ask. Violating it is a crime.
Jim has handled civil stalking injunction cases and knows what judges look for. If you need protection, or if an injunction has been filed against you, call before the hearing.
A criminal record follows you into every job application, rental search, and licensing proceeding. Utah law allows many offenses to be expunged and sealed from public view so you can legally say the arrest or conviction never happened. Jim handles the entire process: eligibility review, BCI Certificate of Eligibility, petition drafting, and court hearings.
Misdemeanor Expungement
$500
Flat attorney fee for a single qualifying misdemeanor conviction. It does not cover government filing fees, which are paid separately and are set by the state. Estimate those at roughly $65 for the BCI Certificate of Eligibility plus about $135 for the court filing fee. These amounts can change and vary by case.
Felony Expungement
From $1,000
Attorney fee depends on complexity and does not cover government filing fees, which are paid separately and set by the state (estimate roughly $65 for the BCI Certificate of Eligibility plus about $135 per court filing fee, subject to change). Free consultation to review your record and determine the exact fee.
If you were served with a lawsuit, the clock is already running. If you do not file an Answer, the other side wins by default and can collect against your wages and property. Jim defends lawsuits, drafts answers and counterclaims, and handles contract disputes, defamation, and post-judgment problems.
If you cannot realistically pay your credit cards, medical bills, or other debt, Chapter 7 bankruptcy may discharge most of it and give you a fresh start. Filing triggers an automatic stay that stops most collection, garnishment, and lawsuits while your case is pending. Jim handles standard consumer Chapter 7 cases for a flat $1,000 attorney fee. The court filing fee, currently $338, is separate and set by the federal courts. We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code.
About Jim Tily
“I tell you what it will cost and what the realistic outcomes are. Before the work begins.”
Jim grew up along Philadelphia’s Main Line, graduated from Penn State, and earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2000. During law school he worked in the legal department of the Communications Workers of America in Washington, D.C., on federal labor and employment litigation, class actions, and proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board.
After Georgetown, Jim joined Anderson & Karrenberg in Salt Lake City, focusing on pretrial motion practice in federal and state court, commercial disputes, employment cases, and the Stenovich shareholder class action arising from First Security’s merger with Wells Fargo. He later served as a public defender in Washington County, Utah, representing adults and juveniles across the full range of felony and misdemeanor charges, including felony jury trials.
Jim retook and passed the Utah bar exam in February 2025. In June 2025 he joined the criminal defense firm Skordas & Caston as a law clerk and was immediately working on serious felony cases in federal and state court. He prepared his own petition for relicensure and completed the Utah State Bar’s character and fitness investigation. His petition was granted in August 2025, and he was admitted to practice that same month. Read the whole story here.
As an attorney at Skordas & Caston, Jim worked on numerous felony and misdemeanor cases throughout the Salt Lake valley, where he appeared before judges and argued criminal and civil motions. He served as second chair in a felony jury trial. His cases included DUI, sex crimes, probation violations, orders to show cause, and discovery litigation in federal court. On the civil side he handled divorce, protective orders, child protective orders, and civil stalking injunctions. He represented clients in DCFS administrative actions, represented crime victims asserting their rights in criminal cases, defended police officers in POST discipline proceedings, served as grievance representative for a state law enforcement officer against the Department of Public Safety, and handled administrative matters before the Utah State Bar’s Office of Professional Conduct and Admissions. In April 2026 he opened his own firm, Tily Law LLC.
Today Jim practices criminal defense and civil litigation in Utah state courts and the United States District Court for the District of Utah, across the Salt Lake valley. He handles every case personally.
What you must provide, what you don't have to say, and how the roadside investigation works from the moment you pull over.
You have 10 days from arrest to request a Driver License Division hearing. Miss it and your license is automatically suspended.
Every type of DUI charge in Utah, from standard DUI and impaired driving to metabolite DUI, felony DUI, and automobile homicide, with a penalty chart.
Field sobriety tests and the roadside breath test are voluntary. The chemical test after arrest is governed by implied consent. Know the difference before you decide.
More DUI guides: Field sobriety tests · After a DUI arrest · Booking and implied consent · The court process
Snapchat is not where most of this starts. It is where it moves. What the national research actually shows, why the disappearing message is the most dangerous misunderstanding, what Utah calls these offenses, and what to do in the first hour.
A DV arrest can trigger a criminal case, a civil protective order, and a DCFS or APS investigation at the same time. How each one works.
Once 911 is called, the case belongs to the state. Why someone usually goes to jail, why your partner cannot drop the charges, and what to do next.
When police are talking to you, they are gathering evidence against you. What to say and what never to say.
Even simple possession is usually a felony in Utah. Knowing your Fourth Amendment rights can make or break your case.
The prosecutor represents the state, not you. Utah crime victims have enforceable rights, and a victim rights attorney makes sure yours are heard.
Affordable does not mean inadequate. What to look for, what to ask, and how attorney fees actually work.
What stalking means under Utah law, how a civil stalking injunction works, and what happens to someone who violates it.
All five Utah orders explained, and which one fits your relationship. Filing is free, the hearing is within 21 days, and that hearing is the whole case.
Parents lose custody on process, not on the facts. Why the first order sticks, and the three levels of help Jim offers so you are never in there alone.
Firearms, jobs, housing, custody, and criminal exposure. What both sides need to understand before the hearing, not after the order is final.
The order took effect when you were served, and the window to contest it is days, not weeks. Every contact is now a chargeable crime. Act fast.
What you say to a caseworker this week can be read aloud at a custody hearing next year. How investigations work and how to handle one.
You have 21 days to respond. What that means, what goes in your Answer, and what happens if you do nothing.
An eviction notice can feel impossible. Know who's suing you, what your defenses are, and how much time you actually have.
A criminal record affects jobs, housing, and more. Learn about Utah's Clean Slate law, petition-based expungement, eligibility, and the step-by-step process.
Utah Code 76-3-402 lets a court lower the degree of a conviction after probation. What it does, how far it goes, and why it is not an expungement.
Discharge most debt, stop collection with the automatic stay, keep your property, and get a fresh start. What Chapter 7 does and what it costs.
Utah lets you divorce on irreconcilable differences. Why no-fault is usually faster, cheaper, and less damaging than a blame fight.
The steps from filing to decree, the 30-day waiting period, required courses, and what a divorce actually costs in Utah.
Jim will help you understand your options and develop an immediate plan of action. Consultations are free.
Get in Touch
You can reach Jim at (801) 641-0883 for a free consultation. He will talk with anyone about their situation, at no charge. What you tell him is confidential. That protection covers people who are only considering hiring a lawyer, not just clients who sign on, so it holds even if Jim does not take your case and even if you decide not to hire him.
And if Jim does not believe he is the best fit for what you are facing, he will help you find someone who is.
Ask a general question below. There is no charge.
Important: Jim can only reply if you include an email address or phone number. Questions sent without contact information cannot be answered.