I don't know if this solves this problem. Just for better distinguishing between the two applications:
Juris-m creates a separate database in a separate folder, different from Zotero. Please find the folder path in the preferences: https://www.zotero.org/support/preferences/advanced (default: /users/USERNAME/Zotero and /users/USERNAME/Juris-M)
If you want to keep the Zotero database as backup, no problem. This should not interfere with Juris-m. The program files are stored in a different locations. You can uninstall Zotero and keep its database: https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/uninstalling. For running Juris-M, you don't need to have Zotero installed.
Please make sure that you have an up-to-date Juris-M plugin installed in Word (https://www.zotero.org/support/preferences/cite). If you don't use Zotero, you can uninstall the Zotero plugin from Word (see https://www.zotero.org/support/word_processor_plugin_troubleshooting#mac).

@Ewelch99: It is as @bkorn says, with one exception: Juris-M and Zotero use the same word processor plugin, so you shouldn't need to touch Word. Restarting your computer as a first step in debugging will assure that neither Juris-M nor Zotero are running, so you start with a clean slate.

Juris-M and Zotero are separate programs. For normal work, you will use only one of them, but there is ordinarily no harm in having both installed on the same computer.

On the Mac system I have here, I get the error that you mention when I run Zotero and then attempt to start Juris-M, and also vice-versa. When Juris-M is closed, and I attempt to add a citation to a document, Word wakes up Juris-M. I can't reproduce the exact behavior that you describe, but what appears to be happening is that one application is running, and your Word is attempting to start the other. That should not happen, but as an immediate solution, you can uninstall Zotero as suggested by @bknorn. (If you have items stored in Zotero, removing the application will not affect the Zotero-side database: it will be accessible when you reinstall Zotero.)

my data dictionary location on Juris M is set to custom - users/myuser/Zotero

the Juris M one above it is the default, should I be using that instead?

As you said Frank, word keeps trying to open Zotero when I have Juris M open, can I simply just delete the Zotero app without effecting my Juris M database?