At the very minimum, a divorce in Colorado can technically take as few as 90 days. This is the mandatory waiting period imposed by the local divorce laws. However, this waiting period only starts when the court receives the signed divorce papers from both spouses, so you will also require time to prepare. Realistically, the average divorce timeline for an uncontested divorce in Colorado is closer to 4 months. Couples who choose to go to trial through a contested divorce, rather than settle outside of the courtroom, should expect a longer timeline — 6+ months from our experience. What Impacts t ..read more

Upon a divorce being finalized, and joint custody being assigned, a parenting plan is put into place in the state of Colorado and most other states. This plan provides for legal and residential custody, as well as details the visitation rights of a non-custodial parent. If one of the custodial parents wants to relocate, there is a body of Colorado family law that addresses this situation. In all cases, the welfare of the children is the first concern of the courts. Basic Obligations of the Custodial Parent Regarding Relocation The first obligation of the custodial parent is to notify the non-c ..read more

Divorce is a stressful event at any time of life, but it may be even more so among spouses over 50. Because, apart from the emotional factors, gray divorce also carries additional legal complexity when it comes to asset division.  What is Gray Divorce?  Gray divorce is a colloquial term for divorces initiated later in life, typically after the age of fifty. Other common monikers include Silver Splitter or Diamond Divorcees.  The 2021 separation of the Gates couple spurred conversations around divorces after 20 years of marriage. Indeed, the gray divorce statistics are rather sob ..read more

If you receive a summons for child custody in Colorado, you may feel a sense of panic or worry. This is especially true if your ex-spouse is petitioning for a significant change in visitation, child support, or custody arrangements without any forewarning.  Take a deep breath. The state of Colorado values the parent-child relationship and works to act in the best interest of the child in all decisions. Still, you cannot put the matters on drift and take no preparatory action before the court visits.   What Receiving Child Custody Court Summons Means For a Parent A summ ..read more

All spouses know that a significant part of the divorce process involves the division of marital wealth. For many couples, only matters of child custody are more important. While Colorado spouses may spend a great deal of time and effort considering which assets they wish to pursue during negotiations, far fewer understand how debt is handled during divorce.   What is Marital Debt?  Colorado Judicial Branch defines marital debt as "any debt that took place while you were married." Generally, all liabilities you have accumulated jointly are viewed as the responsibility of both p ..read more

Colorado family law and the court system provide legally-binding decisions on all matters pertaining to divorce, separation, and asset division. Ideally, everyone involved respects the given orders and conforms with them. However, compliance may not always be a “given”.  If you are dealing with an ex who refuses to follow court orders, you are understandably frustrated. Thankfully, you have a legal mechanism for dealing with such issues, called the motion to enforce.  What is a Motion to Enforce in Colorado? A motion to enforce a court order is a document your attorney files with th ..read more

An uncontested divorce may be one of the more conflict-free actions taken in family law. It occurs when both divorcing parties are able to completely agree on all terms of the divorce. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t legally prepare for this process. This post outlines the steps you need to take to amicably part ways with your spouse.  How To Obtain an Uncontested Divorce in Colorado To file for a divorce, one or both of you must have lived in Colorado for at least 90 days prior to filing. You should also agree on the terms of your separation, in particular, when it comes to ..read more

Even a relatively simple divorce involves a multi-step process. Thus, you should understand what is involved in a divorce procedure-wise. The stress of going through a divorce and wondering what’s next can be minimized when you know what actions and inputs are expected from you, your spouse, and your attorney. In this post, we’d like to focus on two standard pre-trial divorce steps — Initial Status Conference (ISC) and divorce discovery. These two stages are rarely discussed but are highly impactful for reducing the cost and complexity of getting separated.  What is the Initial ..read more

For an uncontested divorce in Colorado, you should consider hiring an attorney to at least review your divorce papers and separation agreement to ensure that you are being treated fairly. If you are parting with your spouse on poor terms, having legal representation is necessary. Still, there several other nuances to consider as you decide if you need a divorce lawyer or not: Availability. Without a divorce lawyer, you will be personally responsible for preparing all the divorce papers, filing them with the court, and preparing for a status conference meeting. Negotiation skills. D ..read more

When you go through a divorce, there are so many things to consider. Whether or not you have children, shared assets, joint debt, and other factors will play a role in how things unfold during your divorce. But being a legal procedure, a divorce still has a certain structure to it. In this post, we offer a step-by-step overview of the divorce process in Colorado.  1. Submit a Petition For Dissolution of Marriage When people say they “filed for divorce”, this is what they mean. If you and your spouse both agree that you will be getting a divorce, you can file the petition for dissolution o ..read more