Getting A Divorce
Divorce Attorneys in Denver, Colorado
Colorado is a “no-fault” divorce state, which means that the courts don’t consider the behavior that lead to the divorce in determining matters such as property division, debt and the payment of alimony or maintenance. Depending on the nature of the behavior, a custody decision may, of course, be affected by a parent’s behavior. However, that behavior is only considered in the context of what is in the best interest of the children, and not in how it may have resulted in the end of the marriage.
A divorce is started in Colorado by filing a “Petition for Dissolution of Marriage” with the court. The petition is then delivered to your spouse through a process server. Under Colorado law, a divorce can’t be finalized until 90 days after your spouse is served. Realistically, most cases take longer than this.
Once the petition has been filed, both you and your spouse must schedule a status conference at the Colorado courthouse. At the status conference, the court will determine what issues need to be resolved to complete the divorce, along with a timeline for completion. Depending on the county in which your divorce is pending, you will receive a Permanent Orders date (your final court date) anywhere from four or to nine months, or more, after the date you filed your petition and it was served on your spouse.
If you need certain issues related to your divorce resolved sooner, an earlier court date, known as a Temporary Orders hearing, is available. At this hearing, the court will enter orders that are binding on you and your spouse until the Permanent Orders hearing. You can expect to obtain a Temporary Orders hearing fairly quickly. Issues the court may rule on include temporary allocation of parenting time, child support, alimony/maintenance, possession of property and payment of debts, along with any other matters that require determination.
At the Permanent Orders hearing, the court will permanently decide property and debt division, custody, child support and alimony/maintenance. However, custody, child support and alimony/maintenance may be changed in the future if justified by appropriate legal circumstances.
How to Choose a Divorce Attorney
Contact the divorce attorneys at Hull & Zimmerman in Denver, Colorado today to schedule a free consultation.
Greater Denver metro area and Colorado Divorce Attorneys.
Hull and Zimmerman, P.C.
2921 W. 120th Ave., Ste 220
Westminster, Colorado 80234
Phone: 303-423-1770
Fax: 303-423-2102
Toll Free: 1-866-385-3505
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