Family Law in Colorado Springs
Of all the communities Modern Family Law serves, Colorado Springs has to be one of the most unique for a couple of distinct reasons. While the demographics of the population don’t vary too much (income, age, etc.), the family dynamic does tremendously. This uniqueness is due to such strong military and religious influences. We have been working with families for years around our loved military and religious facilities to provide impartial but dedicated family services. We have experience with the nuances of each and respect them greatly.
Colorado Springs family law requires a particular approach, which we’ve learned well over the years. It’s important to note that we support all lifestyles, including our evangelical friends and family. The law doesn’t change due to your beliefs or political leanings, and neither do we. We are proud to help all sorts of families through their tough times as family transcends our generations and perceptions. We’ve learned not to define family as we’ve watched firsthand how the definition of family has changed over the years.
What Practice Areas Are Included In
Colorado Springs Family Law?
Divorce in Colorado Springs
In Colorado Springs, a divorce is an act of requesting a marriage to legally be dissolved by the court. During the divorce process, there are many considerations that are taken into account. For example, assets, finances, debt, custody, parenting time, and decision making. In addition, any property, automobiles, furniture and so on that were bought during the marriage are considered “marital property”.
These properties will need to be divided during the divorce process. The same concept is used for debts in Colorado Springs family law; any credit cards, loans, outstanding bills, and balances are also divided in the process. Keep in mind that in Colorado Springs it takes a minimum of 91 days to finalize a divorce, from the initial filing to the final court order.
Military Divorce in Colorado Springs
Treating a military divorce the same as other divorces is a serious mistake. The US military offers service members and their families unique benefits, for starters, but also requires remote postings, far from family homes. Some of those differences are:
- The Service Members Civil Relief Act protects military members from divorce proceedings while on active duty unless they agree to divorce.
- Under the Uniformed Services Former Spouse Protection Act (USFSPA), spouses can also claim up to half of the military pension of their retired service member spouse.
- Child support and alimony orders cannot surpass 60% of the military member’s annual income.
We offer several valuable resources for you to learn more about military divorce in Colorado Springs. Click the links below to learn more!
Separation in Colorado Springs
A legal separation in Colorado Springs is treated just as divorce is in court. Whether it be assets, debt, parenting time, or custody, everything is taken into account. The only difference between a legal separation and a divorce in Colorado Springs is that although the parties will be legally separated, they are still legally married.
In most cases, when people prefer a legal separation rather than a divorce it’s due to religious beliefs, cultural beliefs, or for the sake of keeping spousal insurance that they would otherwise lose in a divorce. The procedures in Colorado Springs for a legal separation and a divorce are basically the same, the main difference is the title assigned to you by the Colorado Springs courts. In a divorce you are dissolved in marriage, you break all ties with the other party and never have to speak to them if you don’t want to. While in Colorado Springs legal separations, you still divide assets properties, and/or debts, you still agree on a parenting plan, and you still hold the title of being legally married.
Child Support in Colorado Springs
After a divorce, the separated parties in Colorado Springs will work towards agreeing on a parenting plan that will work in the best interest of the child. Once an agreement has been settled on the child support gets calculated. Child support is a payment made by one parent to support the child’s basic needs; payments are usually a fixed amount made monthly. It’s always best to seek a Colorado Springs family law attorney to better understand how child support is calculated for both parties.
Utilize our Colorado child support calculator to assist you in calculating what your average child support could be. There are specific considerations you will need to take into account as it relates to your child support case in Colorado Springs. For example, how many children you have, medical expenses for the child, available health insurances for each party, and school tuition are all factors that can make your child support payments look different.
Child Custody in Colorado Springs
Child custody is the legal term used to identify the parent or legal guardian who cares for the child’s best interest. In Colorado Springs, this includes any matters pertaining to the child such as education, health, religion, and the child’s day-to-day well-being.
Child custody can sometimes be referred to as parenting time. Colorado Spring’s child custody laws tell us that just because one parent has full legal custody of a child it does not mean that the secondary parent can’t practice parenting time with the child as well. This can mean that while one Colorado Springs parent makes all the education, health, and religious decisions the other parent has parenting time with their child as well. In other custody matters, Colorado Springs law will stipulate a 50/50 custody share. This means that the parents have come to an agreement that they will both make decisions about all of their child’s matters. Learn more about parenting time in Colorado Springs by using our parenting time calculator.
Civil Unions in Colorado Springs
A civil union in Colorado Springs is an arrangement to establish a legal relationship between you and your partner. This legal relationship is treated just like a marriage in the state of Colorado. This allows you and your partner, same-sex or opposite sex, to receive spousal benefits along with spousal responsibilities and legal protection. These benefits and responsibilities include financial support, child support, rights to real estate and or property.
A civil union is only recognized as a state-wide relationship, which means there are no federal rights such as filing income tax as a married couple or social security benefits. Colorado is one of only five states that allow and recognize a civil union. The other states are Hawaii, Illinois, Vermont, and New Jersey.
Paternity in Colorado Springs
Going through a paternity process can be very stressful. Paternity is the legal term used meaning to identify the father of a child. In Colorado Springs, the father can either sign the birth certificate when the child is born or voluntarily sign an acknowledgment of paternity to confirm that he is the legal father of the child. Once the father signs this form his name will be added to the birth certificate.
If the alleged father of a child denies or declines to sign the birth certificate or acknowledgment, then the mother can file a paternity case. In Colorado Springs, a paternity case can be filed along with a child support or custody order. When filing a child custody or child support case the court will require paternity to be established before entering any orders.
Protection Orders in Colorado Springs
It is important to understand what a protection order is and how to obtain one in Colorado Springs. If you think you are in a relationship with domestic violence it’s crucial to seek a Colorado Springs family attorney who can guide you through the process of a protection order. There are a few types of protection orders for someone suffering from domestic violence.
In Colorado Springs, domestic violence is defined whereas the party you have a relationship with is attempting or has acted upon stalking, harassing, threatening, or physically abusing you, your minor children, or a pet owned by you. When filing a protection order in Colorado Springs there are 3 different types of protection orders to consider in a domestic violence relationship. There is a temporary protection order, a permanent protection order, and an emergency protection order. Seeking legal advice from a Colorado Springs family law attorney will help you determine what type of protection order will protect you.
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Family Law in
Colorado Springs
Modern Family Law’s Colorado Springs family lawyers understand that family law in Colorado Springs requires a particular approach, which we’ve mastered over the years. It’s important to note that our firm supports all lifestyles. The law doesn’t change due to your beliefs or political leanings, and neither do we. We are proud to help all sorts of Colorado Springs families through their tough times as family transcends our generations and perceptions. We’ve learned not to define family as we’ve watched firsthand how the definition of family has changed over the years.
What Practice Areas Are Included In
Colorado Springs Family Law?
In Colorado Springs, a divorce is an act of requesting a marriage to legally be dissolved by the court. During the divorce process, there are many considerations that are taken into account. For example, assets, finances, debt, custody, parenting time, and decision making. In addition, any property, automobiles, furniture and so on that were bought during the marriage are considered “marital property”.
These properties will need to be divided during the divorce process. The same concept is used for debts in Colorado Springs family law; any credit cards, loans, outstanding bills, and balances are also divided in the process. Keep in mind that in Colorado Springs it takes a minimum of 91 days to finalize a divorce, from the initial filing to the final court order.
Treating a military divorce the same as other divorces is a serious mistake. The US military offers service members and their families unique benefits, for starters, but also requires remote postings, far from family homes. Some of those differences are:
- The Service Members Civil Relief Act protects military members from divorce proceedings while on active duty unless they agree to divorce.
- Under the Uniformed Services Former Spouse Protection Act (USFSPA), spouses can also claim up to half of the military pension of their retired service member spouse.
- Child support and alimony orders cannot surpass 60% of the military member’s annual income.
We offer several valuable resources for you to learn more about military divorce in Colorado Springs. Click the links below to learn more!
A legal separation in Colorado Springs is treated just as divorce is in court. Whether it be assets, debt, parenting time, or custody, everything is taken into account. The only difference between a legal separation and a divorce in Colorado Springs is that although the parties will be legally separated, they are still legally married.
In most cases, when people prefer a legal separation rather than a divorce it’s due to religious beliefs, cultural beliefs, or for the sake of keeping spousal insurance that they would otherwise lose in a divorce. The procedures in Colorado Springs for a legal separation and a divorce are basically the same, the main difference is the title assigned to you by the Colorado Springs courts. In a divorce you are dissolved in marriage, you break all ties with the other party and never have to speak to them if you don’t want to. While in Colorado Springs legal separations, you still divide assets properties, and/or debts, you still agree on a parenting plan, and you still hold the title of being legally married.
After a divorce, the separated parties in Colorado Springs will work towards agreeing on a parenting plan that will work in the best interest of the child. Once an agreement has been settled on the child support gets calculated. Child support is a payment made by one parent to support the child’s basic needs; payments are usually a fixed amount made monthly. It’s always best to seek a Colorado Springs family law attorney to better understand how child support is calculated for both parties.
Utilize our Colorado child support calculator to assist you in calculating what your average child support could be. There are specific considerations you will need to take into account as it relates to your child support case in Colorado Springs. For example, how many children you have, medical expenses for the child, available health insurances for each party, and school tuition are all factors that can make your child support payments look different.
Child custody is the legal term used to identify the parent or legal guardian who cares for the child’s best interest. In Colorado Springs, this includes any matters pertaining to the child such as education, health, religion, and the child’s day-to-day well-being.
Child custody can sometimes be referred to as parenting time. Colorado Spring’s child custody laws tell us that just because one parent has full legal custody of a child it does not mean that the secondary parent can’t practice parenting time with the child as well. This can mean that while one Colorado Springs parent makes all the education, health, and religious decisions the other parent has parenting time with their child as well. In other custody matters, Colorado Springs law will stipulate a 50/50 custody share. This means that the parents have come to an agreement that they will both make decisions about all of their child’s matters. Learn more about parenting time in Colorado Springs by using our parenting time calculator.
A civil union in Colorado Springs is an arrangement to establish a legal relationship between you and your partner. This legal relationship is treated just like a marriage in the state of Colorado. This allows you and your partner, same-sex or opposite sex, to receive spousal benefits along with spousal responsibilities and legal protection. These benefits and responsibilities include financial support, child support, rights to real estate and or property.
A civil union is only recognized as a state-wide relationship, which means there are no federal rights such as filing income tax as a married couple or social security benefits. Colorado is one of only five states that allow and recognize a civil union. The other states are Hawaii, Illinois, Vermont, and New Jersey.
Going through a paternity process can be very stressful. Paternity is the legal term used meaning to identify the father of a child. In Colorado Springs, the father can either sign the birth certificate when the child is born or voluntarily sign an acknowledgment of paternity to confirm that he is the legal father of the child. Once the father signs this form his name will be added to the birth certificate.
If the alleged father of a child denies or declines to sign the birth certificate or acknowledgment, then the mother can file a paternity case. In Colorado Springs, a paternity case can be filed along with a child support or custody order. When filing a child custody or child support case the court will require paternity to be established before entering any orders.
It is important to understand what a protection order is and how to obtain one in Colorado Springs. If you think you are in a relationship with domestic violence it’s crucial to seek a Colorado Springs family attorney who can guide you through the process of a protection order. There are a few types of protection orders for someone suffering from domestic violence.
In Colorado Springs, domestic violence is defined whereas the party you have a relationship with is attempting or has acted upon stalking, harassing, threatening, or physically abusing you, your minor children, or a pet owned by you. When filing a protection order in Colorado Springs there are 3 different types of protection orders to consider in a domestic violence relationship. There is a temporary protection order, a permanent protection order, and an emergency protection order. Seeking legal advice from a Colorado Springs family law attorney will help you determine what type of protection order will protect you.
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Our Attorneys Are
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Our experienced family law attorneys in Colorado Springs have the knowledge, resources, and dedication to prepare your case and protect your interests to find the best possible outcome.
Helping Colorado Springs Families
We keep our team small and collaborative to make sure our clients are getting the most from the legal system and colorado family law. We have a legal staff that has worked for the state, has experience mediating, and much more locally. Needless to say, we know our way around the Colorado Springs court system and are confident in our top-rated representation.
Aside from our legal qualifications, our mission is to approach and resolve all families matters with unmatched compassion. Traditionally, attorneys like conflict because it drives more billable hours. Don’t let an attorney encourage a fight, because it is only good for them. It sounds counter-intuitive but we don’t want that sort of business. We have so many families to help, those that want to fight can find plenty of lawyers around to do that for them. One of the reasons why we are growing across the country is because we don’t promote conflict and profit from such a business model.
There is a misconception about how a case is won. Many think having a hardnosed attorney bulldog through the legal system is in their best interest. Many times this thinking is driven by emotion and stereotypes, which is important to realize.
Over the years, we’ve learned how to “fight” differently and more effectively. We win judgments from the courts just like your fill-in-the-blank attorney does, we just do it with less stress, time, and cost in most cases. As a transparent firm, we realize there is always an exception. However, overall our track record shows we put the client’s interest first. Leadership is serious about keeping our attorneys honest about billing. We have the most stringent process of any firm in place to manage cases fairly for all involved. Learn more about our Colorado family lawyers.
Helping
Colorado Springs
Families
We keep our team small and collaborative to make sure our clients are getting the most from the legal system and colorado family law. We have a legal staff that has worked for the state, has experience mediating, and much more locally. Needless to say, we know our way around the Colorado Springs court system and are confident in our top-rated representation.
Aside from our legal qualifications, our mission is to approach and resolve all families matters with unmatched compassion. Traditionally, attorneys like conflict because it drives more billable hours. Don’t let an attorney encourage a fight, because it is only good for them. It sounds counter-intuitive but we don’t want that sort of business. We have so many families to help, those that want to fight can find plenty of lawyers around to do that for them. One of the reasons why we are growing across the country is because we don’t promote conflict and profit from such a business model.
There is a misconception about how a case is won. Many think having a hardnosed attorney bulldog through the legal system is in their best interest. Many times this thinking is driven by emotion and stereotypes, which is important to realize.
Over the years, we’ve learned how to “fight” differently and more effectively. We win judgments from the courts just like your fill-in-the-blank attorney does, we just do it with less stress, time, and cost in most cases. As a transparent firm, we realize there is always an exception. However, overall our track record shows we put the client’s interest first. Leadership is serious about keeping our attorneys honest about billing. We have the most stringent process of any firm in place to manage cases fairly for all involved. Learn more about our Colorado family lawyers.
Frequently Asked Questions About Colorado Springs Family Law
How much does a family lawyer cost in Colorado Springs?
Everyone wants to be careful with attorney fees, us included. Potential clients always ask our lawyers how much their case will cost. Unfortunately, we can’t provide much insight into their final bill, because there are too many factors at play. The most critical factor impacting the overall cost of a case is the degree of conflict. A client’s ability to control the degree of conflict in a family law dispute is sometimes limited. The amount of conflict is often unknown or underestimated.
Many other factors may also impact the cost of a case. Those include poor strategic planning and selecting an attorney based on factors not related to your goal. Since there are so many things impacting the cost of a case, it’s impossible for a good attorney to quote you an overall cost. We can, however, use our experience to provide you insight into how certain factors impact the average cost, as determined by the American Bar Association.
Click the following link to learn more about the cost of a family law attorney in Colorado Springs. You may also be interested in our Colorado attorney fees calculators to help you determine costs.
What happens if I do not sign the divorce papers in Colorado?
It’s easy to think since a marriage license requires signatures of both parties –divorce paperwork would be the same. This is incorrect. In Colorado, our Courts only require one party to sign and file a divorce petition to begin the divorce process. Learn more here!
Who determines how assets are divided in a Colorado divorce?
The court tries to let you and your spouse work out an arrangement that is equitable to both parties. In Colorado, Courts require mediation before anyone sets foot in a courthouse for their “Final” or “Permanent” Orders Hearing. This is because the Courts understand that out of everyone in the world, you and your spouse know your means, abilities, and desires the best. It is easy to think any property division should simply just go down the middle at a 50/50% split. But equitable does not always mean fair.
The Courts have every right to determine a settlement is not equitable to both parties and ask that the parties attempt to do it over again with some instruction from the Court. That’s why it’s important to be represented by an attorney. We can determine the best equitable outcomes for you as well as discuss other options based on goals and desires. Learn more about the division of assets in Colorado or try our Colorado asset & debts calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions About
Colorado Springs Family Law
How much does a family lawyer cost in Colorado Springs?
Everyone wants to be careful with attorney fees, us included. Potential clients always ask our lawyers how much their case will cost. Unfortunately, we can’t provide much insight into their final bill, because there are too many factors at play. The most critical factor impacting the overall cost of a case is the degree of conflict. A client’s ability to control the degree of conflict in a family law dispute is sometimes limited. The amount of conflict is often unknown or underestimated.
Many other factors may also impact the cost of a case. Those include poor strategic planning and selecting an attorney based on factors not related to your goal. Since there are so many things impacting the cost of a case, it’s impossible for a good attorney to quote you an overall cost. We can, however, use our experience to provide you insight into how certain factors impact the average cost, as determined by the American Bar Association.
Click the following link to learn more about the cost of a family law attorney in Colorado Springs. You may also be interested in our Colorado attorney fees calculators to help you determine costs.
What happens if I do not sign the divorce papers in Colorado?
It’s easy to think since a marriage license requires signatures of both parties –divorce paperwork would be the same. This is incorrect. In Colorado, our Courts only require one party to sign and file a divorce petition to begin the divorce process. Learn more here!
Who determines how assets are divided in a Colorado divorce?
The court tries to let you and your spouse work out an arrangement that is equitable to both parties. In Colorado, Courts require mediation before anyone sets foot in a courthouse for their “Final” or “Permanent” Orders Hearing. This is because the Courts understand that out of everyone in the world, you and your spouse know your means, abilities, and desires the best. It is easy to think any property division should simply just go down the middle at a 50/50% split. But equitable does not always mean fair.
The Courts have every right to determine a settlement is not equitable to both parties and ask that the parties attempt to do it over again with some instruction from the Court. That’s why it’s important to be represented by an attorney. We can determine the best equitable outcomes for you as well as discuss other options based on goals and desires. Learn more about the division of assets in Colorado or try our Colorado asset & debts calculator.
Colorado Springs Family Needs
As mentioned above, unlike most cities, the Colorado Springs family dynamic is very defined with a military and religious population. While this observation may seem apparent, the technique we implement takes years to realize and mature.
Religious Families
If you’re religious and find yourself needing family help, there are a number of reasons why you should be using our family lawyers. We are compassionate, which relates closely to religious practice, where we all want to be kind to each other. While it is harder to carry out that action during a divorce or child custody matter, being compassionate keeps bills low, stress manageable, and memories filled without hate. We also align with those of faith because we are family-centric. Take any belief system out of the way, and our actions are focused on the children and their future wellbeing.
Military Families
If you find yourself in military-related family circumstances and need specialized assistance to help with the challenges of a military divorce, we are experts. We have helped hundreds of families over the years from our Colorado Spring legal office. We’ve seen every situation you can imagine regarding the military and under a person’s options. For many in the military, the SimpleStart™ program can really help. This is because service members generally have good credit and solid work history. This consistent environment allows us some options when a family situation has gone sour.
Over time, the Colorado Springs area has become known for these aspects. Due to this, it keeps the city very focused. So, while the area has a lot of desirable tourism from all around the world, those deciding to move to the area clearly know what they’re investing in. This makes family representation even more critical.
Colorado Springs
Family Needs
As mentioned above, unlike most cities, the Colorado Springs family dynamic is very defined with a military and religious population. While this observation may seem apparent, the technique we implement takes years to realize and mature.
Religious Families
If you’re religious and find yourself needing family help, there are a number of reasons why you should be using our family lawyers. We are compassionate, which relates closely to religious practice, where we all want to be kind to each other. While it is harder to carry out that action during a divorce or child custody matter, being compassionate keeps bills low, stress manageable, and memories filled without hate. We also align with those of faith because we are family-centric. Take any belief system out of the way, and our actions are focused on the children and their future wellbeing.
Military Families
If you find yourself in military-related family circumstances and need specialized assistance to help with the challenges of a military divorce, we are experts. We have helped hundreds of families over the years from our Colorado Spring legal office. We’ve seen every situation you can imagine regarding the military and under a person’s options. For many in the military, the SimpleStart™ program can really help. This is because service members generally have good credit and solid work history. This consistent environment allows us some options when a family situation has gone sour.
Over time, the Colorado Springs area has become known for these aspects. Due to this, it keeps the city very focused. So, while the area has a lot of desirable tourism from all around the world, those deciding to move to the area clearly know what they’re investing in. This makes family representation even more critical.
Why Hire Modern Family Law
We also encourage potential clients to shop around and chat with other attorneys. At the end of the day, you should always find an attorney that you feel comfortable with and feel like you can work with during such a stressful situation. We have a number of ways to help pay for our service. One is our innovative SimpleStart™ Program. Qualify to reduce the initial cost needed upfront and simply pay the PC’s bill every two weeks. This helps us and provides a little insight into the system.
We are confident that you’ll find our team is the most responsive, qualified, and empathetic. We understand our approach is not for everyone, but our representation is. We are proud of our business model and even happier when we see families functioning as normal after we’ve helped.
Our experienced team of Colorado Springs attorneys is empathetic to the unique nature of many of our Colorado Springs client’s cases. As such, we encourage you to speak to one of them today and let them hear about the details of your case and your intended outcome and goals. They will be able to provide you with valuable guidance and counseling to help you achieve the outcome that is right for you and your family.
Our Colorado Springs Office Location
Additional Family Law Practice Areas
Family law includes a wide array of cases that deal with relationships and the children of relationships. Typically, family law includes the following practice areas:
Why Hire
Modern Family Law
We also encourage potential clients to shop around and chat with other attorneys. At the end of the day, you should always find an attorney that you feel comfortable with and feel like you can work with during such a stressful situation. We have a number of ways to help pay for our service. One is our innovative SimpleStart™ Program. Qualify to reduce the initial cost needed upfront and simply pay the PC’s bill every two weeks. This helps us and provides a little insight into the system.
We are confident that you’ll find our team is the most responsive, qualified, and empathetic. We understand our approach is not for everyone, but our representation is. We are proud of our business model and even happier when we see families functioning as normal after we’ve helped.
Our experienced team of Colorado Springs attorneys is empathetic to the unique nature of many of our Colorado Springs client’s cases. As such, we encourage you to speak to one of them today and let them hear about the details of your case and your intended outcome and goals. They will be able to provide you with valuable guidance and counseling to help you achieve the outcome that is right for you and your family.
Our Colorado Springs
Office Location
Additional Family Law
Practice Areas
Family law includes a wide array of cases that deal with relationships and the children of relationships. Typically, family law includes the following practice areas:
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Colorado Springs Family Law Attorneys
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Our Calculators
We’re not fans of surprises and we suspect you aren’t either. We built these divorce calculators just for you, so you know what to expect every step of the way.
Additional Resources About
Colorado Springs Family Law
Military Divorce in Colorado Springs
Unlike a divorce between average civilians, a service member’s divorce is subject to some unique sets of rules and procedures. Learn about the unique rules that apply to service members in Colorado Springs and how they can affect you during your divorce.
Religion and Family Law: Thou Shalt Not Divorce
As important as religious belief and practice may be to an individual, there is occasional tension between what a person’s religion requires of them and what is allowable under the law. Learn about your options when facing these conflicts.
Who Determines How Assets Are Divided In A Colorado Divorce?
Dividing assets during a divorce can be a stressful and emotional time. This article helps to explain what may happen to your various assets and how they are divided in Colorado Springs.