Denver Colorado Divorce Lawyer
Divorce is one of the toughest tests one can ever go through in their adult life. The mixture of conflicting emotions, elusive answers, self-doubt, and guilt doesn’t help either. And though divorce can be over and done within a few months, its effects can take a lifetime to recover from.
Often divorce means a complete rearranging of the family unit, reevaluating your finances, and rethinking your housing situation–these are a few aspects short of rebuilding your life from the ground up.
At the same time, divorce can mean the beginning of a fruitful life, more freedom, and leaving behind trauma and emotional baggage that has burdened you for years.
It’s a process that can go either way and the decisions that you make during these trying times shape the trajectory of your life going forward.
Why Choose Us
The people you surround yourself with at the time of the divorce are crucial to the success of the process and coming out the other end in one piece mentally, emotionally, and financially.
These are your friends, family, and, most importantly, lawyers.
You need a support system that will help bring calm to the chaos, fill you with words of affirmation, and hold your hand through one of the most challenging periods of your life.
And as far as divorce in Colorado is concerned, these are the lawyers at Petrelli Previtera. We believe that we are the best suited to represent your interest because our lawyers:
- Have years of experience and a proven reputation in handling divorce and separation cases spanning several decades
- Listen to understand the unique circumstances surrounding your divorce case before giving honest advice.
- Will help you perceive and navigate your way around Colorado’s unique divorce laws.
- Focus on building trust, knowing you individually, and offering emotional support throughout the length of the process through excellent customer support
To start right away, feel free to get in touch with us at (303) 416-7086, and our teams will immediately begin working on securing your future.
Putting Your Needs First
In the beginning, a divorce between two people may seem to have too many stakeholders, each with their own misinformed opinions, unmet needs, and perspectives.
The priority for your Denver divorce lawyer will be to blur out everyone in the background, draw clear lines, and bring to focus the needs of one person(you).
Some of the issues that our lawyers will help bring context to include:
- Allocation of parental responsibilities (child custody) in the best interest of the child
- Alimony payments
- Division of marital estate
- Post-divorce disputes and arrangements modifications
Our lawyers will also help with communication with your spouse (which can be difficult) and mediation with the other side to try and come to an agreement on issues such as child support and alimony payments.
We also offer guidance on a wide array of other divorce-related issues that include:
The Intricacies of the Divorce Process in Colorado
Though divorce may be uncharted territory and sometimes scary for you, our lawyers are familiar with the complexities of divorce in Colorado.
Similarly, the divorce laws in Colorado differ from those in other states, and getting help from lawyers who are grounded in local laws goes a long way. Some of the tenets you have to be familiar with are:
1. Residency
Can you and your spouse move to Colorado and immediately dissolve your marriage? Well, unfortunately, no. Either of the spouses must meet residency requirements (lived in the state of Colorado for 90 days) for the divorce to be legal.
2. Grounds for Divorce
Colorado is a no-fault state. Hence, either party does not need to be at fault for the marriage to be dissolved.
3. The Divorce Process
The divorce process in Colorado is known as dissolution of marriage (DOM). Unlike a legal separation, a divorce brings an end to the union in the eyes of the law.
Fortunately, getting a divorce in Colorado isn’t long and winding; it’s even easier if you have a team of high-caliber lawyers by your side.
With the help of our lawyers to provide guidance and expedite it where possible, your divorce process will follow this course:
- Submission of a petition for the dissolution of marriage
- Serving the divorce papers to your spouse (this is only if the divorce is not joint/mutual)
- Come to an agreement, if possible
- Provision of financial disclosures
- Attending the initial status conference (usually after 42 days)
- Attending an optional temporary orders hearing
- Discovery
- 90-day mediation process
- Permanent orders hearing (the divorce trial)
Family law in Colorado tries to encourage settling issues outside the court as much as possible (or reconciliation). This is the reason for the 90-day waiting period after first filing the divorce papers.
The Denver office is located at: 7900 E. Union Ave. Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80237
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Divorce in Colorado
At Petrelli Previtera, we are committed to providing all of our clients with the highest quality of care possible. We are here to help you resolve your family law matter quickly and efficiently. Our lawyers will provide you with personalized legal services, ensuring your rights and best interests are fully protected throughout the legal process. In addition, we will provide you with well-informed legal counsel and make sure you understand all aspects of your situation before proceeding.
Here are some of the questions you may have about divorce in Colorado:
Is divorce the only option for a broken union?
No. Our lawyers can also help you with other options, such as a legal separation, annulment, or non-divorce.
Who gets the house after the divorce?
Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all formula for property ownership post-divorce. Whoever gets the house after a divorce is complicated and calculated per each case.
How Do I Find the Best Divorce Lawyer for Me?
For better or worse, the outcome of a divorce—custody, support, or property allocation—is often the product of lawyering. A good lawyer will fight for his or her client’s interests at every turn. That said, the process of choosing the best attorney for your case can be staggeringly difficult, but it can be reduced to a few simple tips.
Experience matters. If you have a particularly unique divorce case, you will want to find an attorney who has the experience and success dealing with cases similar to yours.
Ask for referrals. As with any service, speaking with your friends, family, and colleagues is a great idea. There is a good chance they know a good lawyer in Douglas County or any of the surrounding counties.
Do some online research. Don’t stop at the referrals. Check the Colorado State Bar Association website as well to see if the lawyer has a record of formal discipline. In addition, search for reviews on Yelp and Google. Although one bad review shouldn’t necessarily preclude you from working with an attorney, several bad reviews should be a red flag.
Choose an attorney who has a passion for what they do. You don’t want a divorce attorney who’s representing you for the sake of it. You need a lawyer that loves their job and is committed to seeing clients get into the next chapter of their lives with clarity, character, and confidence. If your prospective lawyer seems disinterested, withdrawn, or otherwise insensitive, choose someone else.
Choose someone you can trust. Since you’ll need to confide your most personal concerns, it’s essential to hire an attorney you can trust and converse with freely.
I am Considering a Divorce. Should I Hire an Attorney?
It’s not compulsory to hire an attorney to get divorced in Denver, but it’s almost always the wise thing to do.
The outcome of a divorce will mean some serious changes—to your finances, your home, and your relationship with your children—that can affect the rest of your life. Only a skilled and experienced Denver divorce lawyer can inform you of your rights as well as the opportunities and risks associated with getting divorced.
Can I Be Ordered to Pay for My Kid’s College in My Denver Divorce?
The general answer to this question is “No.” Whether in a Denver divorce, child support, or custody case, a court generally cannot order a parent to pay college fees for a child.
How Can I Request Relocation After a Divorce?
The state of Colorado requires divorced parents to notify the other parent where he/she is intending on relocating to after the divorce process. The court needs to then determine if the relocation is in the best interests of the child if the other parent does not agree to the relocation plan.
The parent intending on relocating needs to notify the other parent of:
- A proposed new parenting time plan
- The reason for the relocation
- The location of the new home
- The parent’s intent to relocate
What is the Typical timeline for a Divorce?
In the state of Colorado, the earliest possible time for a divorce to be granted is 91 days after a spouse has received their Dissolution of Marriage Petition. However, it is difficult to give an exact time for when a divorce can be granted for a variety of reasons, ranging from a court’s docket being full to a delay in the other spouse’s response, and so on. After a spouse is served divorce papers, he/she has just 20 days to respond to the court. During these 20 days, the spouse filing for divorce is responsible for drafting a complete inventory of his/her assets to submit to the court. Once a spouse responds to the petition, the filing spouse has 20 days to submit his/her financial disclosures to the court. However, if the receiving spouse fails to respond to the petition within 20 days, the filing spouse is given 40 days from the date of the initial petition filing to submit his/her financial disclosures.
I Was Served With Divorce Papers. Do I Have to Move out of the Shared House?
No. Just because you were served with divorce papers doesn’t mean you have to move out of your marital home. There’s nothing more to a service than getting personal jurisdiction over the other spouse.
Can I Really Be Divorced 91 Days After I File?
While it’s possible to be divorced after the statutory 91-day waiting period, the reality on the ground is quite different. Most divorce cases take anywhere between 6 to 12 months to finish and close to 12 months if there are contested issues that require a hearing from a Denver family law judge.
What is the Difference Between Separate & Marital Property?
Are Common Law Marriages Recognized in Colorado?
Instead, a marriage is a common law marriage if:
- The couple acts as if they are married
- The couple displays their relationship to others as a marriage
If two spouses are in a common law marriage, they still need to file a Petition for the Dissolution of Marriage in order to end their marriage.
Why Should I Talk with A Divorce Lawyer instead of Handling My Own Divorce
If you are thinking about divorcing or legally separating from your spouse, your first instinct may be to do it on your own. However, before you make such a decision, you may want to think about what’s at stake.
Important issues such as asset division, child support, child custody, alimony, and so on, will all be in your own hands. You should at least consult with an attorney about your divorce to ensure your rights are protected and that you are not taken advantage of. Doing so could help you gain an essential understanding of what occurs during a legal separation or divorce and informs you how you can protect your assets. This knowledge can help you attain peace of mind and clarity, knowing that your future is in excellent hands.
If you are considering a divorce, speak with a Denver lawyer at Petrelli Previtera, LLC. Our divorce attorneys are committed to guiding you through this difficult process and helping you achieve the best possible outcome. We want to help.
Get Award-Winning Denver Divorce Lawyers In Your Corner
When you’re facing a nasty divorce battle and your future is on the line, you need an attorney who’ll bring their A-game to every aspect of your case. You need a Denver divorce lawyer who’s got your best interests at heart—one who’ll stop at nothing to get you your rightful compensation. Our firm has continually been recognized as one of the top law firms in Colorado, meaning we’re extremely good at what we do. Some of the accolades that Thomas Petrelli Jr. and his team have garnered in the recent past include:
- Inc. 500 2019 & 2020 Honoree
- Martindale-Hubbell’s Gold Client Champion 2017 Award
- The National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40
- The Nation Advocates Top 100 Lawyers
As part of our mission to serve our clients with utmost dexterity, we continually look to add new talent to our family law bench.
How A Denver Divorce Lawyer Can Help
Petrelli Pevitera is one of the top firms in the nation. The firm has been featured in the 2019, 2020 and 2021 releases of Inc. 5000’s list of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies.
Like many other cases, the input and support of a Denver Divorce Lawyer with Petrelli Previtera, LLC can be pivotal in assuring your future and protecting your interests in a divorce trial.
Get answers today by getting in contact with our legal team at (303) 416-7086, and our team will be more than willing to help.
