Colorado Family Law — Attorney or LLP, Under One Roof

Colorado is a no-fault state. One spouse must have been domiciled in Colorado for at least 91 days before filing, and there is a 91-day waiting period between service and entry of the decree under C.R.S. § 14-10-106 / § 14-10-107. An LLP can handle a dissolution from petition through decree where the matter is in scope. Read more: Dissolution of marriage in Colorado.

Legal separation runs on the same Colorado statutory track as dissolution, but the parties remain legally married at the end of it. Some families choose legal separation over divorce for insurance, religious, or immigration-planning reasons. LLP-eligible within the scope of C.R.C.P. 207.1. Read more: legal separation (cluster page forthcoming).

Colorado replaced "custody" with "allocation of parental responsibilities" in 1999. The statute is C.R.S. § 14-10-124, and the standard is the best interests of the child, with specific statutory factors the court applies. APR covers parenting time, decision-making authority, and parenting-plan construction — initial and modifications. LLP-eligible within scope; third-party APR (non-parent custody) is out of scope and routes to a supervising attorney. Read more: Allocation of Parental Responsibilities (APR).

Child support in Colorado is calculated by statutory guideline under C.R.S. § 14-10-115, using the combined incomes of the parents and the overnight schedule. Post-decree modification requires a substantial and continuing change of circumstances under C.R.S. § 14-10-122. LLP-eligible in scope. Read more: Child support in Colorado.

Colorado uses "maintenance," not "alimony." The statutory guideline is C.R.S. § 14-10-114, which offers a formula the court starts from and then adjusts for the statutory factors. LLP-eligible for in-scope matters. Read more: Spousal maintenance in Colorado.

Life does not stop moving after a decree. When income changes, a parent relocates, or a child's needs shift, the decree can be modified — parenting time, child support, and maintenance on their own standards. The governing standard for support and maintenance modification is in C.R.S. § 14-10-122. LLP-eligible in scope for most modifications. Read more: Post-decree modifications.

Civil protection orders within a domestic relationship — to stop abuse, harassment, or threats — run under C.R.S. §§ 13-14-100.2 through 13-14-106 and are in LLP scope. Criminal domestic-violence defense is a separate matter and is not handled through the family-law practice. Read more: Protection orders in domestic cases.

Adult and minor name changes are in LLP scope in Colorado. Fernanda can prepare the petition, the publication notice where required, and represent the party at the court's name-change order. Read more: name changes (cluster page forthcoming).

Often yes — within scope. A Licensed Legal Paraprofessional in Colorado is authorized to represent clients fully at hearings within the scope set by C.R.C.P. 207.1, which includes contested APR. The line sits at third-party custody (non-parent), complex evidentiary postures that demand an attorney's litigation judgment, and appeals. In practice, a contested custody matter will often open with Fernanda and move to Aaron Elinoff or Bryce Downer only if and when the case grows out of scope — never as a pre-emptive retainer charge.

Filing fees paid to the court for a dissolution petition are approximately $230 under current Colorado Judicial Branch fees. Attorney or LLP time is the larger part of the total, and it tracks the length of the dispute. An uncontested case with an LLP at $200/hr runs meaningfully less than a contested case at a market $300–$600/hr attorney rate. For a full cost breakdown, see how much a Colorado divorce costs at Novo Legal. We give a case-specific range at intake — no surprise retainers.

Yes. Fernanda is Chile-born and Spanish-dominant bilingual. Client intake, strategy, and document review happen in Spanish when that is the client's preference — with Fernanda herself, not through an interpreter.

The case does not leave the firm. If a matter that started in LLP scope grows into territory that requires a supervising attorney, Aaron Elinoff or Bryce Downer picks it up in-house, on the same file, without a second retainer to re-open the matter. The switch is how the model is designed — escalation is a feature, not a failure.

Colorado imposes a mandatory 91-day waiting period between service of the petition and entry of the decree under C.R.S. § 14-10-106 / § 14-10-107. An uncontested case can be ready to finalize at the 91-day mark; contested cases run longer because the court has to resolve what the parties cannot.

Not always. Civil protection orders within a domestic matter are in LLP scope under C.R.C.P. 207.1, and Fernanda can file the temporary order and represent you at the permanent-order hearing. If the same underlying facts produce a criminal domestic-violence case, the criminal case is a separate matter and is not handled through this practice.

The family-law case proceeds on Colorado family-court rules regardless of immigration status — the court does not require proof of status to grant a divorce, APR, child support, or a protection order. The immigration piece is legally distinct and Novo's immigration counsel handles it on a separate track. You get two tracks under one roof, talking to each other, instead of two firms that do not.

Schedule a consultation at novo-legal.com/en/contact or call the main intake line at (888) 746-5245 (tel:+18887465245). Spanish or English. Denver office: (303) 335-0250 (tel:+13033350250).