Dissolution of Marriage in Colorado
Colorado calls divorce "dissolution of marriage." We help Colorado families understand the process, protect their rights, and choose the right level of help — Licensed Legal Paraprofessional, attorney, or both.
The short answer
In Colorado, dissolution of marriage is the legal term for divorce. The court uses one phrase; most people use the other. They mean the same thing.
Colorado is a no-fault state. Neither spouse has to prove the other did something wrong. The only legal ground is that the marriage is irretrievably broken. That part is simple. What comes next usually is not — parenting time, decision-making, child support, spousal maintenance, dividing what you built, dividing what you owe.
You do not have to walk through any of that alone. At Novo Legal Group, Fernanda Soto is a Colorado Licensed Legal Paraprofessional (LLP) authorized to represent clients in dissolution matters. When your case fits inside LLP scope, Fernanda handles it directly, in English or Spanish, at a rate built for working families. When the case grows — complex assets, a contested fight, an immigration overlap, criminal exposure — our supervising attorneys Aaron Elinoff and Bryce Downer step in without sending you to a different firm.
Not sure which path fits your case? Start with a 15-minute phone screen. If your situation is a fit, the next step is a paid 60-minute consultation with the right person — LLP or attorney. We tell you which one before you book it. Call (888) 746-5245 or contact Novo Legal Group.
What "dissolution of marriage" means in Colorado
Divorce vs. dissolution of marriage
"Divorce" is the everyday word. "Dissolution of marriage" is the term the Colorado courts use in statutes, forms, and orders. When you read the Colorado Judicial Branch self-help materials, the JDF forms, or your final decree, you will see "dissolution." When you tell a friend, you will say "divorce." Both are correct. This page uses them interchangeably.
Colorado's no-fault framework
Colorado is a pure no-fault state. Under the Uniform Dissolution of Marriage Act (C.R.S. Title 14, Article 10), the only ground a court will recognize is that the marriage is "irretrievably broken." C.R.S. §§ 14-10-106, -110. You do not have to prove adultery, abandonment, cruelty, or any other fault to end a marriage in Colorado. If one spouse believes the marriage is over and the other disagrees, the court can order a brief continuance or counseling evaluation, but ultimately the irretrievable-breakdown finding controls.
That matters in practice. A no-fault framework lowers the temperature in many cases. You are not building a case to prove your spouse is a bad person. You are dividing a household and making decisions about money, property, and — if you have children — how you will raise them across two homes.
Legal separation vs. dissolution
Colorado law also recognizes legal separation as an alternative to dissolution. A legal separation uses the same forms and the same court process, but the marriage itself is not dissolved at the end. People choose legal separation for religious reasons, for health-insurance continuity, or because they are not yet certain about full divorce. The court still divides property, allocates parental responsibilities, and sets support — the legal status of the marriage is the difference. After six months, either party can convert a decree of legal separation into a decree of dissolution.
What a divorce order can decide
A Colorado dissolution decree typically resolves: division of marital property and debts (Colorado is an equitable-distribution state, not a community-property state); allocation of parental responsibilities (the statutory term for what most people call "custody"); parenting time; child support; and spousal maintenance (Colorado's term for what other states call alimony). The court may also enter civil protection orders within the domestic-relations case where needed. Name changes for either spouse can be requested as part of the decree.
Who can file for divorce in Colorado
Residency requirement
To file for dissolution of marriage in Colorado, at least one spouse must have been domiciled in Colorado for 91 days before the petition is filed. C.R.S. § 14-10-106(1)(a)(I). That is 91 days, not 90 — the statutory floor is a full calendar quarter. If neither spouse meets the 91-day domicile, the case is filed in the wrong court and gets dismissed. Domicile is more than physical presence; it is the place you intend to make your permanent home.
Where to file
A dissolution case is filed in the District Court of the county where either spouse resides. C.R.C.P. 98. Most Denver-area filings land in Denver, Adams, Arapahoe, Jefferson, Douglas, or Broomfield District Court. Venue questions get more complicated when one spouse has moved out of Colorado mid-marriage, or when both spouses recently moved. Our intake screens for venue at the 15-minute call.
Filing alone (petition) vs. filing jointly (co-petition)
Colorado lets one spouse file alone (as the Petitioner) and serve the other (as the Respondent), or lets both spouses file together as Co-Petitioners. The co-petition path is faster and cheaper when the spouses are aligned — there is no service of process to arrange, and the 91-day clock starts the day the joint petition is filed. The single-petitioner path is the right one when the other spouse will not engage, when there are safety concerns, or when the case is contested.
What if your spouse will not participate
If you file and your spouse will not respond, the case does not stop. After valid service of process and the running of the response window, the court can enter orders by default. You still must complete the 91-day waiting period and all required disclosures. You still need a proposed decree, a parenting plan if children are involved, and supporting financial paperwork. People in this situation often work with an LLP or attorney to make sure the default record is complete enough for the judge to enter the orders you actually need.
The Colorado divorce process, step by step
Initial petition and the core JDF forms
Dissolution in Colorado runs on a defined set of Judicial Department-approved (JDF) forms. The current core packet includes:
- JDF 1010 — Instructions for Filing a Divorce or Legal Separation
- JDF 1011 — Petition for Divorce or Legal Separation
- JDF 1012 — Summons (for the responding spouse)
- JDF 1111 — Sworn Financial Statement
- JDF 1019 — Final Decree of Dissolution or Legal Separation
Several supporting forms apply depending on whether you have children, whether you are co-petitioning, and whether you are asking for a decree without an appearance (JDF 1018). Form numbers and titles change. Always pull the current versions from the Colorado Judicial Branch family-cases forms hub rather than relying on older PDFs that may be circulating.
Service or waiver of service
If you filed alone, the responding spouse must be formally served with the Petition and Summons. If you filed jointly as Co-Petitioners, no service is required — the joint filing itself starts the clock. The Respondent has 21 days to file a Response if served in Colorado (35 days if served out of state).
Financial disclosures
Both parties must exchange sworn financial disclosures within 42 days of service of the petition. These include the Sworn Financial Statement (JDF 1111), recent pay stubs, tax returns, bank and retirement statements, real-estate valuations, debt documentation, and a list of separate-property claims. Financial disclosures are not optional and not aspirational — judges enforce them, and the case stalls until they are complete.
Initial status conference
The court will set an Initial Status Conference (ISC) within roughly 42 days of filing. The ISC is a working meeting with a Family Court Facilitator or magistrate — not a trial. It sets deadlines, screens for safety issues, and identifies what needs to happen next: temporary orders, mediation, custody evaluation, or a path to settlement.
Temporary orders, if needed
If you cannot wait until the final decree to settle parenting time, who pays which bills, who stays in the house, or how support is paid, either party can request Temporary Orders. The court can issue interim orders that govern the family while the case is pending.
Parenting plan and support, if children are involved
Cases involving children require a parenting plan: where the children live, the parenting-time schedule, how decision-making is allocated, holiday and travel rules, and how disputes get resolved. Child support is calculated under the statutory guideline (C.R.S. § 14-10-115) based on incomes, parenting time, health-insurance costs, and childcare. Colorado uses the term allocation of parental responsibilities (APR) instead of custody — same concept, different label since 1999.
Final orders and decree
Once the 91-day waiting period has run, financial disclosures are complete, and the parties have either agreed on terms or finished a contested hearing, the court can enter the Final Decree (JDF 1019). The decree formally ends the marriage and incorporates the property division, parenting plan, child support, and maintenance orders. In uncontested cases with full agreement, the decree can be entered without a court appearance using JDF 1018.
Issues your divorce may need to resolve
Property and debt division
Colorado is an equitable-distribution state under C.R.S. § 14-10-113 — not a community-property state. That means the court divides marital property "equitably," which in many cases means roughly evenly, but not always. The court looks at each spouse's contribution, the economic circumstances at the time of divorce, separate-property claims, and changes in value of separate property during the marriage. Debt incurred during the marriage is generally marital, even when it is in one spouse's name only.
Parental responsibilities, parenting time, and decision-making
Allocation of parental responsibilities (APR) is decided under the best-interests-of-the-child standard in C.R.S. § 14-10-124. The statute lists factors the court must consider — the child's wishes (age-appropriate), the parents' wishes, the child's adjustment to home/school/community, mental and physical health of everyone involved, the parties' ability to encourage the child's relationship with the other parent, and history of domestic violence, child abuse, or neglect. Decision-making (medical, educational, religious, extracurricular) can be allocated jointly or to one parent.
Child support
Colorado runs child support through the statutory guideline (C.R.S. § 14-10-115). The calculation accounts for both parents' gross incomes, parenting-time overnights, health-insurance costs, work-related childcare, and existing support orders for other children. The result is presumptively correct; judges deviate only with written findings. Support continues until age 19 in most cases, longer if the child has a qualifying disability or is still in high school.
Spousal maintenance
Colorado calls it maintenance, not alimony. C.R.S. § 14-10-114 sets out a guideline calculation for marriages of three years or longer where combined gross income falls within the statutory range. The guideline is advisory; judges still apply discretion to award, deny, or modify maintenance based on length of marriage, earning capacity, financial resources, and the parties' standard of living during the marriage. For shorter marriages, the guideline does not control and the court awards maintenance only where it finds it appropriate.
Protection orders and safety concerns
A civil protection order can be issued within a domestic-relations case where one party has been the victim of domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, or unlawful sexual contact. Civil protection orders within a domestic matter are within LLP scope. Criminal domestic-violence charges — including violations of a protection order — are a separate matter that requires criminal-defense counsel. If there is active criminal exposure tied to your case, we route the criminal piece to attorney Jeff List or another Novo criminal-defense path before any family-law step is taken.
Immigration-related concerns
A dissolution can have real consequences for immigration status — particularly during the two-year conditional-residence period after a marriage-based green card, for VAWA self-petitioners, for U-visa or T-visa holders or applicants, or for a spouse in removal proceedings. This page does not give immigration advice. If your case touches any of these issues, the immigration analysis routes to a Novo immigration attorney before any divorce strategy is locked in. The order matters — what you file first, what you say in the petition, and what you ask the decree to do can all affect a parallel immigration case.
When a Licensed Legal Paraprofessional can help with divorce
Colorado created the Licensed Legal Paraprofessional credential to close a gap that working families know firsthand: full attorney representation is often unaffordable, and self-representation in family court is overwhelming. An LLP is a Colorado Supreme Court-regulated practitioner authorized under C.R.C.P. 207.1 to represent clients in defined domestic-relations matters — dissolution of marriage among them.
What Fernanda can do on a dissolution matter
Under C.R.C.P. 207.1 — as amended by Rule Change 2025(20), effective December 1, 2025 — an LLP in good standing can represent you in a dissolution from intake to decree, including:
- Establishing the representation, interviewing, counseling, and advising you about your matter
- Choosing the correct JDF forms and completing them with you
- Preparing petitions, summons, parenting plans, separation agreements, child-support worksheets, sworn financial statements, motions, discovery, trial-management certificates, exhibit and witness lists
- Filing documents and arranging service
- Reviewing pension and retirement documents prepared by another party and explaining them to you
- Negotiating and mediating on your behalf, and communicating with the other party or their representative
- Sitting at counsel table with you in court, making statements and arguments, answering the court's questions, and assisting you in real time during the proceeding
- Examining witnesses within scope — a change added by Rule Change 2025(20) that expanded what an LLP can do in the courtroom
- Working with experts within scope on issues that do not trigger the carve-outs below
- Explaining court orders to you after they enter, and advising you when an issue needs an attorney
Colorado expanded LLP courtroom authority effective December 1, 2025 (Rule Change 2025(20)). Older guidance from any source — including some published before the amendment — may not reflect the current scope.
Why an LLP can be a more affordable option
For dissolution matters that fall inside the regulated LLP scope, an LLP performs many of the same tasks an attorney would on the same case — at a lower hourly rate. For uncontested and lower-conflict matters, the path to a final decree can be substantially more affordable than full attorney representation. We are direct about which matters fit and which do not, because no one is well served by an LLP carrying a case that should be in attorney hands.
Fernanda's LLP rate is $200 per hour. Novo's supervising attorneys bill in the $350–$500 per hour range for hourly family-law engagements. Rates as of 2026, subject to engagement-specific scoping at consultation. Filing fees and court costs are the same regardless of which professional you work with.
When your divorce needs attorney backup
C.R.C.P. 207.1(2)(f) carves out specific issues that fall outside LLP scope. If your case includes any of the following, the matter goes to one of Novo's supervising attorneys — Aaron Elinoff (Managing Partner) or Bryce Downer (Partner) — either alongside Fernanda on the same file or as the primary representative.
Disputed common-law marriage
If either spouse contests the existence or date of a common-law marriage, the case is outside LLP scope. C.R.C.P. 207.1(2)(f)(iii). These cases require evidence-heavy litigation on the formation question itself before any dissolution analysis. Aaron Elinoff or Bryce Downer handles.
Pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements
Preparation or litigation about a pre- or post-nuptial agreement is outside LLP scope. C.R.C.P. 207.1(2)(f)(vi). Whether the agreement is being enforced, challenged, or interpreted, attorney representation is required.
QDROs and complex retirement asset division
A Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) — the instrument that divides a pension, 401(k), or similar non-liquid retirement asset — must be prepared by an attorney. C.R.C.P. 207.1(2)(f)(ix). An LLP can review and explain a QDRO prepared by another party; an LLP cannot draft or litigate one. Aaron Elinoff and Bryce Downer handle the QDRO work in-house.
Business interests and commercial property
Preparing documents to effectuate the sale or distribution of a business entity's assets or commercial property is outside LLP scope. C.R.C.P. 207.1(2)(f)(x). If one or both spouses own a business, or if marital assets include commercial real estate, the matter routes to attorney.
Expert-required asset valuation or income determination
When an expert report or testimony is required to value an asset or determine income because of inherent complexity — closely-held businesses, complex retirement structures, high-net-worth marital estates — the case is outside LLP scope. C.R.C.P. 207.1(2)(f)(xi). Attorney handles.
Trust beneficiary issues
If either spouse is a beneficiary of a trust and the trust information is relevant to the dissolution, the case is outside LLP scope. C.R.C.P. 207.1(2)(f)(vii).
Punitive contempt, jurisdictional challenges, and foreign-order registration
LLPs may handle remedial contempt; punitive contempt under C.R.C.P. 107 is attorney territory. Matters where a party intends to contest the court's jurisdiction, and registration of out-of-state orders, also require attorney representation. C.R.C.P. 207.1(2)(f)(i), (ii), (viii).
Third-party APR
When a non-parent seeks an allocation of parental responsibilities and at least one parent contests it, the case is outside LLP scope and goes to attorney. C.R.C.P. 207.1(2)(f)(v).
Cases tangled with immigration, criminal, or bankruptcy issues
If a dissolution issue is "directly affected" by an immigration, criminal, or bankruptcy matter that requires analysis outside LLP scope, the case routes to the appropriate Novo practice area. C.R.C.P. 207.1(2)(f)(xii). Immigration overlap — INA § 216 conditional residence, VAWA self-petitions, U/T-visa intersection, removal proceedings — goes to a Novo immigration attorney. Active criminal-defense exposure goes to Jeff List or another Novo criminal-defense path. Bankruptcy overlap goes to outside bankruptcy counsel.
Appeals
Appeals from dissolution orders go to attorney. The trial-court representation may stay with the LLP through the decree; the appeal does not.
How Novo's LLP + attorney-backup model works
Fernanda-fronted family-law help
For dissolutions inside LLP scope, Fernanda Soto is your representative. She handles intake, files the case, runs the disclosures, walks you through every form, sits with you at counsel table, and explains every order. Fernanda is a native Spanish speaker — service in Spanish is not a translation layer added on top of an English process; it is the way she practices.
Attorney backup when the case grows
Novo Legal Group's "attorney backup" model is a firm-policy posture, not something Colorado rules require. Colorado does not mandate attorney supervision of LLPs. Many independent LLPs in Colorado practice without an attorney behind them. We chose differently. Aaron Elinoff and Bryce Downer are partners in the same firm — when an issue arises that pushes a case past the C.R.C.P. 207.1(2)(f) carve-outs, you do not get a referral to a stranger. The handoff is internal. The file does not move.
Bilingual practice without losing continuity
Maria, Diego, Lucia — every Novo client deserves to hear what is happening in the language they think in. We are a Spanish-first firm. If your first conversation with Fernanda is in Spanish, every later conversation, every court hearing she handles, every order she explains, will be in Spanish. If an attorney joins your file, the attorneys at Novo also work in Spanish — your case does not get bilingually downgraded when it escalates.
Firm malpractice coverage for the LLP practice
Colorado rules require LLPs to disclose whether they carry professional liability insurance — they do not require LLPs to carry it. Many independent LLPs do not. Fernanda's LLP practice at Novo is covered under the firm's malpractice insurance. That is one of the structural reasons our LLP work sits inside a full law firm and not as a standalone practice.
Cost and timeline
Filing fees and court costs
The Colorado district-court filing fee for a dissolution or legal separation petition is $260.00 (Colorado Judicial Branch fee schedule). C.R.S. § 13-32-101(1)(a). If you co-petition, only one filing fee is owed. If you cannot afford the fee, the court accepts a Motion to File Without Payment of Filing Fee (JDF 205) — you submit financial information and the judge decides whether to waive or reduce the fee. The filing fee is separate from any service-of-process costs, parenting-class fees, or post-decree filings.
Why total cost depends on conflict, children, property, and cooperation
There is no flat fee for a Colorado divorce. The honest answer is that cost is driven by how much professional time the case takes — and that time is driven by conflict, complexity, and cooperation. An uncontested co-petition with no children, no real property, no retirement assets, and a written agreement on debt allocation is a different case from a contested dissolution with two children, a small business, a disputed parenting plan, and a maintenance fight. We will not quote a total at the 15-minute screen. We will quote the consultation. After the consultation, we can give you a realistic scope-of-work estimate based on what your case actually looks like. For a deeper treatment of cost components, see the Novo guide at Cost of a Colorado divorce.
Timeline: the 91-day floor and beyond
Colorado has a statutory 91-day waiting period: the court cannot enter a Final Decree until 91 days have passed since service of the petition on the responding party, or 91 days since a joint petition was filed. C.R.S. § 14-10-106(1)(a)(III). That is the floor — no Colorado divorce moves faster.
The ceiling depends on the case. In a fully uncontested matter with disclosures complete and agreement on every term, the decree can sometimes enter shortly after the 91st day. In contested matters, the timeline often runs 6–12 months and can run longer when expert valuations, custody evaluations, or contested hearings are involved. We do not promise dates because no honest professional can. For a deeper timeline walk-through, see Colorado divorce timeline.
What to bring to a divorce consultation
Marriage and separation facts
Bring the date and place of marriage, the date you and your spouse separated (if you have separated), each spouse's current address, whether either spouse has filed for divorce before in any state, and whether you believe common-law marriage applies. If a pre- or post-nuptial agreement exists, bring a copy.
Children and parenting schedule
If you have children together, bring full names and dates of birth, current school information, any existing parenting schedule (informal or court-ordered), any existing child-support order, and a short note on any safety or special-needs concerns we should know about.
Income, debts, assets, and housing
Bring (or be ready to describe): both spouses' approximate monthly incomes, the home situation (own, rent, who is on the lease/mortgage), approximate balances on mortgages, vehicle loans, credit cards, student loans, and any other significant debts, and a high-level list of major assets — real estate, vehicles, retirement accounts, bank accounts, business interests. We do not need exact figures at the 15-minute screen. The detailed financial statement (JDF 1111) comes later.
Safety, existing orders, and protection concerns
If there is a current restraining order, civil protection order, or no-contact order between you and your spouse — entered by any court — bring a copy or the case number. If there has been recent or ongoing domestic violence, abuse, or coercive control, tell us at intake so we route the case correctly from the start.
Immigration and criminal overlap
If either spouse's immigration status could be affected by the divorce — conditional residence, pending green card or asylum application, VAWA eligibility, U/T-visa case, ongoing removal proceedings — tell us at intake. If either spouse has open criminal exposure connected to the marriage (domestic-violence charges, protection-order violations), tell us. These are not background details; they change which Novo professional handles your file from day one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is "dissolution of marriage" the same as divorce in Colorado?
Yes. The court calls it dissolution of marriage. Most people call it divorce. They mean the same thing — the legal end of a marriage in Colorado.
Do I need a lawyer to get divorced in Colorado?
No, Colorado law does not require either spouse to be represented by counsel. But "you can do it yourself" is not the same as "you should." A Licensed Legal Paraprofessional is a more affordable middle path between self-representation and full attorney representation, and is sufficient for many dissolutions. Cases with the complexities listed above (immigration overlap, contested common-law marriage, QDROs, business interests, expert-required valuations, criminal exposure) require an attorney.
Can an LLP file my divorce for me?
Yes. Under C.R.C.P. 207.1, a Colorado-licensed LLP in good standing can represent you in a dissolution from intake through final decree, including in-court representation within scope. The 2025 rule change expanded LLP authority in the courtroom — examining witnesses within scope is now allowed.
What if my spouse already has an attorney?
That is common, and it does not by itself push your case out of LLP scope. An LLP can negotiate with opposing counsel, attend mediation, and litigate within scope opposite an attorney. We will tell you honestly whether your case profile and the issues in dispute call for matching attorney representation on your side — sometimes the answer is yes, but it is a case-by-case call, not automatic.
How long does a divorce take in Colorado?
Minimum 91 days from service of the petition (or from joint filing) before a decree can enter. Uncontested cases with complete paperwork can resolve shortly after that floor. Contested cases routinely take 6–12 months and can run longer when valuations, custody evaluations, or contested hearings are involved.
How much does a Colorado divorce cost?
The court filing fee is $260. Beyond that, total cost depends on conflict, complexity, children, property, and cooperation. We do not quote totals at the screen; we quote the consultation and give a realistic scope-of-work estimate after that.
Can divorce affect my immigration status?
It can — sometimes significantly, sometimes not at all. Conditional permanent residence based on marriage, VAWA self-petitions, U and T visas, and active removal proceedings all interact with divorce timing and decree language in ways that matter. This page does not give immigration advice. Tell us at intake and we route the immigration piece to a Novo immigration attorney.
Does Novo help in Spanish?
Yes. Novo Legal Group is a Spanish-first firm. Fernanda Soto is a native Spanish speaker; her family-law practice runs in Spanish as easily as in English. Our supervising attorneys also work in Spanish — your case does not get bilingually downgraded when it escalates.
Talk to a Colorado family-law LLP
You do not have to figure this out alone, and you do not have to start with a paid commitment. Start with a 15-minute phone screen. We will tell you whether your case fits inside Fernanda's LLP scope, whether it needs an attorney, or both — before you book a paid consultation.
Related reading
- Colorado Family Law — practice-area pillar
- What Is a Licensed Legal Paraprofessional
- LLP vs. Attorney — How to Choose
- Fernanda Soto — Licensed Legal Paraprofessional bio
- Colorado Judicial Branch — Family Cases forms and self-help (external)
Forecast cluster links (publisher confirms per-link release at Stage 05a):
- Uncontested divorce in Colorado
- Cost of a Colorado divorce
- Colorado divorce timeline
- Short marriage, no children
- Allocation of parental responsibilities (APR)
- Child support in Colorado
- Spousal maintenance in Colorado
- Civil protection orders within a domestic case
- Divorce and your green card
