Colorado Family Law Attorneys

At DearLegal, we connect you with experienced Colorado family law attorneys who can navigate Colorado’s Uniform Dissolution of Marriage Act framework.

Free to use — fees quoted upfront, before you commit
Matched with a Colorado attorney in 24 hours
30,000+ plaintiffs served nationwide

Free Colorado family law case review

A Colorado attorney will take a look. Or call 1-833-WELEGAL.

How we match your Colorado family law case

When you submit a Colorado family law matter, we route it through a national network of independent partner firms and put it in front of the one that fits best — based on the kind of case it is, what it is likely to involve, where it has to be handled, and who has capacity to take it on now.

Case type

A family law matter needs someone who handles family law work day to day, not a generalist. Practice area is the first filter.

Size and complexity

Some firms are built for catastrophic injury and multi-party litigation; others resolve straightforward claims quickly. We weigh what your matter is likely to involve against how each firm actually works.

Jurisdiction and licensing

Your matter is decided under Colorado law, so it goes to an attorney licensed in Colorado who regularly appears where your case would be heard.

Capacity and fit

Availability, conflicts of interest and language all matter. If the best-fit firm cannot take your case, we route it to the next one that can — or tell you plainly when no one in the network is the right answer.

Every partner reviews your case for free. Injury and workers’ compensation matters are handled on contingency — no fee unless you win. Other matters are quoted upfront, before you commit to anything.

Get started How DearLegal works

DearLegal provides marketing and matching services and is not a law firm. Submitting a case does not create an attorney-client relationship. Matches depend on case type, jurisdiction and firm availability.

Exhibit A

What happens with a family law claim in Colorado

Day 0
You decide to act.
Separation, custody, support or a modification. Gather financials, the children’s schedules and any agreements or orders that already exist.
Within 24 hours
Tell us what happened.
Two minutes on this page. A Colorado family law attorney reviews it for free and, if it’s a fit, you’re matched within 24 hours.
Weeks 1–4
Filing and disclosures.
The petition is filed and both sides exchange financial disclosures. Temporary orders for custody or support can be requested early in Colorado.
Months 1–6
Negotiation or mediation.
Most cases settle here — parenting plans, division of property, support. Your attorney negotiates from the disclosures, not from guesses.
If it doesn’t settle
Hearing or trial.
Contested issues go before a judge. Preparation matters more than argument; your attorney builds the file for it from day one.
Resolution
Final order.
Fees are quoted before you commit — hourly or a retainer, spelled out in writing at the free consultation.

Residency Requirement: 91 days
91 days before filing (C.R.S. § 14-10-106(1)(a)(I)); 91-day post-service waiting period before decree
Property Division System: Equitable distribution
Equitable distribution — just division of marital property (C.R.S. § 14-10-113)
Custody Standard: APR
Allocation of parental responsibilities (APR) under best-interests factors (C.R.S. § 14-10-124)
Child Support Guidelines: Income Shares
Income Shares model (C.R.S. § 14-10-115); guideline rebuttable presumption
Spousal Support Framework: Maintenance guidelines
Maintenance guidelines under C.R.S. § 14-10-114 — advisory formula for marriages 3+ years
Typical attorney fee: Hourly
Hourly / Flat Fee

Colorado adopted the Uniform Dissolution of Marriage Act — the only ground for divorce is irretrievable breakdown of the marriage (C.R.S. § 14-10-106). Colorado requires 91 days of residency before filing (C.R.S. § 14-10-106(1)(a)(I)) and a 91-day waiting period between service and decree (C.R.S. § 14-10-106(1)(a)(II)). Colorado is an equitable distribution state under C.R.S. § 14-10-113 — marital property is divided in such proportions as the court deems just. Custody is now called allocation of parental responsibilities under C.R.S. § 14-10-124 with statutory best-interests factors. Colorado recognized common-law marriage and continues to (unique among states with a long-standing common law tradition).

Exhibit B

When to call a family law attorney in Colorado

Does any of this sound like you? Tap what applies.

Exhibit C

Family Law cases we take in Colorado

Which one is closest to yours?

Uncontested dissolution

Joint petitions and stipulated decrees finalize 91 days after service. The Court still reviews for fairness and child support guideline compliance.

Sound like yours? A Colorado attorney reviews it free — fees are quoted upfront, before you commit.

Start my free review

Exhibit D

How much do Colorado family law attorneys cost?

Typical fee schedule

Colorado · Family Law

Fee modelHourly / Flat Fee

Feequoted per petition or matter

Filing costsitemized upfront

Case reviewFree

Illustrative only. Your fee terms are set in a written agreement with your attorney and may include costs and expenses regardless of outcome.

Family Law matters in Colorado are usually a flat fee per filing — quoted before you commit, not billed by the hour.

Family law cases in Colorado are not handled on contingency. Colorado Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5(d)(1) — patterned on ABA Model Rule 1.5(d) — prohibits contingent fees in domestic relations matters where the fee is contingent on securing a dissolution or on the amount of maintenance, support, or property settlement. Colorado family law attorneys charge hourly (billed against a retainer) or flat fees for limited-scope and uncontested matters. Courts can award attorney’s fees between parties under C.R.S. § 14-10-119.

A good attorney walks through every number at your free consultation — before you sign anything.

Get startedTakes about two minutes. No obligation.

Exhibit E

What your Colorado family law compensation can include

A Colorado family law recovery is built from several parts. Tap one to see what it covers.

Property Division

Equitable distribution under C.R.S. § 14-10-113 — just division of marital property, with appreciation of separate property during marriage treated as marital.

DearLegal is a legal referral service, not a law firm. We connect individuals with licensed attorneys who can evaluate their case. Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice. Results vary based on individual circumstances.

Exhibit F

Colorado family law questions, answered

Still unsure? Tell us what happened and a Colorado attorney will review it for free.

Start free review

At minimum, 91 days from service — Colorado’s mandatory waiting period under C.R.S. § 14-10-106. Uncontested divorces typically finalize at or shortly after 91 days. Contested cases generally take 6–18 months depending on county and complexity.

Yes — Colorado is a pure no-fault state. The only ground for dissolution under C.R.S. § 14-10-106 is irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. Fault is not a ground and is generally irrelevant to property division and maintenance.

No pre-filing separation is required. The 91-day post-service waiting period under C.R.S. § 14-10-106 must elapse before the decree can issue. Colorado also recognizes legal separation as an alternative to dissolution under C.R.S. § 14-10-106(2).

Colorado is an equitable distribution state. Marital property is divided in such proportions as the court deems just under C.R.S. § 14-10-113, considering each spouse’s contribution to acquisition, the value of separate property, economic circumstances, and any increase or decrease in separate property’s value. Separate property is exempt from division but its appreciation during marriage may be marital.

Colorado uses allocation of parental responsibilities (APR) instead of custody. Under C.R.S. § 14-10-124, courts consider 11 factors including the child’s wishes (if mature), parent-child relationships, ability to encourage continuing contact with the other parent, history of abuse, and proximity of residences. Joint decision-making and joint parenting time are common.

Colorado uses the Income Shares model under C.R.S. § 14-10-115. Both parents’ combined gross incomes are applied to the state schedule and prorated. Parenting time, healthcare, and childcare adjust the amount. Shared physical care (overnight overlaps of 92+ overnights) triggers a different formula.

Yes. Parenting time can be modified on a showing of changed circumstances; major decision-making and primary residence have stricter endangerment thresholds under C.R.S. § 14-10-129. Child support requires a 10%+ change in guideline amount. Maintenance modification depends on whether the award is modifiable.

Family Law attorneys by city in Colorado

Same Colorado rules and the same attorneys — with what’s local to each city.

Other case types in Colorado

All Colorado practice areas →

Animal Incident attorneysColorado's dog-bite law skips the one-bite excuse when the injury is serious — first bite, the owner still pays.

Business Dispute attorneysSince Colorado's 2022 non-compete rewrite, most non-competes are simply void — unless you're selling a business or earn above the highly-compensated threshold.

Car Accident attorneysCrash cases get a rare third year on the clock in Colorado — but reach 50% fault and the state gives you nothing.

Consumer Protection attorneysThe Colorado Consumer Protection Act can triple your damages and shift attorney fees — and the Attorney General's office is an active co-enforcer.

Criminal Defense attorneysColorado has spent a decade redrawing its drug-sentencing lines — knowing exactly which felonies became misdemeanors, and when, can decide a case.

Defective Product attorneysColorado's Products Liability Act layers presumptions and a repose period over strict liability — older products get harder to sue over.

Employment attorneysThe Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act reaches employers federal law ignores, and recent reforms gave state-court plaintiffs damages parity with federal claims.

Immigration attorneysDenver's immigration court hears the state's removal docket, and a 2019 Colorado law sharply limits ICE detainer cooperation.

Lemon Law attorneysColorado's lemon law gives new-vehicle buyers one year to force a buyback or replacement — with the manufacturer covering your attorney fees if you win.

Medical Malpractice attorneysA 2024 law unfroze Colorado's med-mal damages caps for the first time in decades — cases the old numbers quietly killed are suddenly viable.

Personal Injury attorneysTwo years for most injuries, three for car crashes, and a 50% fault bar that's one percentage point meaner than most states.

Slip and Fall attorneysColorado threw out the common law here — the Premises Liability Act decides your case by how it classifies you: invitee, licensee, or trespasser.

Social Security Disability attorneysColorado disability hearings run through Denver and Colorado Springs, with Tenth Circuit federal precedent governing every appeal.

Workers’ Compensation attorneysColorado comp runs through the state Division of Workers' Compensation, with Pinnacol Assurance backstopping employers no private carrier will write.

Colorado Family Law Attorneys

How we match your Colorado family law case

Case type

Size and complexity

Jurisdiction and licensing

Capacity and fit

What happens with a family law claim in Colorado

You decide to act.

Tell us what happened.

Filing and disclosures.

Negotiation or mediation.

Hearing or trial.

Final order.

When to call a family law attorney in Colorado

Family Law cases we take in Colorado

Uncontested dissolution

Contested dissolution

Allocation of parental responsibilities (APR)

Child support and modification

Spousal maintenance

Premarital and postnuptial agreements

Paternity actions

Adoption

Grandparent visitation rights

Civil protection orders

Common-law marriage dissolution

Military divorce

How much do Colorado family law attorneys cost?

What your Colorado family law compensation can include

Property Division

Spousal Maintenance

Child Support

Custody and Parenting Time

Attorney’s Fees

Protective Orders

Colorado family law questions, answered

Family Law attorneys by city in Colorado

Other case types in Colorado

Ready when you are.

Your help is just

a minute away.

Start your case

in minutes.