27 min read
Family Law
I Want a Divorce: What Happens Next in Colorado (The Complete First Steps Guide)
You've said the words in your head a thousand times. Maybe you've said them out loud to a friend, a therapist, or whispered them to yourself at 3 AM when you couldn't sleep. "I want a divorce." Now what? Most people who reach this decision spend months or even years getting to this point, but when they finally commit to ending their marriage, they have no idea what actually happens next.
They assume filing for divorce is complicated, expensive, and requires proving their spouse did something wrong. Here's the reality in Colorado: you don't need your spouse's permission, you don't need to prove fault, and the process is more straightforward than you think—but you absolutely need to understand what you're starting before you file that first document.
The gap between what people imagine divorce looks like and what actually happens in Colorado family courts is massive. Hollywood shows dramatic courtroom confrontations and asset-hiding schemes. Your friends tell horror stories about their cousin's divorce that took five years and cost $100,000. The internet is full of conflicting advice about what you should do first.
Meanwhile, you're sitting there thinking "I want a divorce" but paralyzed by uncertainty about the actual steps, the realistic timeline, the probable costs, and what mistakes could derail everything. This guide cuts through the noise and gives you the concrete information you need to take your next step confidently.
Why "I Want a Divorce" Is Just the Beginning
Wanting a divorce and getting a divorce are two entirely different things. The emotional decision is personal—only you know when a marriage is truly over. But the legal process is governed by Colorado statute, court rules, and mandatory waiting periods that don't care about your feelings or your timeline. Understanding this distinction matters because people who confuse the emotional finality with legal reality make costly mistakes.
The Emotional Decision vs. The Legal Process
When you reach the point of saying "I want a divorce," you've likely been unhappy for months or years. The relationship feels over. You've decided you're done. In your mind, the marriage ended the day you made this decision. But Colorado law sees it differently—your marriage legally continues until a judge signs a decree of dissolution of marriage, which won't happen for at least 91 days after you file, and often takes much longer depending on complexity and cooperation levels.
This disconnect creates problems when people treat the marriage as over before it legally ends. They make major financial decisions without considering marital property implications. They start new romantic relationships without understanding how that affects custody or alimony considerations. They move out of the marital home without realizing this could impact property claims. They stop contributing to joint expenses, change beneficiaries on insurance policies, or hide assets assuming the marriage is already finished. These actions can seriously damage your position in the divorce proceedings that haven't even started yet.
What Counts as "Being Ready" for Divorce
Most people who say "I want a divorce" aren't actually ready to file yet. Being emotionally ready and being legally prepared are different things. You're ready to file when:
You understand what happens next in the Colorado divorce process
You've gathered necessary financial documentation (pay stubs, tax returns, account statements)
You've considered custody arrangements if you have children
You've thought through where you'll live during and after the divorce
You've at least consulted with an attorney about your specific situation—even if you ultimately decide to proceed without one
You're filing because the marriage is over, not to threaten or leverage your spouse
You're not ready to file if you're hoping your spouse will change if you just threaten divorce, you plan to use the divorce filing as leverage to get your spouse to do something, you haven't thought about where you'll live or how you'll support yourself financially, you have no idea what assets and debts exist in your marriage, or you're filing in anger without considering the consequences. Colorado judges see through emotional filing strategies, and those approaches typically backfire on the person attempting them.
Understanding Colorado's Divorce Process: What Actually Happens
Colorado divorce follows a specific legal process defined by statute. Understanding this process before you start helps you make better decisions and avoid mistakes that create complications later.
Colorado Is a No-Fault Divorce State
Here's something that surprises people: Colorado doesn't care why you want a divorce. You don't need to prove your spouse cheated, abandoned you, was cruel, or did anything wrong. Colorado is a no-fault divorce state, which means the only legal ground for dissolution of marriage is that the marriage is "irretrievably broken." That's it. You don't need evidence. You don't need your spouse to agree. You simply state that the marriage is irretrievably broken, and that's sufficient legal ground to proceed with divorce.
This matters because people waste time and money gathering evidence of affairs, text messages showing bad behavior, or witnesses to prove wrongdoing that's legally irrelevant to whether you can get divorced in Colorado. While bad behavior might affect custody decisions or maintenance determinations in specific circumstances, it doesn't determine whether you're entitled to a divorce. The marriage being irretrievably broken is the only standard, and if one spouse says it's broken, the court accepts that as true.
The Mandatory 91-Day Waiting Period
Colorado imposes a mandatory 91-day waiting period from when the court acquires jurisdiction over your case until the divorce can be finalized. This cooling-off period exists to give couples time to reconsider, attempt reconciliation, or at minimum, slow down the process so people make thoughtful decisions rather than impulsive ones during emotional moments.
The waiting period starts from the date of service on your spouse (if you filed) or the date both spouses file jointly. It cannot be waived, shortened, or avoided regardless of circumstances. Even if both spouses completely agree on every term, even if there are no children or assets, even if you've been separated for years—you still wait 91 days minimum before a judge can sign your decree.
This waiting period frustrates people who say "I want a divorce" expecting it to happen quickly, but it serves an important function. Divorce creates significant legal consequences affecting property, debts, parenting, and long-term financial situations. The waiting period forces people to work through these issues rather than rushing into a decree that might be poorly considered or inequitable.
The Basic Steps of Colorado Divorce
Colorado divorce follows this general sequence: filing the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, serving the petition on your spouse (or filing jointly), your spouse responding to the petition, both parties completing mandatory financial disclosures, temporary orders hearing if necessary, negotiation or mediation to resolve issues, final hearing if settlement isn't reached, and decree of dissolution of marriage signed by the judge.
Each step has specific deadlines, required forms, and procedures. Miss a deadline or file incorrect paperwork and you'll face delays. Fail to disclose assets and you could face sanctions or have the decree reopened later. Skip necessary steps and the court won't finalize your divorce. While the process is designed to be navigable without an attorney, it can be detailed and complicated enough that many people benefit from legal guidance, particularly in cases involving children, significant assets, or disputes.
What You Need to Do Before Filing for Divorce in Colorado
Most people who reach the "I want a divorce" decision rush to file paperwork immediately. This impulse is understandable but often premature. Taking certain steps before filing protects your interests and makes the process smoother.
Get Your Financial House in Order
Before filing for divorce, you need complete understanding of your marital finances. This means gathering:
Recent pay stubs for both spouses (last 3 months minimum)
Tax returns for the past three years (federal and state)
Bank account statements for all accounts (checking, savings, money market)
Investment and retirement account statements (401k, IRA, pension, brokerage accounts)
Mortgage statements and property valuations for real estate
Vehicle titles and loan statements for all vehicles
Credit card statements showing all debts and recent charges
Business financial records if either spouse owns a business
Life insurance policies and beneficiary designations
Documentation of any other significant assets or debts (collections, jewelry, etc.)
Why gather this before filing? Once you file, the dynamics change. Spouses who might have cooperated with financial information requests suddenly become uncooperative. Access to accounts gets restricted. Documents disappear. Getting this information before your spouse knows divorce is coming is significantly easier than trying to obtain it during discovery when both parties are in adversarial mode.
Financial documentation serves two purposes: it gives you clear understanding of what you're entitled to in property division, and it provides the documentation required for Colorado's mandatory financial disclosures. You'll need this information eventually—gathering it proactively saves time and stress later.
Consider Where You'll Live
Housing arrangements during and after divorce significantly impact your finances and your divorce case. Before filing, think through whether you'll stay in the marital home, whether your spouse will move out, whether you'll both stay until the divorce is final, or whether you'll sell the home as part of the divorce. Each option has different implications for your case.
Voluntarily moving out of the marital home doesn't legally waive your interest in the property, but it can create practical complications. The spouse who stays often develops a sense of ownership and fights harder to keep the property. Moving out can affect custody if you leave children in the home with your spouse. It demonstrates ability to live elsewhere, which judges sometimes consider when deciding temporary possession of the home.
If you're planning to move out, do it strategically. Don't leave in anger without taking belongings you need. Don't abandon the property completely—continue contributing to mortgage and expenses to maintain your interest. Don't move in with a new romantic partner immediately, as that can negatively impact custody considerations and maintenance determinations. Have a clear plan for stable housing before you leave.
Think Through Custody Arrangements If You Have Children
For parents, custody arrangements are often the most contentious and emotionally charged aspect of divorce. Before filing, think honestly about what arrangement serves your children's best interests—not what punishes your spouse, not what makes you feel better, but what actually works for the kids.
Colorado courts presume that frequent and continuing contact with both parents serves children's best interests unless there are safety concerns or other factors that make shared parenting inappropriate. Going into divorce assuming you'll get primary custody or that your spouse will only get minimal time sets you up for disappointment and conflict that harms your children.
Consider practical factors like which parent has been the primary caregiver, school enrollment and location, both parents' work schedules, children's activities and schedules, and each parent's ability to provide stability. But, divorcing often means there is a recalibration as to the primary parenting responsibilities – just because one party has been doing the “heavy lifting” doesn’t mean the other party is not capable. Courts evaluate all these factors when determining parenting time, and parents who demonstrate flexibility and focus on children's needs typically achieve better custody outcomes than those who wage scorched-earth battles to minimize the other parent's time.
Consult With an Attorney Before You File
Even if you ultimately decide to represent yourself in the divorce, consulting with a family law attorney before filing provides valuable insight into what to expect, what your case is realistically worth, and what mistakes to avoid. Many Colorado divorce attorneys offer initial consultations, and spending an hour with an attorney before filing can prevent mistakes that cost you significantly more later.
An attorney can evaluate your situation and advise whether your proposed property division is equitable, whether you're likely entitled to or obligated to pay maintenance, whether your proposed parenting plan is realistic, and whether there are strategic considerations you haven't thought about. You don't have to hire the attorney for full representation—but getting professional advice before starting the process helps you make informed decisions.
Even people who successfully navigate divorce without an attorney almost always wish they'd at least consulted with one before filing to understand what they were getting into and what pitfalls to avoid.
The First Legal Steps: How to Actually File for Divorce in Colorado
Once you've decided "I want a divorce" and you've prepared appropriately, you're ready for the actual legal process of filing. Here's what happens and what you need to know.
Filing Requirements and Residency
To file for divorce in Colorado, either you or your spouse must have been a Colorado resident for at least 91 days before filing. That's it—that's the only requirement. You don't need to file in the county where you were married. You don't need to prove any specific grounds. You just need 91 days of residency and you can file in the county where either spouse lives.
If both spouses agree, you can file a joint petition where you're both co-petitioners rather than petitioner and respondent. This approach works when couples agree to divorce and want to file together and it's faster and cheaper than one spouse filing and serving the other, but it only works when there's genuine agreement on property, custody, and support issues.
Completing the Initial Case Information Sheet and Petition
Colorado divorce starts with two documents: the Case Information Sheet and the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage. The Case Information Sheet provides basic information about both parties, children, and the case. The Petition states that the marriage is irretrievably broken, identifies what relief you're seeking (divorce, custody, property division, etc.), and provides basic information about the marriage, assets, and children.
These forms are available on the Colorado Judicial Branch website or from the court clerk's office. You can complete them yourself or have an attorney prepare them. They must be accurate and complete—errors or omissions create problems later.
Serving Your Spouse
If you're not filing jointly, Colorado law requires you to serve your spouse with the divorce papers. Service ensures your spouse receives notice of the divorce case and has opportunity to respond. Service can be completed through personal service by a process server, certified mail with return receipt, or acceptance of service where your spouse signs acknowledgment of receipt.
Personal service through a process server is most reliable and provides clearest proof of service. Your spouse receives the papers directly from the process server, signs a form acknowledging receipt, and the process server files that acknowledgment with the court. This method costs around $50-$100 but prevents disputes about whether service occurred.
If your spouse agrees to cooperate, acceptance of service is simpler and cheaper. You give your spouse the papers, they sign an Acceptance of Service form, and you file that with the court. This only works when spouses are cooperating—don't rely on acceptance of service if your spouse might refuse or create problems.
What Happens After Filing
Once you file and serve, your spouse has approximately 21 days to file a Response. The Response is their opportunity to agree or disagree with what you requested in the Petition and to make their own requests.
If your spouse doesn't respond within the deadline, you can proceed with a default hearing where the court grants your requests without your spouse's input. Default divorces are often easier but only work when your spouse truly doesn't respond and the Courts will give the person plenty of time to resurface later and participate—if they later claim they weren't properly served, the default can be set aside.
After both parties have filed their initial paperwork, you move into the discovery and negotiation phase where you exchange financial information, attempt to resolve disputes, and work toward settlement. If you can't settle, you proceed to hearing where a judge decides disputed issues.
Common Issues in Colorado Divorce: What You're Really Fighting About
When people say "I want a divorce," they often haven't thought through what that actually means for property, finances, and children. These are the issues that actually require resolution in every Colorado divorce.
Property Division: How Colorado Courts Divide Assets
Colorado is an equitable distribution state, which means courts divide marital property fairly based on various factors—not necessarily equally. Marital property includes all assets acquired during the marriage regardless of whose name is on the title. Separate property includes assets owned before marriage, gifts or inheritances received by one spouse, and property designated as separate by agreement.
Equitable doesn't always mean equal. Courts consider factors including each spouse's economic circumstances, the contribution each made to acquiring marital property, the value of separate property each spouse holds, and whether the division serves each party's future economic needs. A marriage where one spouse sacrificed career advancement to raise children might see unequal division favoring that spouse to compensate for lost earning capacity.
Common mistakes in property division include assuming you keep whatever is in your name (false—marital property is divided regardless of title), hiding assets or failing to disclose (this can result in sanctions and the decree being reopened), and failing to properly value assets like retirement accounts or businesses that require expert valuation.
Debt Division: Who Pays What After Divorce
Marital debts get divided just like marital assets. If you accumulated debt during the marriage—credit cards, car loans, personal loans, mortgages—those debts are marital regardless of whose name is on the account. Colorado courts divide debt equitably based on factors including which spouse incurred the debt, what the debt was used for, and each spouse's ability to pay.
Here's where it gets complicated: while the divorce decree assigns debt responsibility between spouses, creditors aren't bound by the decree. If you're both on a credit card account and the decree says your spouse pays it, but your spouse doesn't pay, the creditor can still pursue you. The decree only governs obligations between you and your spouse—it doesn't change your obligations to creditors.
Protecting yourself from marital debt requires closing joint accounts, refinancing joint loans into individual names where possible, and monitoring accounts your spouse is supposed to pay to ensure they're actually making payments. If your ex doesn't pay debt they're assigned, you can take them back to court for contempt, but meanwhile your credit score suffers.
Child Support: Colorado's Mandatory Calculation
Colorado calculates child support using a formula based on both parents' incomes, the number of overnights each parent has, and certain adjustments for things like healthcare costs and childcare expenses. The calculation is mandatory—judges have very limited discretion to deviate from the formula.
Many people assume the parent with less parenting time always pays support to the parent with more time, but Colorado's formula is more nuanced. If both parents earn similar incomes and have relatively equal parenting time, support might be minimal or non-existent. And simply because parents share equal time doesn't automatically mean there is no support paid. The formula considers both parents' financial contributions.
Child support covers basic necessities—housing, food, clothing, basic needs. It doesn't cover extraordinary expenses unless specifically addressed in the divorce decree. Extracurricular activities, private school, medical expenses beyond basic insurance—these require separate agreements or court orders.
Spousal Maintenance (Alimony): When One Spouse Supports the Other
Maintenance, also called alimony, is separate from child support and involves one spouse financially supporting the other after divorce. Colorado has advisory guidelines for maintenance in marriages lasting at least three years, based on the length of the marriage and the income disparity between spouses.
Not every divorce includes maintenance. Courts consider factors including the financial resources of the party seeking maintenance, the time necessary for that party to acquire education or training for employment, the standard of living during the marriage, and the ability of the payor spouse to meet their own needs while paying maintenance.
Maintenance can be temporary (during the divorce process), limited duration (for a specific period after divorce), or permanent (continuing indefinitely, though this is rare and typically only in long marriages with significant income disparity). It's also modifiable if circumstances substantially change, unlike property division which is generally final.
Parenting Time and Decision-Making: How Custody Works in Colorado
Colorado doesn't use the term "custody"—the statute refers to "allocation of parental responsibilities," which includes parenting time (the schedule of when children are with each parent) and decision-making responsibility (who makes major decisions about education, healthcare, religion, and activities).
Courts presume shared decision-making responsibility serves children's interests unless there's a reason (like domestic violence, substance abuse, or child abuse) that makes it inappropriate. Parenting time varies widely based on each family's circumstances, but courts favor arrangements allowing children frequent and continuing contact with both parents.
The parent who wants to restrict the other parent's time bears the burden of proving why restriction serves the children's interests. "I'm angry at my ex" isn't a valid reason. "My ex works long hours" isn't a valid reason unless it actually impacts the children negatively. Courts see through attempts to weaponize children in divorce disputes, and parents who engage in this behavior typically end up with less favorable custody outcomes.
What Divorce Actually Costs in Colorado
When people say "I want a divorce," one of their first questions is: what will this cost? The answer varies dramatically based on complexity and conflict level.
Court Filing Fees
Filing for divorce in Colorado costs $230 (as of 2025) plus additional fees for other motions or documents you might need to file during the case. If you can't afford the filing fee, you can request a fee waiver by completing forms showing your financial situation. Courts grant waivers based on income and expenses—if you're at or below poverty level or receiving public benefits, you'll likely qualify.
Attorney Fees: The Real Expense
Court filing fees are nothing compared to attorney fees. Colorado divorce attorneys typically charge $200-$500 per hour depending on experience, location, and case complexity. Most require a retainer (advance payment) of $3,000-$10,000 to start representation, and bill against that retainer as they work on your case.
How much will your divorce cost in attorney fees? It depends entirely on whether you and your spouse can cooperate. An uncontested divorce where both parties agree on everything might cost $2,000-$5,000 in attorney fees (or less if you represent yourself). A contested divorce involving custody disputes, property valuation fights, or high conflict might cost $15,000-$50,000 or more in attorney fees.
The biggest driver of legal fees is conflict between spouses. Every argument requires attorney time. Every motion filed, every hearing scheduled, every nasty email your attorney has to respond to—that's billable time. Couples who can communicate and negotiate spend dramatically less than couples who fight about everything.
The Cost of Not Having an Attorney
Representing yourself saves attorney fees but creates risks. You might miss deadlines, file incorrect paperwork, fail to properly value assets, agree to unfavorable terms because you don't know what's standard, or make procedural errors that delay your case. For simple, uncontested divorces with minimal assets and no children, self-representation often works fine. For complex cases involving significant assets, businesses, or contentious custody disputes, attorney representation typically pays for itself by protecting your interests and achieving better outcomes.
Many people start representing themselves and hire an attorney partway through when they realize they're in over their heads. This often costs more than hiring an attorney initially because the attorney has to fix problems created by early self-representation mistakes.
How Long Colorado Divorce Actually Takes
The mandatory 91-day waiting period is the minimum, but most divorces take longer. How much longer depends on cooperation and complexity.
Uncontested Divorce Timeline
If both spouses agree on all terms, complete required documents promptly, and file everything correctly, divorce can be finalized in approximately 3-4 months from filing to final decree. This assumes perfect cooperation and no complications—most divorces take longer even when relatively uncontested.
The timeline involves filing and service (week 1), response filed (week 2-5), financial disclosures exchanged (week 6-12), separation agreement finalized (week 8-14), and final decree signed after 91-day waiting period (month 3-4).
Contested Divorce Timeline
When spouses don't agree, timeline extends significantly. Contested divorces typically take 6-12 months, but complex cases involving business valuations, custody evaluations, or significant discovery can take 18-24 months or longer.
The timeline for contested cases involves filing and service, response filed, initial status conference, financial disclosures, discovery requests and responses, mediation attempts, temporary orders hearing if necessary, expert evaluations or appraisals, settlement negotiations, permanent orders hearing if no settlement, and final decree entered.
Each step takes time, and each point of disagreement adds delay. Court dockets are crowded—scheduling hearings often requires waiting weeks or months for available court time. Parties who refuse to cooperate drag cases out indefinitely.
Making the Decision: How to Know If You're Really Ready
Saying "I want a divorce" is emotionally significant, but before taking legal action, ask yourself whether you're truly ready.
Questions to Ask Yourself Before Filing
Have you exhausted reasonable efforts at reconciliation, including counseling if appropriate? Are you filing because the marriage is actually over, or are you hoping the threat of divorce will change your spouse's behavior? Do you have realistic expectations about outcomes, including property division and custody? Have you thought through practical implications including housing, finances, and parenting logistics?
If you're filing primarily out of anger, hoping to punish your spouse, or as leverage to get something you want, you're not ready. These motivations lead to divorce regret and poor decisions throughout the process.
When Staying Married Is More Dangerous Than Divorcing
Some situations require immediate action regardless of whether you're emotionally ready. If you're experiencing domestic violence, emotional abuse, or fear for your safety, divorce might be necessary for your protection even if you're not fully prepared financially or logistically.
If your spouse is hiding assets, running up debt, or taking actions that jeopardize your financial security, filing for divorce triggers legal protections and allows you to seek temporary orders preserving assets and preventing further dissipation.
If your spouse is engaging in behavior that endangers your children, divorce proceedings allow you to seek protective orders and restricted parenting time. Child safety outweighs concerns about being "ready" for divorce.
What Happens After You File: The First 90 Days
Once you've filed for divorce in Colorado, specific things happen in the first three months that set the tone for your entire case.
Automatic Temporary Injunctions
When you file for divorce in Colorado, automatic injunctions go into effect prohibiting both spouses from taking certain actions without court permission or agreement. These injunctions prevent hiding or disposing of assets, changing beneficiaries on insurance policies or retirement accounts, canceling insurance coverage for the other spouse or children, and harassing or disturbing the peace of the other spouse.
Violating these injunctions can result in contempt of court sanctions. People who empty bank accounts, cancel insurance, or hide assets after filing often face court-ordered penalties that exceed whatever advantage they thought they'd gain.
Temporary Orders: Establishing Rules While You Wait
During the 91-day waiting period and throughout the divorce process, temporary orders can establish rules about who lives in the marital home, temporary parenting time schedules, temporary child support, temporary maintenance, and payment of bills and expenses.
Either spouse can request temporary orders if you can't agree on these issues. The court holds a relatively quick hearing and issues orders that remain in effect until the final decree. These orders don't determine the final outcome but provide structure while you work toward resolution.
Temporary orders are particularly important in cases involving children. Kids need stability and routine, and temporary parenting time orders establish that structure rather than leaving children in limbo during the divorce process.
The Mandatory Disclosure Process
Colorado requires both spouses to complete sworn financial statements disclosing all income, assets, debts, and expenses. These disclosures must be completed within 42 days of service or filing a joint petition. They're mandatory even in uncontested cases where both parties know the financial situation.
The financial disclosure process exists to ensure both parties and the court have complete financial information when making decisions about property division and support. Failing to disclose assets or providing false information can result in the decree being set aside later, sanctions, and even criminal charges for perjury.
Common Mistakes People Make When They Want a Divorce
Understanding what not to do often matters as much as knowing what to do. These mistakes harm divorce outcomes regularly:
Telling everyone before telling your spouse
- Social media announcements or telling mutual friends before having a direct conversation creates drama and damages negotiations
Making major financial decisions during divorce
- Buying cars, changing jobs, taking on debt, or relocating complicates property division and support calculations
Using children as weapons or messengers
- Putting kids in the middle damages them emotionally and destroys your credibility with judges
Hiding or disposing of assets
- Violating automatic injunctions results in sanctions and can get the decree reopened later
Refusing to compromise or negotiate
- Fighting about everything costs tens of thousands in attorney fees and often results in worse outcomes than settlement
Dating before the divorce is final
- New relationships during divorce negatively impact custody decisions and maintenance determinations
Communicating poorly with your spouse
- Every nasty text or email your attorney has to respond to is billable time
Ignoring temporary orders
- Violating temporary orders leads to contempt charges and damages your position in final proceedings
Making unilateral decisions about children
- Changing schools, moving, or restricting contact without agreement or court permission backfires badly
Let's break down the most damaging of these mistakes in detail:
Telling Everyone Before Telling Your Spouse
Social media announcements, telling mutual friends, or discussing divorce with people who will report back to your spouse before you've had direct conversation creates unnecessary drama and damages negotiations. Your spouse should hear about divorce from you, not through the grapevine or social media.
People who announce divorce publicly before addressing it privately often face more contentious divorces because their spouse feels blindsided and humiliated. This creates defensiveness and anger that poisons settlement negotiations.
Making Major Financial Decisions During Divorce
Buying a new car, taking on debt, changing jobs, relocating, or making other major financial decisions during divorce complicates property division and support calculations. Courts look at income and circumstances at time of trial—making major changes during the divorce process can be viewed negatively and affect outcomes.
If you need to make a major financial decision during divorce, inform your attorney and your spouse, get agreement if possible, and document the necessity. Don't hide major transactions or hope they won't come up—they will, and the deception damages your credibility.
Using Children as Weapons or Messengers
Perhaps the most damaging mistake divorcing parents make is putting children in the middle of adult conflicts. Using kids to deliver messages to your ex, interrogating them about the other parent's life, bad-mouthing the other parent to children, or restricting contact to punish your ex all harm your children and damage your position in custody disputes.
Colorado judges can and do restrict parenting time for parents who engage in these behaviors. Courts recognize parental alienation and gatekeeping, and parents who engage in it face consequences including reduced parenting time, requirements for therapy, or changes to decision-making responsibility.
Refusing to Compromise or Negotiate
Some people enter divorce with fixed positions on every issue, unwilling to consider compromise. They're convinced they're right about every disagreement and that the judge will see things their way. This approach is expensive and often backfires.
Judges rarely see cases exactly the way one party does. They hear evidence from both sides and make decisions based on what they believe is fair and serves the law. Refusing reasonable compromise often results in outcomes worse than what you could have achieved through settlement, plus you've spent tens of thousands on attorney fees fighting battles you didn't win.
How The Reputation Law Group Helps Colorado Clients Through Divorce
At The Reputation Law Group, we work with Colorado clients at every stage of the divorce process, from initial consultation through final decree and post-decree modifications. We understand that "I want a divorce" represents a major life decision, and we're here to guide you through what happens next with experienced, strategic representation focused on protecting your interests and achieving your goals.
Our experienced family law attorneys can help you evaluate whether divorce is the right choice for your situation, prepare necessary documentation and gather financial records before filing, file your petition and serve your spouse properly, negotiate temporary orders and settlement terms, represent you in mediation and court hearings, and protect your rights regarding property, support, and parenting.
Whether you're certain you want to proceed with divorce or you're still weighing your options, consulting with an attorney provides clarity about your rights, realistic expectations about outcomes, and strategic advice about how to proceed. Many people benefit from understanding their legal position before making final decisions about whether to file.
Don't navigate this complex process alone or make costly mistakes because you didn't know what you were getting into. Contact The Reputation Law Group today to schedule a consultation and get clear answers about what happens next when you want a divorce. Your future clarity starts with understanding the realistic path forward—not the Hollywood version, not the horror stories from friends, but the actual Colorado divorce process and what it means for you specifically.
