A Guide to Divorce in Colorado - Part 2

This is the second post in a series on the Colorado divorce process. If you missed Part 1, you can read it here. The purpose of this series is to give you an overview of the divorce process in Colorado.

At the Initial Status Conference, you will be given a deadline for setting a Temporary Orders Hearing. This hearing will be set if there are disagreements about child support, parenting time, or how to pay expenses while the divorce is pending. This is a short hearing, and is designed to maintain the status quo until a final hearing can be held. If a temporary orders hearing is held, you can call witnesses, testify yourself, and introduce documents as evidence. 

Most of the time, I avoid setting a temporary orders hearing, because it dramatically increases the cost of getting divorced. The most expensive part of a divorce is preparing for and going to trial, so I try to avoid adding a second hearing if possible. However, there are reasons why you might need one. Some examples include when there are safety concerns for the children being around the other parent or one spouse has prevented the other spouse from having access to marital funds, bank accounts, or credit cards.

Between the filing of the Petition and the Initial Status Conference, you will be working on your Mandatory Financial Disclosures. Colorado law requires both spouses to make complete disclosure of all financial matters. This includes a lengthy list of documents you have to provide, including tax returns, bank statements, documents showing debt, and retirement account balances, just to name a few.

In Part 3, we’ll discuss discovery tools for getting more information once your financial disclosures are complete.

If you find yourself overwhelmed at the thought of getting divorced, I’m here to help! Please reach out to schedule a consultation.