Is divorce more complicated in Colorado?
Key Takeaways
- The Colorado divorce process is no more or less complicated than the process in other states.
- One somewhat burdensome requirement in Colorado is the financial disclosure. This document asks for many details about your income, debts, and more.
- You may also need to attend status conferences and divorce meditation during your divorce process.
The divorce process in Colorado isn’t necessarily any more or less complicated than the process in other states.
That said, you may find that a few of the requirements for a Colorado divorce feel annoying or complicated. This includes:
- Financial disclosures
- Status conferences
- Mediation
Let’s explore each of these.
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Financial disclosures
Colorado has fairly detailed and cumbersome financial disclosure requirements. Both parties have to complete a lengthy sworn financial statement and, if appropriate, a supporting schedules document.
The sworn financial statement asks for things such as your:
- Gross income
- Deductions from that income
- Occupation and employer
- Monthly expenses
- Marital and separate assets and debts
The supporting schedules document is where you detail any:
- Stocks, bonds, mutual funds, securities and investment accounts
- Pension, profit sharing or retirement funds
- Miscellaneous assets
- Separate property
In addition, each party must exchange documents related to these assets, debts and expenses. This can feel overwhelming to some people facing divorce.
Status conferences
Colorado courts also require parties to appear at various status conferences during their court case.
The initial status conference is basically a check-in. It allows the court to see where the parties are in terms of sharing financial disclosures, attending a parenting class and the issues that need to be resolved in their divorce. This conference typically lasts less than a half hour.
Meditation
Some—but not all—courts require divorce mediation before any court hearing. During this process, a neutral third party meets with both spouses with the goal of helping them reach an agreement on any contested issues.
The mediator isn’t a judge. Rather, their role is to facilitate communication and help address each party’s needs and concerns. If the couple is able to reach any agreements, they then write a settlement agreement to present to the court. This can save the spouses time and money, as they often don’t need as long of a trial (or may be able to skip going to trial altogether) if they can settle some terms of the divorce in mediation.
In most cases, attorneys can attend mediation with their clients. This may further help the couple reach an agreement.
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