Colorado Family Court: A Self-Represented Parent's Guide

Colorado family law is governed by Title 14 of the Colorado Revised Statutes. The state uses 'parental responsibilities' instead of custody and applies an income shares model for support.

Family law in Colorado is set out mainly in the Colorado Revised Statutes Title 14 - Domestic Matters. The legislature writes the substantive rules, including how custody is decided, how child support is set, and the grounds for divorce. The Colorado courts add the procedural rules that control filing, service, and hearings, and published appellate decisions explain how those statutes are applied. Colorado sets child support with the Income Shares model under C.R.S. § 14-10-115.

Family cases in Colorado start at the trial-court level, where a judge, and in many places a magistrate or commissioner, hears filings, temporary motions, and trials under the Colorado Revised Statutes Title 14 - Domestic Matters. Child support brought through the state program is handled by the Colorado Division of Child Support Services. Final orders can be appealed, but the appeals court gives strong weight to the trial judge's findings of fact.

These mechanics apply to most Colorado family cases no matter the subject. Getting them right is the difference between a case that moves forward and one that stalls. Where you file: Colorado family cases are filed with the court that covers where a parent or the child lives. The Colorado courts publish the forms and an e-filing portal online (see the official sources below). Cost to file: Dissolution filing fee: ~$230. If money is tight, ask the clerk for a fee waiver before you file. Financial disclosure: Colorado requires both parents to file a sworn financial statement of income, expenses, assets, and debts. The court cannot set support or divide property without it, and a missing or wrong one is a common reason a case is delayed. Mediation and ADR: Many Colorado courts ask parents to try mediation before a contested custody hearing. What is said in mediation is usually confidential and kept out of the trial. Child support basics: Colorado bases support on gross income using the Income Shares model. A shared-parenting formula lowers the amount as overnights even out between the homes. Changing an order later: Final orders bind both parents once entered. For child support, Colorado's general trigger to revisit the amount is: a 10% change between the existing order and a new guideline calculation creates a presumption of substantial and continuing change.

Common words you will see in Colorado family court filings and orders. Definitions are general and can vary by context. Allocation of parental responsibilities: The term Colorado uses for the legal and day-to-day care of a child after parents separate. The court decides it under the best interests of the child standard. Income Shares: Both parents' incomes are combined, and the guideline amount is split between them in proportion to what each one earns. Colorado Division of Child Support Services: The Colorado state child support program (its Title IV-D agency) that helps establish, collect, and enforce support, often at low or no cost. Financial affidavit / statement: A sworn list of your income, expenses, assets, and debts that the court needs before it can set support or divide property. Petitioner / Respondent: The parent who files the case is the petitioner; the parent who is served is the respondent. Modification: A request to change an existing order after a real change in circumstances. Colorado's child support trigger: a 10% change between the existing order and a new guideline calculation creates a presumption of substantial and continuing change. Contempt: A finding that a parent willfully broke a court order. Remedies can include make-up parenting time, fines, fees, and in serious cases jail. Income withholding: Automatic deduction of child support from the paying parent's wages, usually set up together with the support order.

Colorado courts hold parents without a lawyer to the same rules as attorneys, but real free help exists. The points below come up again and again.

Use the official Colorado court forms and self-help pages, not random templates from the internet, the clerk will reject an out-of-date or wrong form.

Colorado lists a self-help center and a forms library online (linked in the official sources below); start there before you pay anyone.

Budget for the Colorado filing fee and ask the court for a fee waiver up front if money is tight, the clerk has the form.

File your financial statement on time and make it accurate, many delays and contempt findings trace back to a missing or false one.

Email, texts, and social media posts are routinely used as evidence, assume anything you write could end up in front of the judge.

An agreement you put on the record in court is hard to undo later, so do not agree to terms you do not fully understand.

Check any fee, form, statute, or deadline against the current official version before you rely on it. These are the primary Colorado sources. Colorado Judicial Branch (courts.state.co.us): The official Colorado courts website, with the court directory, rules of procedure, and e-filing. Colorado self-help center (courts.state.co.us): Plain-language help, instructions, and forms for people handling a case without a lawyer. Colorado family law forms (courts.state.co.us): The official forms library for divorce, custody, support, and fee waivers. Colorado e-filing portal (jbits.courts.state.co.us): Where you file and track your documents online if your court accepts e-filing. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 14 - Domestic Matters (leg.colorado.gov): The statute that governs divorce, custody, and child support in Colorado. Colorado Division of Child Support Services (cdhs.colorado.gov): The state child support agency that establishes, collects, and enforces support orders.

Colorado courts apply state-specific statutes alongside several federal frameworks: the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) for interstate custody, the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA) for cross-state child support enforcement, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) for active-duty parents, and the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) where applicable. Procedural details, including filing fees, mediation requirements, parenting class providers, and standing administrative orders, are set at the county level and change frequently.

Frequently asked questions

What terminology does Colorado use?

Colorado uses 'allocation of parental responsibilities' rather than custody, covering both decision-making and parenting time.

How is child support calculated?

Colorado uses an income shares model that considers both parents' gross incomes, overnight parenting time, and expenses like health insurance and childcare.

Is mediation required?

Colorado courts generally require mediation before a contested parental responsibilities hearing, unless domestic violence is involved.

Does Colorado require a parenting plan?

Yes. Under C.R.S. § 14-10-124, parents must submit a parenting plan covering parental responsibilities, parenting time, and decision-making before the court enters orders.

How long does a Colorado divorce take?

Colorado imposes a mandatory 91-day waiting period from service of the petition before the court can enter a final dissolution decree.