He has been charged with domestic violence in the past and had a history of problematic behavior. Most recently he has kept our oldest child (12) with him for 6 weeks straight, when previously I had the kids weekdays and he had then weekends. We do not have a custody agreement, we've been... View More
answered on Aug 7, 2023
Good Morning,
Your question and the related details raise several red flags for me and I highly suggest that you consult with a qualified domestic relations attorney licensed to practice law in the State of Colorado. When it comes to domestic violence and the allocation of parental... View More
If my spouse agrees to pay child support/spousal maintenance while I get established in part time work, can this be part of a mediation agreement?
answered on Aug 7, 2023
Good Morning,
You ask a great question! Generally speaking, parties to cases in domestic relations can be quite creative when it comes to creating terms in an agreement reached at mediation (or even outside mediation). Child support should be approved by a judge (in Colorado it is a right... View More
The ex didn't disclose any income at the time of divorce even though they had accepted a full-time job already. Based on that information, the division of assets, to include pension was made. Can the case be reopened due to the fraud since the pension would not have been included if the actual... View More
answered on Aug 4, 2023
Property settlement modification generally relates to disclosure of assets and debt and not income. Also, it sounds as though someone may have accepted a job, but may not have been working at the time of the hearing/decree.
The ex didn't disclose any income at the time of divorce even though they had accepted a full-time job already. Based on that information, the division of assets, to include pension was made. Can the case be reopened due to the fraud since the pension would not have been included if the actual... View More
answered on Aug 4, 2023
Good Question!
This is one of my favorite aspects of family law. The short answer to your question is that the law does provide for remedies if income or property subject to division was not properly disclosed at the time (or before) the decree was issued (assuming that was the last step... View More
I noticed a small "pending practice" in her email sig. She has not shown up to a hearing 2x which led me to question why. I had some stand in attorney and she did not know my case ( divorce) so i essentially had zero representation.
answered on Aug 2, 2023
In most cases here in the state of Colorado, you need a license to practice law. There are multiple exceptions to the rule but you should check into it. This is particularly important for domestic cases since you would normally be in front of a judge. I would find it odd if they did not have some... View More
I noticed a small "pending practice" in her email sig. She has not shown up to a hearing 2x which led me to question why. I had some stand in attorney and she did not know my case ( divorce) so i essentially had zero representation.
answered on Aug 2, 2023
I completely understand your concern and I hope you find this answer helpful.
Attorneys must be licensed to practice law in the state where they provide legal services. While each state has its own requirements for licensing, generally it is not permissible for someone to practice law in a... View More
I noticed a small "pending practice" in her email sig. She has not shown up to a hearing 2x which led me to question why. I had some stand in attorney and she did not know my case ( divorce) so i essentially had zero representation.
answered on Aug 2, 2023
Hi There,
You ask an excellent question and have every right to be concerned. It’s difficult to answer your question without having more information about the specific circumstances. It is important to have counsel and representation that you feel comfortable with. All attorneys at CNL... View More
2021 taxes were discussed in mediation.
Final orders stated that any joint tax returns are to be divided evenly. She claims to have used the entire tax amount to pay for her lawyer and "take care of things" and says she owes me nothing. The amount is over 8k combined with the other money's owed.
answered on Jun 26, 2023
You ask an excellent question and I can completely understand that this is likely frustrating given the amount of time between mediation back in 2021 and now.
To answer your question, final orders are generally controlling. In a Colorado Domestic Relations matter concerning property... View More
answered on Jun 8, 2023
I am very sorry to hear about your circumstances. Understanding that this is likely one of the most difficult and vulnerable times in your life, I sincerely applaud you for taking the first step in seeking out help.
It is difficult to find good pro bono family law attorneys, especially in... View More
I filed for divorce and his attorney filed that we are not common law married.
answered on Jun 5, 2023
Common law marriage is a complex question that you should hire an attorney to help you address. You typically need to be together for a certain amount of time and hold out as married such as wearing wedding rings, calling each other husband and wife, and so on. Each state is different, hence the... View More
My Fiancé and I are both former military, and my Fiancé told me we have to wait to get our marriage license because their divorce decree was sealed. From my basic knowledge, as long as it is finalized, you're allowed to be able to remarry, so it being sealed should have no bearing on us... View More
answered on Apr 24, 2023
You ask a very interesting question, I would be happy to weigh in.
It sounds like your fiance was previously married and a party to an action to dissolve that marriage. The act of sealing an order of the Court does not usually have an impact on its legal weight. That means that the document... View More
The value of the property is $395,000 In the amount owed is $330,000 and the net value equity is $65,000 and the outstanding debt is 20000 and the down payment was 12,000 which was paid in full by my wife and they are offering me 5,000 for to buy me out and they offering me a chance for me to not... View More
answered on Apr 21, 2023
Good morning,
I think this is better posed as a math question. There are allot of factors to this question that are not shown here including your risk tolerance, the cost to sell the house, the real FMV. I would think 1st you would need to establish if there is a presumption that you are... View More
answered on Apr 8, 2023
Hi There!
You ask an excellent question - as you can imagine, inconsistencies in Sworn Financial Statements and pertinent financial disclosures happen all of the time in domestic relations actions. To be really clear, there are many ways to handle this situation and there is not a... View More
There is an order for reimbursement within 30 days, yet other parent waits up to 1 1/2 years to submit receipts for repayment for child's medical care. What, if any, is an actual and acceptable time frame? Not to mention multiple duplicate statements with no proof of payment or prior conferral.
answered on Apr 8, 2023
Hi There!
I am sorry to hear that you are going through this. I know that co-parenting with an ex can be difficult, and the financial relationship that you two now share is oftentimes wrought with strife, frustration, and consternation. Assuming that your Orders (the parenting plan and the... View More
answered on Apr 3, 2023
Good Afternoon,
You ask a great question! In most cases, there is no statutory prerequisite concerning QDRO's that have to be met in order for the Court to enter a Dissolution of Decree of Marriage. Many times, a Separation Agreement (the agreement that details the manner and methods... View More
answered on Apr 3, 2023
No, a QDRO does not need to be drafted and filed before the Decree is signed by the Judge.
It is possible you could file it with the other settlement documents, but it is not typical in most cases. The language included in QDROs often includes reference to the date the decree issued, so it... View More
My supposed to be ex-husband filed legal separation instead of divorce. He is now in contempt per separation papers from July of 2021 to remove me off the loan w/ refinance.
The whole process has been a year and a half. Now that I've done some looking into it because he has stopped... View More
answered on Feb 14, 2023
Having someone held in contempt of court would be for violating court orders. Whether it is a legal separation or a divorce does not matter. The key question in this situation is how long did he have to remove you from the title of the truck per the court order. If he has failed to do so by the... View More
using the bank re-fi value verses the fair market value?
answered on Feb 13, 2023
Colorado is not a 50-50 state. Marital property is divided "equitably', meaning "fairly', not necessarily "equally'. However, parties have great leeway in determining how to do a property division if they agree on it. The court will approve it so long as it is... View More
answered on Jan 27, 2023
From a legal perspective, this isn't a very long delay. So the answer would depend on a couple of factors.
First, how does your Decree read other than when she was to pay the equity? Is there any language about indemnifying you from harm? If so, that would be useful. If there... View More
In Colorado, my ex agreed in the separation agreement to pay me half of the mortgage since his name is on the house too. The separation agreement is part of the final orders of our divorce decree. Now he's saying he's not going to pay it. Isn't that a violation of a court order, and... View More
answered on Jan 25, 2023
If your final orders say that he is to pay 1/2 of the mortgage and he is not doing so, then yes, that is a violation of the orders. Yes, you can file a motion for contempt.
Remember that when you file contempt you need to be able to prove 4 main elements: 1) there was an order requiring... View More
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.