As an Army combat veteran and a Colorado and New York licensed attorney with 20 years of legal experience, I am committed to helping people turn change into opportunity. My firm is founded on the Army values: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. In addition to traditional divorce and family law services, I provide special insight into unique military and veteran specific issues.
The divorce and family legal process can be intimidating and complicated, and it is important to have the right attorney by your side.
Parties can agree to their own resolution through negotiation and ask the Court to issue their agreement as an enforceable decree. Alternatively, if parties can not reach resolution on their own, then their matter is contested and a Court can decide the resolution. Colorado courts apply specific legal standards when making decisions. The law and procedure may be complex. An attorney can help you understand the applicable law and procedure and let you know what your options are.
I handle all aspects of divorce and family law to include:
Would you like to file for divorce?
The legal standard for filing is that the marriage is “irretrievably broken” and Colorado residency of a party for at least 91 days.
Would you like to receive spousal support?
The legal standard is set forth in the Colorado Maintenance Guidelines. There is a detailed formula, but at a basic level it involves calculating 40% of the higher earner’s income subtracted by 50% of the of the lower earner’s income for spouses who are not sufficiently able to support themselves. The courts have much more discretion with maintenance guidelines than with child support guidelines.
Would you like to set forth rights and responsibilities with regards to the residency and care of children?
The legal standard is the best interests of the child with a list of specific factors to consider. There is no presumption in favor of either parent.
Would you like to receive support for children from the other parent?
The legal standard is set forth in the Colorado Child Support Guidelines which use an income shares approach and take into account the number of overnights with a parent, allowing for income proportional add-on expenses, such as those for work-related childcare, and certain child-related medical, educational and travel expenses.
Would you like to relocate with children?
The legal standard is the best interests of the child with a list of factors to consider. For initial orders, a court must accept the parties’ individual selections of location, however this is not the case with modifications.
Do you have a court order but circumstances have substantially changed?
Circumstances change and court orders can too. As an example, sometimes a party’s income increases or decreases, so a support award should change as well. Sometimes a parent may spend more or less time with parental responsibilities and the parenting plan for children should change. If the changes are substantial enough, then it is may be best to have a new order in place. The legal standards for modifications vary and may differ from those of initial determinations.
There are often unique issues associated with family law for the military and veteran community. Some common issues are jurisdiction, military specific rules and regulations, service of process, and military specific federal legislation such as retirement benefit division. Having advised both military members and military commanders for 20 years, I know my way around the military community and can offer special insight into these issues.
Turning Change into OpportunityWhen it comes to choosing an attorney to represent you, the choice is very personal. If you have any questions about your situation, please do not hesitate to call or e-mail to schedule a free, no-obligation initial consultation. You can call 719-344-5523, or use the online contact form.