Colorado family courts recognize the special relationships that stepparents can share with children. That’s why the law establishes options and processes for stepparents to seek visitation and custody in Colorado. From adoptions to custody cases, exercising stepparents’ rights can require going to court and, sometimes, facing off with biological parents before a family judge.
At The Cossitt Law Firm, LLC, our family lawyers know how much can be on the line in these situations, and we have a deep understanding of the unique challenges that stepparents can face in adoptions, visitation, and custody cases. Highly skilled and experienced, we are proud to be the effective, fierce advocates stepparents can rely on whenever it’s necessary to go to court to protect and assert their rights in Colorado.
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Our Fort Collins family lawyers have vast experience representing stepmothers and stepfathers, strategically protecting their rights in simple to complex cases alike.
Adopting a child can grant stepparents the same legal rights and responsibilities that biological parents have with their natural children. That includes everything from the authority to make decisions about the child’s upbringing to the responsibility of paying child support, if needed, in the future.
While stepparent adoptions can occur during the course of a marriage, they may also happen during or after a divorce. With these cases, it’s also important to understand that the role and wishes of any biological parents who are in the picture will be a factor. Here of some examples of how biological parents could impact stepparent adoptions in Colorado:
With adoptions, as with other matters involving children in the family courts, serving the best interests of the children involved will be the court’s top priority.
When stepparents want to establish visitation with children, they will need to demonstrate their relationship with those children to the court. Specifically, courts tend to look at factors like, but not limited to, the following when determining whether to grant stepparent visitation in Colorado:
While obtaining custody can be more challenging for stepparents than obtaining visitation, the circumstances of a case, as well as a child’s safety and wellbeing, always take precedent. That means the court will consider and be open to granting stepparent custody whenever it’s the best way to protect a child and his or her wellbeing.
A family lawyer at The Cossitt Law Firm, LLC can explain your stepparent rights and assert them when it’s time to protect what matters most—the child(ren) you love.
The truth is that stepparents may face an uphill battle in the family courts if custodial parents are putting up a fight about visitation or if other factors are at play. With an experienced attorney from The Cossitt Law Firm, LLC in your corner, you can be confident that:
Find out more about how we can help you by contacting our 5-star team today.
Contact us or email our firm for a 100% confidential consultation.
The Colorado family lawyers at The Cossitt Law Firm, LLC are trusted, experienced advocates who work as true partners with our clients. We have a reputation for excellence and top-quality representation, and we are known for providing personal attention and strategic, practical solutions tailored to each client’s unique circumstances. Plus, whenever it’s time to fight for you in court, you can count on us for tough representation and tireless advocacy in the pursuit of the best possible outcomes.
Colorado offers a method for immediate relief when a child is at imminent risk of physical or emotional harm by a parent. The court can act immediately to suspend all unsupervised with the parent allegedly putting the child at risk and place them under emergency child custody with a legal guardian.
As life changes, child custody orders may no longer fit your needs or circumstances. When this occurs, seeking a child custody modification can be necessary to officially change court orders related to parenting time and/or decision-making responsibilities.
Formerly known as child visitation, Parenting Time outlines the schedule and conditions under which each parent may see their children