Making the decision to seek a divorce often requires a lot of time and contemplation. It’s not an easy decision, but you may feel a sense of relief after you decide to move forward with filing for divorce. Understand, however, that the decision is only the beginning. The settlement process for the divorce can take quite a bit of time, too. That’s where a Greeley divorce lawyer can provide the help you need.
Nothing in Colorado state law requires that those going through a divorce must hire a lawyer. However, understanding exactly how divorce laws and regulations work can be difficult on your own. Additionally, if your soon-to-be-ex-spouse hires representation, you will want experienced representation. Without your own attorney asserting for the outcome you want from the divorce settlement, you may end up with an unfavorable result that can have a substantial impact on your life.
At The Cossitt Law Firm, our team is ready to give you the representation you deserve. Our divorce lawyer in Greeley, CO, can handle any aspect of divorce proceedings, including:
Finding just the right team to represent you is the first thing you should do after choosing to seek a divorce. You should hire a family law firm that has a proven success rate for its clients. Additionally, the firm should treat you with the compassion you deserve during such a difficult process.
At The Cossitt Law Firm, our Greeley, CO, divorce attorneys can handle all aspects of the divorce proceedings. Our family law attorneys have a full understanding of Colorado law in these areas. Our firm’s principal, Tom Cossitt, believes in the importance of thorough preparation in all our cases. You can count on us to always be ready for any eventuality during negotiations with your spouse’s representative and during any hearings. Our hard work behind the scenes helps us anticipate any curve balls thrown during the divorce proceedings. Our past clients know just how hard our Greeley divorce lawyers work, and we will bring the same level of professionalism to your case.
No one goes into a marriage with an eye on a potential divorce. Yet this outcome sometimes is unavoidable. For some people, the decision to go forward with a divorce is a relief. At other times, a person may suddenly serve his or her spouse with divorce papers, leaving them stunned. Deciding to separate from your spouse, even if you know it’s the right decision, still involves a lot of emotion. Our team delivers compassionate care for our clients, becoming a trusted advisor during the process.
Our divorce attorney in Greeley, CO, always takes the time to learn about your particular situation. We do not draft a single strategy that we apply to every case. Instead, we listen to your wants and needs from the divorce settlement. We then draw on our past work and expertise to create a strategy that will give you the best chance at the outcome you desire. We will provide advice along the way and try to steer you in the best possible direction. Understand, though, the final decision on how to proceed will always belong to you.
We understand divorce negotiations can lead to significant disagreements. Even if you and your spouse agree on how to handle most aspects of the separation, there might be a few situations that become contentious. Don’t assume that hiring our Greeley divorce lawyer will automatically ramp up the conflict during negotiations. Instead, having professional representation in the room often has the opposite effect, diffusing the emotions.
Don’t mistake our professional demeanor for softness in negotiations, however. If your spouse’s representatives try to introduce false statements or try to introduce documents that do not tell the entire story, we will respond aggressively. Our divorce lawyers in Greeley fight as hard as we can for our clients every step along the way. Because of our due diligence in preparing for negotiations and hearings, we know when the other side is trying to bend the rules or is flat out lying. We will not stand for your spouse’s lawyers’ treating you with disrespect.
Some of the toughest legal separation and divorce cases involve children. Both parents want what’s best for their children, but they may disagree strongly on how to reach the best conclusion. This can lead to drawn-out negotiations about how to handle visitation and parenting time. When you choose to hire our Greeley divorce lawyers, you can be certain that our child custody lawyers will work as hard as we can to help you achieve the best outcome for you and your children.
In the state of Colorado, Statute § 14-10-124 lays out the court’s desire to have both parents share responsibilities whenever possible. The state wants your children to be able to have contact with both parents. However, this is not always the best situation. If your ex-spouse has substance abuse problems or has a history of domestic abuse, your children may be in danger. When representing you, we will make sure the court understands all the facts in the case. We understand child custody disputes can be highly emotional, especially if your ex-spouse is contesting the accusations, but our divorce attorney in Greeley will be ready for any eventuality.
Beyond child custody, we handle all other aspects of divorce and family law involving children, including:
Our child support attorneys also can work with you to determine the proper amount of child support for the case. Although Colorado Statute § 14-10-115 lays out the general guidelines for determining child support payments, judges can move beyond the guidelines when circumstances warrant. Special circumstances may exist that affect the amount you should receive or pay in child support. In this situation, count on our divorce attorney to introduce these facts and to have the documentation to prove them.
Through all our years of working in family law, we have encountered many different circumstances. We have represented clients seeking legal separation, divorce mediation, prenuptial agreements, and many other aspects of divorce. Our Greeley, CO, divorce attorney has dealt with highly complex situations and does not shy away from difficult cases. We appreciate the chance to represent our clients when they need help at one of the toughest moments of their lives.
Throughout our years of representing clients, we have found that they have some questions that come up frequently. Here are some common questions about divorce that our clients ask.
In the state of Colorado, all divorces are no-fault. This simply means the courts will not take any misconduct from one of the spouses into account during hearings. The adultery or other issues will not affect the court’s decisions about the division of property or alimony awards.
The courts prefer that the two spouses and their representatives negotiate a fair alimony settlement that both sides accept. However, if negotiations break down, the court will make the decision. One spouse may have a limited ability to earn money going forward because of leaving the workforce to care for your children during the marriage. If so, that spouse likely will receive alimony payments. Our spousal support lawyers will help with the negotiations to ensure you are receiving a fair judgment.
Our divorce lawyer in Greeley, CO, will help in the negotiations with your spouse. We will defend your rights against your spouse’s representatives, seeking a resolution that takes your needs into account. We also will ensure that all documents filed in conjunction with the divorce are legal and binding. Even if you and your spouse agree on all aspects of the divorce, having legal documents in place is a smart idea. If disagreements arise later, the legal documents are at hand.
Colorado state law does not require both spouses to agree to the divorce. If one spouse wants the divorce, the process can move forward. Even if you do not want to divorce, you need to protect your interests. Ignoring divorce papers or refusing to participate in divorce negotiations and hearings will allow your spouse to win judgments in all aspects of the settlement. Hiring our Greeley divorce lawyer will help you defend your rights.
In Colorado, property acquired during the marriage will be evenly split between the parties. If one spouse owned property before the marriage, the courts usually will allow the spouse to keep that property separate from the division of property. During negotiations, though, the two spouses can agree to a different separation settlement.
Yes. The court needs an accurate assessment of each party’s financial situation to be able to rule fairly on things like child support and alimony (which Colorado calls spousal maintenance). You will need to produce a financial statement with supporting documents. Our divorce attorney in Greeley, CO, can help you produce these documents.
If you believe the local court made an error in your divorce, we can represent you in an appeals process. We can appeal to the Colorado Court of Appeals. We need to show that the local court made an error in arriving at the judgment, either procedural or substantive. The appeal will not succeed if we simply disagree with the ruling. Our divorce attorney in Greeley will have to prove that the court made some sort of error.
Our Greeley divorce lawyer understands that some cases do not fit into normal circumstances. For example, some people want to keep the information about the divorce completely private or may need to track down a spouse who left. We will study the circumstances surrounding your individual case, applying our successful work in similar cases in the past to your case. We then will tweak our strategy to ensure that we are meeting your particular needs.
Some divorce cases that involve unusual circumstances include the following.
If your spouse has left the state and is out of contact with you, you still have the ability to file for divorce. In Colorado, only one spouse needs to want a divorce for the proceedings to move forward. When you don’t know where your soon-to-be-ex-spouse lives or how to get in contact, you can ask the court to notify your spouse through a process called publication. We must show the court that we’ve taken every step within reason to try to locate your spouse. The court then may grant us the ability to serve the divorce papers using the process of publication.
A high-asset divorce brings added layers of complexity to the divorce process, which is why you need to work with at attorney experienced in high-asset cases. Our divorce attorney in Greeley will explain all options available to you and how best to prepare for a divorce. We will also explain the process involved with identifying and valuing assets. When you and your spouse own a business together or have significantly large financial holdings, the divorce process is more involved than a typical case. We will work with a variety of experts to determine the true value of the business and assets. These resources may include:
If your spouse’s representatives come up with a different value for the business, it could lead to an unfair settlement for you. Our Greeley, CO, divorce attorney will show why the facts in the case point toward the valuation that we developed with our experts.
If your spouse is committing domestic violence against you or your children, or if you fear this could happen, you can use this information in a divorce hearing. Concerns about domestic violence are essential for the court to know during a divorce. The court will need this information to ensure the safety of your children when trying to determine visitation rights.
Verbal abuse and manipulation over money also may be part of a domestic violence case during a divorce. Understand, however, that a history of domestic violence in the marriage will not affect any alimony award or division of property decisions the court makes. If you want to know how domestic violence may impact the outcome of your divorce proceedings, ask our Greeley, CO, divorce attorney about your case.
When you want to end your marriage with a divorce, but you also want to declare the marriage as having never been valid, an annulment is possible. Under an annulment, it will be as if the marriage never occurred. Some of the reasons a Colorado court may grant an annulment are:
To request an annulment in Colorado, you must use documentation to show why the court should grant it. Count on our Greeley divorce attorney to help you complete the documentation properly, ensuring that it meets the legal requirements.
Divorces are extremely difficult for most people. Even if you have a great reason for divorcing, and even if you know it is the best solution, it’s still a tough decision. Your life is going to undergo a dramatic change. You may have both worries and excitement about your future, at the same time. You may also be unsure about your financial future or your relationship with your children.
Our team understands these feelings of uneasiness. By hiring The Cossitt Law Firm to represent your interests in your divorce proceedings, we will work toward easing your burdens. Let us handle the day-to-day work to prepare for your divorce negotiations and hearings. You can then focus on the things you need to do to prepare for your new life.
For a review of your case, contact us today. We appreciate the opportunity to work for you. We take our responsibility to represent you very seriously, and we will work as hard as we can to help you receive a favorable outcome.
If you have decided to get a divorce, the next steps can seem daunting. Here we provide a few answers to common questions about filing for divorce.
Depending on your family, financial, and personal circumstances there are many factors you will want to consider when filing for divorce. Find out what type of divorce is right for you.
If you have children and are going through a divorce, one of the hardest things to do is to tell your children. Learn more about the effects of divorce on children.
How long will it take for the Court to issue a Decree of Dissolution of Marriage? The earliest a Colorado court could issues the divorce decree is 91 days after the petition was filed. However it can take longer than 91 days, as expert valuations and reports may be needed.
How can a divorce attorney help with an uncontested divorce? Uncontested divorce generally means the parties have agreed upon all issues, or they believe they will be able to easily agree on all issues. A divorce attorney can help with an uncontested divorce by ensuring everything drafted properly.
What are mandatory financial disclosures? Financial disclosures are required of both parties in every divorce case, within the first 45 days after the petition has been filed. The exchange of mandatory financial disclosures is intended to put each party on a level playing field as it relates to the finances of the divorce.
