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Divorce laws are written and enforced by the state in which the partners reside. This means your state and local family law court determine such things as divorce case filing and pleading procedures, spousal and child support payments, custodial rights of parents and the division of community property. Described information comes from government publications and resources. Make sure to consult a lawyer in your state for the most current law and procedures.

LEGAL GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE: The only grounds for dissolution of marriage is that the marriage is irretrievably broken. [Based on Colorado Revised Statutes 14-10-106]

LEGAL SEPARATION: If a party requests a legal separation instead of a dissolution of marriage, and the other party doesn't object, the court will grant a legal separation. A separation agreement can contain provisions for the maintenance of either spouse, the division of any property, and provisions for parental responsibilities, support, and parenting time of their children. [Based on Colorado Revised Statutes 14-10-106 and 14-10-112]

SPECIAL DIVORCE PROCEDURES: The court may appoint an attorney to represent the best interests of the child at the request of either parent or upon its own motion, with respect to the child's custody, allocation of parental responsibilities and rights, and any other issues related to the child. [Based on Colorado Revised Statutes 14-10-116]

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS AND WHERE TO FILE: To file for a dissolution of marriage in Colorado, one party must be a resident of the state for at least 90 days before filing. The petition for dissolution of marriage may be filed in the where either party resides. [Based on Colorado Revised Statutes 14-10-106]

MEDIATION OR COUNSELING REQUIREMENTS: A court may order a parent whose child is under eighteen years of age to attend a special program designed to provide education concerning the impact of separation and divorce on children. [Based on Colorado Revised Statutes 14-10-123.7]

PROPERTY DISTRIBUTION: Colorado is an equitable distribution state, meaning that if the parties can't agree, the property will be distributed in an equitable fashion, not necessarily equally. When dividing the marital estate, the court will base it's decisions on the following factors: 1) The contribution of each spouse to the marital estate, including the contributions as a homemaker; 2) The value of property set apart to each spouse; 3) The desirability of awarding the family home to the custodial parent, as well as the economic circumstances of each spouse; 4) Any depletion of separate property for marital purposes, or any increases in the value of separate property of the spouse during the marriage.

Separate property not subject to division includes inheritances, property owned prior to the marriage, gifts, property acquired after a legal separation, property excluded by a valid agreement. [Based on Colorado Revised Statutes 14-10-113]

ALIMONY/MAINTENANCE/SPOUSAL SUPPORT: Spousal maintenance may be awarded on a temporary or permanent basis to either spouse. When the parties' combined annual gross income is less than seventy-five thousand dollars, and temporary support is requested during a legal separation or during the dissolution of marriage, the court may apply a presumptive formula to determine the level of maintenance. The monthly amount of temporary maintenance shall be equal to forty percent of the higher income party's monthly adjusted gross income less fifty percent of the lower income party's monthly adjusted gross income. In determining the level of support to be paid after the dissolution of marriage, the court will take the following factors into consideration when determining the level of support:

The duration of the marriage;

The standard of living established during the marriage;

The financial resources of the spouse seeking support, including marital property received in the divorce settlement, and the party's ability to meet his or her needs independently;

The time necessary to acquire sufficient education or training to enable the party seeking maintenance to find appropriate employment and that party's future earning capacity;

The age and the physical and emotional condition of the spouse seeking maintenance; and the ability of the spouse from whom maintenance is sought to meet his or her needs while meeting those of the spouse seeking maintenance. [Based on Colorado Revised Statutes 14-10-114]

SPOUSE'S NAME: Even though CO doesn't specifically address the matter of changing your name during proceedings for the dissolution of marriage, there is a section on the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage where you can request that your name be restored to a prior name. To change your name to something other than a previous name, you must petition to that effect, verified by affidavit, to the district or county court in the county where you reside, including your full name, the desired name, and a concise statement of the reason for the name change. The petitioner is required to submit a fingerprint-based criminal history record check within ninety days prior to the date of the filing of the petition. [Based on Colorado Revised Statutes 13-15-101]

CHILD CUSTODY: Custody may be awarded to either parent based on the best interest of the child, and shall consider all relevant factors, including:

1. The wishes of the parents concerning parenting time;

2. The wishes of the child, if sufficiently mature to express reasoned preferences concerning the parenting arrangement;

3. The relationship of the child with his or her parents, siblings, and any other person who may significantly affect the child's best interests;

4. The child's adjustment to his or her home, school, and community;

5. The mental and physical health of all individuals involved;

6. The ability of the parents to encourage the sharing of love, affection, and contact between the child and the other parent;

7. Whether the past pattern of involvement of the parents with the child reflects a system of values, time commitment, and mutual support;

8. The physical distance of the parties to each other as this relates to the practical considerations of parenting time;

9. Evidence of spousal abuse, child abuse, or neglect by either parent;

10. The ability of each parent to place the needs of the child ahead of his or her own needs. [Based on Colorado Revised Statutes 14-10-124]

CHILD SUPPORT: Colorado uses the "Income Shares" model to determine child support. This method bases the level of support on the combined income of both parents. You can use the worksheets available at the Colorado Judicial Branch Child Support Guidelines to determine the level of support. Child support may continue until a child becomes emancipated, graduates from high school, or it may continue beyond the age of nineteen if the child is mentally or physically disabled. Support for post-secondary education of the child may be order on both the parents. [Based on Colorado Revised Statutes 14-10-115]

HOW TO ENFORCE CHILD SUPPORT IN THE STATE OF COLORADO – THE FEDERAL OPTION

Federal Options Enforcement (CSE) Program is a federal/state/local effort to locate parents, their employers, and/or their assets; establish paternity if necessary; and establish and enforce child support orders. The federal role is to provide funding, issue policies, ensure that federal requirements are met, and interact with other federal agencies that help support the CSE program.

How and where do I apply?

In most states, CSE offices are listed under the human services agency in the local government section of the telephone directory. If there is not a separate listing, the human services agency information operator should be able to give you the number. State CSE agencies are listed at the end of this brochure; they also can provide telephone numbers for local offices.

Call your Child Support Enforcement office to learn how to apply for enforcement services and what documents (birth certificates, financial statements, etc.) you should provide.

What are the steps to collecting support?

The first step, if a child was born out of wedlock, is to establish paternity - or make a legal determination of who fathered the child. Many men will voluntarily acknowledge paternity. Either parent can request a blood test in contested paternity cases. Your caseworker will help you to establish paternity for your child.

Establishing the obligation is the next step. The fair amount of child support that the non-custodial parent should pay is determined according to state guidelines. Your CSE office will be able to tell you how support award amounts are set in your state. Your CSE office can also request medical support for your child.

The last step is enforcement of the child support order. The CSE office can help with collecting the money due no matter where the non-custodial parent lives.

At any of these steps, the CSE office may need to know where the non-custodial parent is living or where he/she is working. When a parent has disappeared, it is usually possible for the CSE office to find him/her with the help of state agencies, such as the Department of Motor Vehicles, or the Federal Parent Locator Service. Your caseworker can tell you what information is needed to find an absent parent or his/her employer.

The most successful way to collect child support is by direct withholding from the obligated parent's paycheck. Most child support orders require the employer to withhold the money that is ordered for child support and send it to the CSE office. Your Child Support Enforcement office can tell you about this procedure.

Federal and State Income Tax refunds may be withheld to collect unpaid child support. States also have laws, which allow them to use: liens on real and personal property; orders to withhold and deliver property; or seizure and sale of property with the proceeds applied to the support debt. Many states routinely report child support debts to credit bureaus and smart parents are bringing their payments current so that their credit won't be affected.

For More Information write for the Handbook on Child Support Enforcement by contacting:

ACF OCSE National Reference Center

370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W.

4th Floor Washington, DC 20447

(202) 401-9383