When There Are No Children, the Divorce Process Focuses on Property Issues
Divorce is one of the most disruptive events that can arise in a person's life. Our goal at the Waters Law Firm in Denver is to make the process as painless as possible, while ensuring your rights are protected.
There are three stages to divorce in Colorado:
- Temporary orders: When you file for divorce, there will be a brief hearing with a judge. At the end of this hearing, which usually takes a couple of hours, the judge will issue temporary orders on issues such as who will pay the mortgage and other bills while the divorce is in process.
- Status conference: Within 30 days after filing your divorce, there will be a status conference with the judge to identify the main issues. When there are no children, those issues are usually division of marital property and spousal support. Nothing will be decided at the status conference, which usually lasts only about 15 minutes.
- Permanent orders: The permanent orders are the final binding agreements between you and your spouse. If you and your spouse can reach an agreement on all issues, the judge can simply review and sign that agreement. If the parties cannot come to agreement on some or all issues, there will be a trial. This trial can last anywhere from a day or two, to a week or longer.
Many lawyers only think settlement when going into a divorce. At the Waters Law Firm, we will be focused on the permanent orders from the beginning of your case. We are, however, willing to aggressively try your case if it needs to go to trial.
If your case goes to trial, behavioral issues such as infidelity, physical abuse and mental abuse can be introduced in open testimony. In Colorado, judges have the power to consider the behavior of your spouse when determining marital property division and alimony.
Common law marriages: Common law marriages are recognized in Colorado. If a common law marriage breaks up, the two parties have the same rights and obligations as married couples when it comes to marital property division and alimony.
Free Lawyer Consultation
During difficult times, it is helpful to talk to a lawyer you can trust. For a free initial consultation with attorney John Waters about divorce, call 303.731.6327 or fill out the contact form on this Web site.
