About the Guide The Colorado Divorce & Family Law Guide was created by Carl O. Graham, a Colorado Springs, CO divorce lawyer, and principal of Black & Graham, LLC, a family and criminal law firm. Carl runs the family law side of the firm, and focuses exclusively on Colorado divorce, military divorce issues, child support law, grandparent rights & visitation, common law marriage, child custody, legal separation law, annulment, alimony law, etc. Visit our web site to learn more about our Colorado Springs law firm:
www.blackgraham.com.
A legal separation in Colorado is an alternative to a Colorado divorce or annulment. The advantage is that Colorado legal separation law finalizes all child custody and financial arrangements (including child support, division of property and debt, and maintenance, etc), but the spouses are still technically married for purposes of some health care plans, insurance, military benefits, or religions which frown upon divorce. But this also means that, with a Colorado legal separation, neither spouse can remarry, and, if spouse is a military servicemember, UCMJ, Article 134 adultery charges may be a concern.
Colorado Legal Separation Procedure
The disadvantage of legal separation in Colorado is that the process is no easier or quicker than a Colorado divorce. It is procedurally identical and involves all of the same issues. In the end, however, the parties have a Colorado decree of legal separation, not a decree of dissolution.
After filing a petition for Colorado legal separation, either spouse can ask the Colorado family law court to convert the case into a Colorado divorce action instead. Plus, once a Colorado decree of legal separation has been issued, either party can convert it to a decree of dissolution after six months has passed, usually with the same terms as the legal separation.
This web site is an advertisement intended for informational purposes, and is not a substitute for individual legal advice from one of the many Colorado Springs law firms, Colorado Springs lawyers or Colorado Springs attorneys. Only a signed agreement with this Colorado Springs family law attorney can create a Colorado lawyer-client relationship. We assist clients in Colorado Springs / El Paso County courts, in Colorado family law (Colorado divorce, military divorce issues, child support law, grandparent visitation & rights, common law marriage, child custody law, legal separation law, annulment, alimony law, etc).
