Stage 1 of 7
Understanding What's Ahead
Before filing anything, take time to understand what you're getting into and what choices you're making. The decisions at this stage — divorce versus legal separation, whether to hire a lawyer, how to protect your finances — set the tone for everything that follows.
What happens in this stage
- 1Decide whether divorce or legal separation fits your situation
- 2Assess whether you can handle this without a lawyer, or need full or limited legal help
- 3Gather and protect financial documents before legal proceedings begin
- 4Consider alternative approaches like collaborative divorce
- 5Create a safety plan if there is any risk of conflict or danger when you tell your spouse
Where you are
⚡ Key insight
Don't underestimate financial preparation. Once a divorce is filed, automatic injunctions freeze the financial status quo. Gather bank statements, tax returns, retirement account statements, and records of major assets now — before filing.
Don't need a lawyer for everything — just for the hard parts
Unbundled legal services let you hire an attorney for specific tasks only, rather than full representation. You handle the straightforward parts yourself; an attorney handles the pieces where expertise matters most.
No ongoing commitment. Targeted help for specific tasks.
First decisions
Understand your options and make the foundational choices before committing to a path.
Understanding the Divorce Process
Overview of how Colorado divorce proceedings work: timeline, required steps, court involvement, and what to expect at each phase from filing through final decree.
Legal Separation vs. Divorce
Differences between legal separation and dissolution of marriage in Colorado, including effect on marital status, property rights, and when one may be preferable to the other.
Do I Need a Lawyer?
Guidance on when self-representation is feasible in Colorado family law proceedings, when an attorney is strongly advisable, and what resources exist for people who cannot afford full representation.
Collaborative Divorce
The collaborative divorce process as an alternative to litigation in Colorado: how it works, the roles of collaborative attorneys and neutral professionals, the disqualification agreement, cost comparison with traditional litigation, and when it is and is not appropriate.
Protecting yourself before you file
Steps to safeguard your finances, your rights, and your safety before legal proceedings begin.
Financial Preparation Before Filing
Steps to gather, protect, and document financial information — bank accounts, debts, property, income — before or immediately after filing for divorce, including the effect of automatic temporary injunctions.
Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements
How a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement affects property division and maintenance in a Colorado divorce: enforceability requirements under the Colorado Uniform Premarital and Marital Agreements Act, common grounds for challenging an agreement, and what to do if one exists.
Safety Planning
Steps a person in a potentially dangerous relationship should take before, during, and after filing for divorce, including safety plans, protective orders, and domestic violence resources.