Stage 2 of 7
Filing and First Steps
This stage is about mechanics — getting your case formally started and making sure both parties are operating under court-ordered rules while the divorce is pending. Most people underestimate how much happens in the first few weeks after filing.
What happens in this stage
- 1File the petition for dissolution with the right court
- 2Understand the automatic injunctions that take effect immediately on both parties
- 3Serve the other party with the divorce papers
- 4Seek temporary orders for parenting time, support, and use of property
- 5Seek emergency protective orders if safety is a concern
Where you are
⚡ Key insight
Automatic injunctions — which prohibit both parties from moving assets, canceling insurance, or taking children out of state — take effect the moment the petition is filed on the filing party and upon service on the other party. Both parties are bound by them regardless of whether they agreed.
Get your paperwork reviewed before you file
Errors in your initial filings can cause costly delays or harm your case down the road. A single document review session with a Colorado family law attorney catches problems before they become serious.
No ongoing commitment. Targeted help for specific tasks.
Starting the case
The paperwork, procedures, and automatic rules that govern both parties from the moment the case is filed.
Filing and Court Forms
How to file a petition for dissolution or legal separation in Colorado: which forms to use (JDF series), where to file, filing fees, fee waivers, and what happens after the petition is filed.
Automatic Temporary Injunctions
The automatic restraining orders that take effect in Colorado when a divorce petition is filed, prohibiting either party from disposing of assets, removing children from the state, or canceling insurance.
Service of Process
Requirements and methods for serving the other party with divorce papers in Colorado, including personal service, service by mail, and publication when the other party cannot be located.
Default Divorce
What happens in a Colorado divorce when the other party does not respond to the petition: the default process, timelines, what evidence is required, limitations on what the court can order in a default, and how a default can be set aside.
Getting temporary orders in place
Court orders that set the rules for parenting time, support, and use of property while the divorce is pending.
Temporary Orders
Court orders entered at the start of a case to maintain the status quo while the divorce is pending, covering parenting time, support, use of property, and payment of expenses.
Emergency and Protective Orders
Civil protection orders and emergency custody orders available in Colorado to protect a party or child from domestic violence, harassment, or imminent danger during or outside of divorce proceedings.