Family Law Attorneys in Denver, Colorado

When your family is facing complex legal difficulties, it can feel as though you have the weight of the world on your shoulders. At some point in everyone’s lives, they’ll likely seek the aid of a family law attorney—whether it’s to help them get through a divorce, child custody dispute, or anything else. But just because these issues are common doesn’t make them any less frustrating. 

Reach out to our team at Attorneys at Law Timlin & Rye, P.C. Our attorneys have nearly a century of combined wisdom and legal guidance to help you through your difficult time and come out the other side. Contact us today if you’re in the Denver area or anywhere else in Colorado, including Adams, Arapahoe, Jefferson, and Douglas counties. 

Pre- and Postnuptial Agreements 

Although once heavily stigmatized, prenuptial agreements are now commonly used by many couples who are about to get married. Using a prenup doesn’t have to mean that you don’t trust your future spouse; rather, it can serve as a useful jumping-off point for having honest and tough conversations about finances which can actually strengthen your relationship in the long run.   

Although not everyone will need or want to use a prenup, it can be an incredibly useful tool. Prenups may be useful if you’re entering into a second or third marriage and have children or assets from your previous marriage that you’d like to protect. They can also be a practical tool for those who are partners in a family business and want to safeguard the legacy of the company without having to worry about marital succession laws.

If you’re curious about how a prenup may be able to help you, or if your fiancé would like you to sign a prenup, it’s a good idea to meet with an experienced attorney to discuss your options. 

Divorce in Colorado 

There’s nothing easy about getting a divorce, even if you’re on relatively good terms with your spouse and the divorce is mostly amicable. Most couples simply aren’t prepared for all the decisions they’ll need to come to an agreement on and how involved the process really is.

1. Contested vs. Uncontested: The first thing you’ll need to determine is whether you have a contested or an uncontested divorce. In a contested divorce. the two spouses are unable to agree on one or more issues and must turn to the courts to make a determination. With an uncontested divorce, the couple is able to agree on all the major issues and will not need the intervention of a judge. Importantly, in either case, the help of a lawyer is invaluable.

2. Alimony: Alimony (also called spousal support) is never automatically awarded, but may sometimes be necessary if one spouse needs temporary financial support from the other to reestablish their life.  

3. Asset Division: One of the trickiest issues to address in a divorce is how to equitably divide assets, especially if you’ve been married for a long time and share many assets. An experienced family law attorney can help you identify and organize all your assets, decide whether they’re considered “separate” (meaning just one spouse owns them) or “marital” (meaning both spouses have equal ownership, even if they weren’t necessarily the one to acquire the asset in the first place), and then figure out a fair division. 

Children and Divorce in Colorado 

Perhaps the most difficult aspect of divorce is when you share children with your soon-to-be-ex-spouse. There are simply no easy answers to the questions regarding who the children should live with and how often they should see each parent. In most cases, compromise will be required—but above all, the interests of the child come first. A family law attorney can help you understand your choices regarding child custody including making modifications to existing child custody plans and negotiating on your behalf to ensure your voice is heard. 
 
Our team is ready to educate you on how child support is calculated and help you determine how much you may have to pay or how much you’re due to receive. Colorado uses predefined guidelines for deciding how much money one parent should pay to the other in support based on how much time the child spends with each parent, the income level of both parents, and the needs of the child. That said, there are times when the amount the state decides needs to be contested or modified. An attorney can help with this, too.