Graham.Law Blog

When a judge awards maintenance as part of a final orders in a dissolution of marriage case, the maintenance is subject to modification “upon a showing of changed circumstances so substantial and continuing as to make the terms unfair” (1)(a). However, when the spouses reach an agreement for maintenance, they…

We have written about cases where Colorado’s appellate courts have reversed alimony awards from trial courts which simply applied the maintenance guidelines without evidence or specific findings on the need for maintenance. Now, the Colorado Court of Appeals has held, in a case of first impression, that courts are permitted…

The Colorado Court of Appeals has just issued a decision holding that domestic relations judge may award retroactive temporary maintenance at a hearing, even when the spouses were still living in the same house. Facts Supporting Retroactive Temporary Maintenance In Herold, the parties had a common law marriage for over…

VA Disability Payments are Income The Colorado Court of Appeals just issued a new decision in what it characterized: “As a matter of first impression in Colorado, whether a provision of the Uniformed Services Former Spouses’ Protection Act (USFSFPS)… prohibits a trial court from including a parent’s veteran’s disability benefits…

What is Colorado’s Maintenance Formula? The Colorado alimony calculator applies the advisory maintenance formula found in Colorado’s maintenance statute (). The statute provides judges in a divorce or legal separation proceeding with an advisory-only calculation to consider under the following conditions: The spouse’s combined incomes is not greater than $240,000/yr…

Even though justice is blind, image is still important. Wear proper court
attire & act respectfully to avoid hurting your Colorado family law case.

“Alimony is like buying oats for a dead horse” A now-retired Father’s Rights attorney in Colorado Springs used to have this quote from American journalist Arthur Baer in his advertising. Most attorneys thought it was mildly amusing, while perpetuating negative stereotypes. And ironically, while he advertised as a Colorado dad’s…

Alimony Or Child Support: Self-Employed vs Salaried Determining alimony or child support when a spouse is self-employed is more complicated than for a traditional employee. With an employee, all employment compensation on a W-2 counts, and it typically consists of salary (or an hourly wage), with the possibility of bonuses…

George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has energized the Black Lives Matter movement, and energized the world, not just the United States, with mass protests. But this post is focused on the family law consequences of Floyd’s killing. Chauvin is now charged with murder…

Colorado Maintenance Guidelines Not Written in Stone Colorado’s maintenance statute has an alimony formula applicable at divorce, but as the Colorado Court of Appeals constantly reminds the family law bar – and bench – the statutory maintenance guidelines contained in are not presumptive, only advisory. And that distinction means something. While…