Graham.Law Blog

What Is Child Abuse? Child abuse will get a parent in trouble, not only in child custody cases, but with the potential for action from the Colorado Department of Human Services (DHS) or even law enforcement (child abuse is a crime per (1)(a)). However, (1)(a) also recognizes that physical force may…

Note Regarding Graham.Law Teaching At CLE’s The attorneys at Graham.Law consider it a duty, and an honor, to give back to the legal community. We have taught a variety of Colorado family law issues at over 30 CLEs sponsored by the Colorado Bar Association, the courts, local bar associations, and other non-profits. If you…

NOTE – COVID-19 is spreading rapidly, and the legal situation is changing in response. For a more updated discussion of parenting during the Coronavirus pandemic, in particular after Colorado’s “stay-at-home” order, see our newer blog post Parenting Time & Exchanges During COVID-19. Does Coronavirus Affect Parenting? Bottom line up front –…

No one wants to be the subject of headlines like this one from Forbes: ‘Kidnap, Imprisonment And Torture’ How The Ruler Of Dubai Went To War With His Sixth Wife In U.K. Court— And Lost It is rare that a child custody case makes international headlines. But then again, it’s also rare…

Retirement Must Be Divided As Property In a Colorado Divorce Retirement is property, and if earned during the marriage, the pension is part of the marital estate to be divided upon dissolution of marriage per . It’s easy to conceptualize the division in the case of IRAs, 401(k)s and other defined contribution pensions which…

What Financial Disclosures Does Colorado Require? NOTE – AS OF JANUARY 2024, THE COLORADO SUPREME COURT MODIFIED RULE 16.2 TO ALLOW THE PARTIES TO AGREE TO WAIVE PROVIDING FINANCIAL RECORDS IN CERTAIN SIMPLE, LOW-DOLLAR CASES. SEE THIS BLOG POST ON THE NEW SIMPLIFIED DISCLOSURE RULE. Colorado has mandatory financial disclosures,…

Child Abuse Precludes Joint Decision-Making Child abuse and neglect has long been an important factor for the domestic relations judge in determining how to allocate parental rights and responsibilities. And under the “best interests of the child” statute, a parent who committed child abuse or neglect is precluded from joint…

U.S. Supreme Court & Family Law Family law is a state issue, by and large, and international child custody disputes are rare. While there are a few federal statutes which apply to family law, they generally impose obligations on the states, and in turn the states will implement the directives…

First Comes Property, Then Comes Alimony Which came first, the chicken or the egg? In the context of a Colorado divorce case, the question might be rephrased as “which comes first, property or alimony?” And the answer, per statute, is spousal maintenance (aka “alimony”). Under Colorado’s maintenance statute, one of…

Court Required To Allocate Debts As Part Of Marital Estate Upon dissolution, the family law judge must “equitably” allocate the marital estate, which includes not just assets but also the debts acquired during the marriage. But that does not mean the court has to accept what one party claims at…