Is divorce more expensive in Colorado?
Tawni Cummings
Colorado managing attorney at Marble Law
Key Takeaways
- The cost of divorce in Colorado is about average compared to other states.
- Currently, attorney fees for divorce in Colorado range from about $9,700 to $11,700.
- If you can’t find your spouse, you can still file for divorce in Georgia if you’ve resided there for at least six consecutive months. In this case, you may file a motion to serve your spouse by publication in a newspaper.
- Your divorce may cost more or less than this depending on the circumstances of your case.
Nobody starts a divorce thinking, “This will be cheap!” But although some states are notorious for expensive divorces, ending your marriage in Colorado isn’t like California. In fact, in comparison with other states, the cost of getting a divorce in Colorado is average.
Current attorney fees for divorce in the state are typically around $9,700 to $11,700. However, there are other fees involved in a divorce, and overall, all of the costs and fees vary depending on each case’s circumstances.
Some key factors that may affect how much divorce costs in Colorado are:
- The type of divorce
- Any shared children
- Spousal support
- Property division
Let’s break these down below.
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Contested divorce vs. uncontested divorce
One of the largest financial drains in a divorce is time. A contested divorce often takes significantly longer than an uncontested divorce, because the parties disagree about at least one issue and usually require a trial to settle this. The more time you spend in litigation, the more you’re likely to spend on legal fees, travel expenses and temporary order payments.
If you and your spouse agree on all issues that must be resolved in your divorce, you have an uncontested divorce. You may jointly file for divorce and write an agreement to submit to a judge for approval, rather than going through a trial.
Minor children
A divorce involving minor children is typically more expensive than one that doesn’t include children. This is because one spouse will be obligated to pay child support that likely lasts until the child turns 19 (or possibly older), and determining each spouse’s parental responsibilities may take more time because more evidence is usually needed. If your child has special needs, you might also have to pay for assistance from healthcare and education professionals to help the court make decisions about what’s in the best interests of your child.
Spousal maintenance
In Colorado, no spouse has an automatic right to spousal maintenance (also known as spousal support or alimony). If you and your spouse agree not to request spousal support from the other, you can save a lot of money in divorce costs.
If a spouse does request spousal support and a judge grants this request, the other spouse may pay hundreds or thousands each month for years to come.
Property division
In Colorado, divorce courts divide only marital assets between spouses. Still, you may lose thousands to hundreds of thousands in assets after the court enters its decree. Also, if the court orders you to leave the marital home, you might have to spend thousands per month on new housing.
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