The cost of a family law matter is nearly impossible to determine at the commencement of the matter. Many factors influence the expense, including the complexity of your assets, whether or not parenting is at issue, whether there are domestic violence or substance abuse issues, and the hostility level of the parties concerned.

Most domestic lawyers require a retainer, which is placed in a trust account and used as payment as the services are rendered. You are entitled to a full accounting, and a refund on any unused retainer funds.

Your lawyer should also explain the fee structure during the initial interview, and a fee contract will be signed at that time.

No. Colorado is a no fault jurisdiction, so that any married person can obtain a divorce without the consent of the other spouse.

Perhaps. The law lets you obtain a dissolution of your marriage, after the ninety day period has expired, but this is a minimum time. If there are disputes, you can expect a divorce to take several months or longer. Parenting disputes take a substantial amount of time. Every case is different.

Maybe not. The law requires a hearing if there are children involved, unless your agreement was signed by two attorneys. If there are no children, no lawyers need to sign the documents. But if you have an agreement, the court can set your hearing on the uncontested docket, meaning it is a ten minute hearing without conflict.

If you have not had an extended phone call prior to your appointment, you can ask to have your initial bill reduced, to allow for a free half hour. We believe that the first half hour is part of the introduction process, to allow lawyers and clients to determine if they are comfortable with each other.