Colorado Divorce And Family Law Blog

It is not unusual for a person in Colorado to move to a new home. Sometimes a person gets a new job in another city. Other times a person might want to move to an area with a lower cost of living, a better commute or to be closer to family. However, if a person is a parent, is no longer in a relationship with their child's other parent and wants to move with the child, the current parenting plan will have to be modified if appropriate.

Under Colorado law, if the parent with whom the child lives with most of the time wants to move to a place that substantially changes how far apart the child lives from the child's other parent, the court will determine whether to modify the parties' parenting time based on the child's best interests. One factor the court will consider is if restricting a parent's parenting time would have a significant negative effect on the child's health or emotional development.

Couples going through a wealthy divorce in Colorado may face issues that other divorcing couples do not. For example, property division becomes more complex when a couple has significantly valuable assets, such as real estate, investments or a business. It may be necessary to have their assets professionally valued, especially if one party does not have much -- if any -- knowledge of the extent of their marital estate. In addition, sometimes it is necessary to employ forensic experts in a high-asset divorce, particularly if one spouse is trying to hide assets from the other spouse.

Also, spousal maintenance often becomes a sticking point in a high-asset divorce. This is because both parties may be accustomed to living a more lavish lifestyle. While there is no guarantee that maintenance will be awarded to one party or the other, if it is awarded, the award may not be permanent. The party receiving maintenance may be expected to eventually get a job that allows them to support themselves. Also, there may be prenuptial agreements or postnuptial agreements in place that address a spouse's right to maintenance should they divorce.

When parents in Colorado divorce, it can be a difficult time not just for them but for their children as well. Sometimes parents will decide that, despite the fact that their marriage has become untenable, they still want to raise their child together in an optimal environment. Therefore, they may choose to develop a parenting plan that allows them to co-parent their children post-divorce. However, there are certain things parents who wish to pursue co-parenting should keep in mind so that the arrangement is successful.

Parents need to understand that despite the hard feelings they may have towards one another, their child needs both of them to play an active role in their life. This means they will have to cooperate with one another. This means not badmouthing each other, whether it is in front of the kids, on social media or with other people. Also, children need parents to be parents, so parents must keep in mind that they are not their child's friend post-divorce. This will help provide the child with the stability they need as they adjust to the divorce. Co-parenting only works when both parents recognize that they each deserve to have a meaningful relationship with their child, and any parenting plans developed need to reflect this.

Sometimes it starts by just squirreling a little money away during the divorce process to keep it secret from one's spouse. However, hiding assets in a divorce can often escalate to more than just a secret bank account. Sometimes, a spouse in Colorado hides assets in an offshore account or transfers the assets to a relative or friend to keep the assets secret from the other spouse. A spouse may open up his or her own safe-deposit box, investment accounts and more. However, what a spouse needs to keep in mind is that hiding assets in a divorce is illegal, and in today's electronic age, not as simple as it might have been in years past.

Gone are the days where one would have to investigate a literal paper trail to uncover hidden assets. These days, it is possible to find information on hidden assets in emails, in an ex's Internet browsing history, in posts made on social media accounts and by examining past tax returns, property records and company benefits websites. There is even computer software available that can analyze one's financial statements to find inaccuracies.