Arapahoe County Divorce Attorney
If you’re going through a divorce in Arapahoe County, the divorce attorneys Plog & Stein, P.C. are here to provide you with the quality legal representation you deserve. Since 1999, our firm has helped countless clients get through their divorces in a calm and dignified manner, even during periods of emotional and financial stress. Ending a marriage doesn’t have to be a difficult or painful process. However, given the important issues you’re dealing with, it does need to be done correctly. If you are negotiating a settlement or in the middle of a contested case going to trial, we understand what you’re entitled to and what your rights are. We also understand what you’re going through and the challenges you face. With over 70 years of combined legal experience, our seasoned Arapahoe County divorce attorneys are ready to protect you with issues related to:
- Division of Marital Property
- Spousal Support
- Child Custody and Parenting Time
- Child Support
- Post-Decree Matters; and
- More…
Let Plog & Stein, P.C. put our decades of courtroom and negotiation experience to work for you!
Family Law Professionals
At Plog & Stein, P.C., each of our attorneys is a true family law professional, dedicated solely to helping clients in Divorce, Child Custody, and Child Support cases. With each member of our dedicated family law team comes years of experience working with clients to resolve their family law matters. We take our jobs and clients’ cases very seriously and recognize the personal and lasting nature of domestic relations law. As such, we strive to make sure each of our divorce lawyers is well versed in all aspects of family law. Equally important, they are both skilled litigators and negotiators.
Things to Consider in Your Divorce
Whether you have children, or not, figuring out how to divide your marital estate is going to be an issue in your divorce. According to Colorado statute, assets accrued during the marriage must be divided. The law specifically allows the court to allocate marital property in a divorce as it determines to be equitable, meaning fair. The reality is that most courts are going to find an “equitable” division to be an equal division. However, in some cases, there may be arguments for an unequal split of the property, perhaps based on arguments of contribution to the asset accumulation, or perhaps due to one spouse being in a better financial position than the other. Understanding your rights and options regarding your marital property is the first step. While the initial goal is to settle on fair asset plan, not all cases settle. Recognizing this, our lawyers work hard to negotiation a fair asset division that works for you. If settlement cannot be had, they will be prepared to litigate the marital property issues. Marital property, in a divorce, comes in many different forms, from real estate, to retirement accounts, to business, and more. From a client-centered standpoint, we view each divorce case and the division of property with the focal point of your objectives and what makes sense for you. Regardless of the complexities of your marital property estate, we can help.
The other aspect of any Arapahoe County divorce is determining whether the issue of alimony, called “maintenance” in Colorado, arises. Spousal support is generally going to be determined by the spouses’ incomes and not every case is going to come with an award of alimony. In cases with vastly differing incomes, it’s likely the issue of alimony will be raised. The ultimate resolution will like depend on whether that difference in income warrants alimony pursuant to C.R.S. 14-10-114. While various factors can be looked at by the court, the reality is most courts are going to look to the formula set forth in that statutory section. At your first divorce consultation, your lawyer will assess your rights and options regarding spousal maintenance, including whether you may be required to pay. Each case is unique and sometimes the finer details matter.
Pursuing a Divorce in Arapahoe County
The process for getting a divorce can be simple or very complicated, depending on your circumstances. The following are some of the factors that can come into play as you move through the steps of getting a divorce in Colorado.
Initial filing and serving: The first step in the process, after you have contacted an Arapahoe County divorce lawyer, is filing a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage. Unless you are working with the other party in an uncontested divorce, they will then need to be served with the papers. Once a spouse has been served, he or she has 21 days to file a response with the court.
Automatic protections in divorce or legal separation: Colorado has enacted certain laws to keep both sides safe from retaliation in a divorce. Known as the Automatic Temporary Injunction, this statute (C.R.S. 14-10-107) will protect you as soon as divorce papers are served or a waiver of service is signed. You are protected from things like the transfer or disposing of property, being harassed or disturbed by your spouse, having your minor children removed from the state without your consent, and payment lapses on things like health, auto, and home insurance.
Mediation prior to trial: Mediation is often required in divorce cases, but this requirement varies by county. Divorce in Arapahoe County always requires mediation prior to trial. Courts want people to make an earnest effort to settle their issues prior to moving onto a hearing in front of a judge. However, it is not a replacement for the court process. Any agreements settled on during mediation still need a court case to be filed in order for them to become binding and enforceable.
Contested divorce proceedings: When both parties are unable to come to an agreement on their own, their divorce is “contested”. During this time, it is vital that you work closely with your divorce laywyer to build a strategy and evidentiary support for your Arapahoe County case. By law, both sides are required to submit extensive financial disclosures within 42 days after the petition is served. An experienced divorce lawyer will be able to help you with this and with organizing and presenting evidence to make the argument for the best possible outcome for your case in court. At Plog & Stein, P.C., we believe that detail and preparation lead to positive outcomes at trial.
Consult with Experienced and Strategic Divorce Attorneys in Arapahoe County
For great legal representation, contact the team at Plog & Stein, P.C. We have served communities around Arapahoe County for many years and know the ins and outs of your family law court system. Call us at (303) 781-0322 or contact us online to schedule consultation.
When consulting with one of the lawyers at Plog & Stein, P.C., our first step is gain a firm understanding of the facts and circumstances in your divorce case. From there, we will work to map up those facts with the law and other variables, with the goal of giving you as clear a picture as possible regarding likely outcomes in your case. Though good communication, we strive to make sure each of our clients is armed with the information needed to make sound decisions regarding how to proceed at each step of their case.
