By: Sarah T. McCain It can sometimes come as a surprise when you are served with a Motion to Restrict Parenting Time by your child’s other parent. However, if they are represented by an attorney, it shouldn’t. Pursuant to the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure, attorneys are under a duty to confer
Child Custody
Regaining Custody From an Unfit Parent in Colorado
An unfit parent is incapable of reasonably and prudently caring for a child in his or her ward. The parent may be mentally unstable, abusive, neglectful or otherwise unable to provide proper care to the child. Keeping a child in the custody of an unfit parent can lead to tragedies. If you
Identifying and Addressing Parental Alienation in Your Child Custody Case (Part 1)
By: Michelle L. Searcy As a family law attorney who has been practicing for more than ten years, I hear a lot of allegations made between parties. A particularly difficult dilemma for parties and their attorneys arises when someone is actively involved in alienating children from the other parent or when a party
Colorado Child Custody Cases and the Indian Child Welfare Act
By: James C. McTurnan If your child custody case involves children of Native American decent, there could be more to your case than just the ins and outs of Colorado family law. The Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (ICWA), a federal statutory section, addresses the rights of Indian tribes with respect
Changes to Child Mental Health Laws and the Potential Impact on Child Custody Cases
By: Sarah T. McCain In the past several years there has been a renewed focus on mental health care and those going through divorces or custody cases are not immune to those issues. It is incredibly common for a parent to seek the assistance of a therapist to discuss these often complicated
Getting Ready For Mediation in Your Divorce or Custody Case
By Michelle L. Searcy Whether you are involved in a divorce (dissolution of marriage), child custody (allocation of parental rights), or modification family law case, you will be encouraged, if not ordered to participate in mediation. In mediation, the mediator will work with you to try to resolve issues through agreement. This
What is a PCDM and Should I have One in My Child Custody case?
By: Sarah T. McCain In cases involving child custody, especially those of a high conflict nature, you may hear the term “PCDM” mentioned as you near the end of litigation or settlement communications. It is often the recommendations of a Child and Family Investigator or Parental Responsibilities Evaluation that open discussions regarding
International Considerations for Child Custody and Divorce Cases
By: Sarah T. McCain When you commence either a divorce case or a child custody case in Colorado, you will inevitably hear the word “jurisdiction.” Though this term is mentioned in more detail in other blog posts, in summary, the term is referring to personal and subject matter jurisdiction. To acquire personal
Child Custody: Is “Nesting” an Option for Your Parenting Time Plan?
A relatively new concept for divorcing couples with children is a concept known as “nesting” or a “bird’s nest” parenting plan arrangement. What nesting entails is the parents sharing a residence to promote stability for the parties’ children. In a nesting arrangement, the parties split time at the marital residence while the
A CFI or PRE has been appointed to my child custody case, now what?
By: Jessica A. Saldin Whenever there are custody issues in your family law case, one question to always consider is whether a CFI or PRE would help your case. Prior blog posts have explained what these individuals are and when they may be helpful. Once they are appointed to the case, though,