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Centennial Divorce Attorneys

Divorce Lawyers in Centennial COAt Plog & Stein, P.C., we provide skilled and effective support to clients in Centennial and throughout Colorado. Whether you are seeking a divorce or are looking to enforce a visitation order, our Centennial divorce attorneys stand ready to assist you.

Our firm handles all aspects of family law, including divorce, custody, child support, visitation, property/debt division, alimony, grandparent visitation, protection orders, and more. We are also adept at post-decree or post-final order, relief, such as contempt of court, child support enforcement, and modifications of both visitation and child support. We take our work very seriously and strive to maintain high satisfaction among our clients.  With decades of combined family law experience, our legal team is well-equipped to meet all your needs when the time to divorce comes.

“Stephen and his firm came highly recommended. He had looked over my divorce and gave me an honest recommendation and advice. He explained things simply enough for me to fully understand everything. something that was much needed when going through a stressful divorce. I would recommend him to anyone needing help. You won’t be disappointed.” – Sean Smith

Divorcing in Centennial, CO

A divorce case is started with either spouse filing a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage with the court and serving the other party. From there, a whole array of procedures, rules, and deadlines come to play. At that point, it’s imperative to speak with an experienced divorce attorney in Centennial to ascertain your options and the best course of action for handling your case. Our attorneys have 70+ years of combined legal experience and have represented Centennial residents in all Denver metropolitan area courts. From start to finish, we will assist you through the legal process, including:

  • Preparation of pleadings and motions
  • Preparation of your financial disclosures
  • Obtaining evidence and information necessary to proceed to settlement or trial
  • Preparation for hearing, including preparing testimony for you and other witnesses
  • Meeting all court deadlines
  • Making sure your spouse (or the other party) complies with applicable procedural and substantive rules
  • Getting fair and appropriate orders in place

Our divorce attorneys pride themselves on thoroughly managing each case they handle. With impeccable writing and courtroom skills, we are ready to assist you in protecting the assets you have worked hard to obtain over the years, as well as your overall financial future. Centennial clients have also benefitted from our services in custody and child support matters. At Plog & Stein, P.C., we take the time to listen to each client so that we understand your objectives and needs. In doing so, we are able to formulate realistic strategies designed to gain you the best outcomes possible. Your objectives are what matter most.

Understanding the Issues in Your Centennial Divorce

When coming in to consult with Plog & Stein regarding your divorce, it’s critical for our attorneys to identify the issues in your case which are, or may become, contested, and for the attorneys to give you a thorough assessment of your rights and options. When handling the division of marital property, you may be having to deal with valuing an array of assets, including looking at increases in value to pre-marital property.  When dealing with issues of alimony or child support, analysis and intricacies tied into income and earning ability for either party could arise.   When dealing with child custody matters, details regarding the abilities, behaviors, and wishes of each parent and the children will be relevant and you may even need to engage outside experts in the field.  There are many variables and issues that can arise in a divorce. While we, as experienced Centennial divorce lawyers, may readily understand them, we also want to make sure that our clients have a firm grasp of the challenges ahead of them.

How Long Do I Have to Live in Centennial to File for a Divorce?

Like most states, Colorado has residency requirements for filing for divorce. This rule requires couples to have lived in the state for a certain amount of time before petitioning the courts for a divorce. You can file for divorce in Centennial if either you or your spouse has resided in Colorado for at least the prior 91 days. If you have children, they must have lived in Colorado for at least 182 days. Colorado also needs jurisdiction over the spouse responding to the Petition for Divorce. Finally, you must wait until at least 91 days have passed after serving the Summons on your spouse before the court can grant your divorce. Depending on the contested issues, most cases take significantly longer to finish.

How Long Will My Divorce Take?

The length of time your divorce will take from start to finish depends on many factors. Certain elements unique to your case could change the timeline. You cannot avoid the residency requirement in Colorado, for example, which will extend the timeline if you just moved to the state. Some divorce cases resolve in a few months while others can take up to a year. The average span of a divorce case in Colorado is roughly eight months.

Divorce is a complicated legal process that requires a great deal of negotiating, planning and strategizing. It is not something a couple can rush. If you want the fastest and most efficient option, you and your spouse will need to agree on all of the relevant issues in your divorce case. When all terms are agreed to right from the start, your case can proceed as an “uncontested” dissolution of marriage. You and your spouse talk and work together to decide points such as child custody and marital property division. If all issues are agreed upon, in writing, at the outset of the case, you may be able to finish within the 91-day minimal statutory waiting period.

In general, a judge only has to review the settlement you and your spouse created to grant your divorce if you have an uncontested case.  If there are two attorneys or no children, you might not even have to appear in court. However, if you and your spouse cannot agree on the divorce issues, the case will ultimately have to go to trial. This can add months to your timeline, depending on how soon the court can hear your case. The trial process itself can take additional weeks as you try to resolve major issues or prepare for court. At the end of the case, a judge will decide on the elements of your divorce; these decisions will be out of your hands.

Achieving an uncontested divorce in Colorado may be possible with help from an attorney. Hiring a Centennial divorce attorneys from Plog & Stein, P.C. could help you work together with your spouse on an acceptable solution. We may save you time, stress, and money in the long run. If a settlement cannot be reached, we will be ready to take your divorce case to trial.

Am I Eligible for an Annulment to End My Marriage?

If you are eligible for annulment, this may be a better course of action for you than divorce. Some people seek annulments for religious purposes, while others prefer them to avoid property division and other issues that come with divorce. An annulment is similar to a divorce in that it will end your marriage. With an annulment, however, it will be as if your marriage never happened. An annulment – called a declaration of invalidity in Colorado – nullifies your marriage. It officially states that you were never married at all in the eyes of the law. You and your spouse will return to your pre-marital state.  In some cases, the court may still enter financial orders regarding property or support, and custody if there are children.

To request a declaration of invalidity in Colorado, you must prove grounds such as mental incapacity at the time of marriage, lack of consummation, underage marriage without guardian consent, fraud, duress, bigamy, incest, or marriage as a joke or dare. The courts will examine the facts of your marriage to determine whether it is invalid. If so, you can successfully achieve an annulment without needing to get a divorce in Colorado. There are certain statutory time frames for seeking an annulment that may affect your ability to seek one. Use a Denver family lawyers from Plog & Stein, P.C. for assistance getting an annulment.

Call Our Experienced Centennial Divorce Lawyers Today!

Consulting an experienced Centennial divorce lawyer on issues such as spousal support can make a difference to Centennial residents. At Plog & Stein, P.C., we work both strategically and efficiently, keeping in mind the bigger picture and letting you know how any proposed action you may take can affect the outcome of your custody or divorce case. We are familiar with every step of the process and the metro area courts, including Arapahoe County. Let our divorce lawyers put our insights to work for you.

Call Plog & Stein today to speak with an attorney for FREE or via our online form to request an initial consultation. We are conveniently located near Orchard and I-25, just over the Centennial/Greenwood Village border.