Practice Areas

Divorce + Legal Separation + Allocation of Parental Responsibilities

Our divorce lawyers will help you reach a resolution of all issues in your divorce or legal separation including, but not limited to, asset and debt division, spousal maintenance, sometimes known as “alimony,” allocation of parental rights and responsibilities, including decision making for your children, parenting time and child support and payment of child-related expenses.

Our first concern is taking the time to learn about your case. Our lawyers then tailor their strategy and representation to meet your specific goals and address your unique concerns. We will explain your options so you can make the best decisions for you and your family and keep you informed of the status of your case. An amicable resolution is ideal, but not always possible given the unique facts of your case. Our approach is to try to resolve conflicts amicably. However, if the situation calls for an aggressive approach, our lawyers are ready to go to trial and fight for your interests.

When you and your partner have determined that you have reached a point where you no longer wish to be legally coupled, contact Opfer | Campbell | Beck P.C. at (303) 791-0995 or fill out the contact form below for help with your dissolution of marriage or legal separation in Douglas, Arapahoe, Denver, Jefferson, Adams and El Paso Counties.

In Colorado, uncontested divorces and legal separations take at least 91 days, plus approximately one week at the beginning of your case to prepare legal documents and a week at the end for the judge to rule on/approve them. A contested divorce can take much longer depending upon the complexity of the case and the nature of the dispute. Some counties in Colorado will not hear a contested divorce for up to a year and a half after the initial filing. If your divorce is contested and in a county with a full docket, Opfer | Campbell | Beck P.C. will help you obtain temporary orders in your case which determine parenting time, child support, spousal maintenance and payment of bills while your divorce is in process.

Child custody is one of the most feared aspects of a divorce or legal separation within family law issues. Many parents have concerns about losing time with their children, having to adapt to an unworkable parenting time schedule and financial support for and payment of child-related expenses. Getting help from an experienced lawyer is a crucial step in developing a parenting plan and child-related orders that both works for parents and benefit the children involved. In any child custody and support issue, the primary goal should be to encourage the child to have a safe, happy, healthy, loving and supportive relationship with both parents. When parents can compromise and agree upon child-related issues the separation process is made easier and parents are set up for co-parenting success in the future.

Parents can agree to any custody or visitation schedule they want. However, if the parents can’t agree, the Court will make the determination in the best interest of the child. In Colorado, there is a statute that covers Allocation of Parental Responsibilities (APR) which provides factors that the Court must take into consideration in determining the best interests of your child. Some of the factors which will be taken into consideration include:

• What are the wishes of the parents and, in some circumstances, the children with regards to parenting time?
• What environment is safe for the child physically, mentally and emotionally?
• What ties does the child have to their community including schools and medical professionals?
• What is the nature of the child’s relationship with their parents, siblings and other persons who have an impact on the child’s life?
• How is the mental and physical health of all individuals involved?
• Can the parents put the needs of the children ahead of their own and encourage a loving relationship between the child and the other parent?
• What is the proximity of both parents geographically and any other practical considerations for parenting time?

There are unique concerns that arise in what is termed a “silver” or “gray” divorce within family law. Issues relating to parental rights and responsibilities are not typically factored in a silver divorce because the couple’s children are usually over the age of 18. However, property division can be more complex when significant assets have been accumulated over the course of marriage including, but not limited to, retirement and investment assets like 401(k)’s, IRA’s, pensions and PERA account in Colorado. Alimony may also be a factor, especially when one spouse worked and the other stayed at home. We are keenly aware of the issues that arise in a silver or gray divorce and can help you make the tough decisions now that will affect you in the years to come.

In today’s world families come in all shapes and sizes. Child custody and support can be an issue in divorce and legal separation cases but also in cases where parents are not currently or were never married to one another. The break-up of a relationship is a traumatic event for parents, and even more so for children. Numerous studies have shown that conflicted child custody disputes can have effects on future relationships and opportunities for years into the future. At the law firm of Opfer | Campbell | Beck P.C., we are here to help you resolve child custody and visitation cases as amicably as possible. Whether deciding where children should live or searching for the right visitation schedule, each party should have an attorney who is sensitive to the concerns of both adults and children.

There are options to modify a child custody arrangement or parenting plan when your current orders are no longer in the best interest of the child. As with an initial determination, the Court will only make modifications of parenting plans and child custody orders that are in the best interest of the child.

There are numerous reasons for changing a parenting plan or child custody orders. Common reasons include:

• Relocation or a parental move
• Loss of employment or change in job status
• Remarriage
• Domestic or family violence
• Substance abuse
• Unexpected medical condition

If you have experienced any of these or another change in circumstances which renders your current order not in the best interest of your children, talk to an attorney from our firm to find out if modification is right for you. We will walk you through the legal steps necessary to ensure that your parenting plan and child custody orders work for you and your children.

Financial support orders, whether they are child support or spousal maintenance orders, can be changed upon a showing of a substantial and continuing change in circumstances which renders the original order unfair. A modification of a support order almost always has to do with a change in income or expenses. Common examples of a substantial and continuing change are:

• Being laid off from employment
• Changing jobs or careers
• Needing to quit a job for health or childcare reasons
• Going back to school or entering an educational program
• Receiving a pay cut or pay raise
• An increase in health insurance, medical, education and/or work-related childcare costs
• A change in parenting time
• Emancipation of a child

If you have experienced any of the above and are in need of a change in the support you are currently receiving or paying contact an attorney at Opfer | Campbell | Beck P.C. We will work hard to help you obtain a modification in support that fits your current needs.