Colorado Family Laws

Marriage is "irretrievably broken" is the sole ground for divorce in Colorado. No fault-based grounds exist.

Marital property is divided equitably (fairly, but not necessarily equally). Separate property — owned before marriage, gifts, and inheritances — generally stays with the original owner.

Colorado uses "allocation of parental responsibilities" rather than "custody." The court allocates parenting time and decision-making responsibilities based on the best interests of the child. Courts cannot consider bias regarding gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, race, or disability.

Colorado uses the income shares model, considering both parents' gross incomes with adjustments for health insurance, childcare, and extraordinary expenses. Overnight parenting time also factors into the calculation.

Colorado provides advisory (not presumptive) maintenance guidelines for marriages of 3+ years with combined gross annual income of $240,000 or less. The formula is 40% of combined monthly adjusted gross income minus the lower earner's income. Duration is a percentage of the marriage length. Courts retain full discretion.