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What are the costs of hiring an attorney and how can I pay
for those?
How long will my divorce
take?
Does is matter who files first?
Are there different ways
to get a divorce in Colorado?
What are the costs of hiring an attorney and how can I pay
for those?
We accept VISA, MasterCard and Discover as well
as your personal check. We generally require a retainer,
which we will discuss with you at a consultation. The amount
of the retainer is based on the complexity of your case, and
your particular needs. We charge for all office
consultations. The retainer is placed in our trust account
and paid out only as fees are earned. If the initial
retainer nears depletion, subsequent retainers are required.
We have no minimum fees. We only charge for the work we do.
If there is unused retainer at the end of the case, it is
fully refunded.
Attorneys’ hourly fees -
$250 an hour
Paralegal hourly fees - $125 an hour
Legal Assistant fees - $50 an hour
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How long will my divorce
take?
Filing a Petition for Dissolution starts the divorce.
Once the other party has been given formal notice of the
case, a 90-day waiting period begins. This does not mean
that the divorce is necessarily over in 90 days, but it
cannot occur before that.
Once the divorce is filed we work with you and the other
parties to exchange all the relevant information about finances,
property and debts. We also begin working on all the issues
relating to your children. If we can reach full agreement,
many times it is not even necessary for the parties to go
to court to get the divorce. We can mail all the paperwork
in for the court to sign.
The length of time it may take to get a Decree of divorce
is based on how long it takes to either reach a full agreement,
or have the matter tried before the court. The court must
make the final decisions. This may cause delays, as it can
be difficult to get hearings set on the court’s busy
calendar.
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Are there different ways
to get a divorce in Colorado?
Yes. There is a traditional approach whereby the
parties take unresolved issues to a hearing for a judge
to decide. There is also Alternative Dispute Resolution
(ADR). This includes mediation, Collaborative Divorce Law
and arbitration. (Please see the
Denver
Center for Mediation and Collaborative Divorce.)
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