Fort Collins Family Law Blog

Filing an uncontested divorce can help you keep costs low

On behalf of Lunt & Associates, LLC on Thursday, May 30, 2019.

Divorce can have a strong impact on your financial stability. Not only do you have to split all of your assets with your ex, but you also have to pay for the time you spend in court and with each of your individual attorneys.

Divorces can easily cost tens of thousands of dollars, and the process is much more expensive if you have to have protracted court battles about important issues. For some couples about to divorce in Colorado, filing an uncontested divorce could be a way to minimize the stress and expense involved.

Teen conflict: Handling your teenagers as you go through divorce

On behalf of Lunt & Associates, LLC on Sunday, May 26, 2019.

Teenagers are nearly independent. They're approaching the age when they need their parents less and less. This independence may be spurred on more quickly if you and your spouse divorce.

When you go through a divorce, children may feel they need to do more for themselves right away. Why? Some teens may feel it will reduce conflict if they can take care of themselves without bothering either of their parents. Others withdraw and try not to stand out, so they can avoid having conversations with their parents.

How to ask for divorce without making things worse

On behalf of Lunt & Associates, LLC on Friday, April 26, 2019.

If you plan on asking your spouse for a divorce, it's safe to assume that your marriage is already on the rocks. For this reason, you have every right to have concerns about what will happen when you finally muster up enough courage to bring this topic to light.

There are several steps you can take to ask for a divorce without making things worse. Here are five things you should consider doing:

Prepare yourself: Don't ask for a divorce on a whim, but instead prepare accordingly by thinking long and hard about what you want to say and how you'll react as the conversation progresses.
Choose the right time and place: This goes along with proper preparation, as choosing the right time and place will provide the setting necessary to have one of the most important conversations of your life.
Don't walk back: Once you ask for a divorce, your spouse may do everything in their power to get you to change your mind. It's okay to hear them out, but if you're 100 percent sure that divorce is the solution to your problems, you should stand firm. Providing false hope during this conversation is never a good approach.
Don't discuss the details of your divorce: Even if your spouse wants to discuss details, such as those pertaining to property division and child custody, you should avoid doing so. Neither one of you are in the right frame of mind for this conversation, so put this off until the actual divorce process is underway.
Expect the unexpected: Maybe your spouse will go along with your request for a divorce because they feel the same way. Maybe your spouse will begin to cry. Maybe your spouse will become aggressive. You need to expect the unexpected, to ensure that you're properly prepared.

Does your child’s other parent undermine you?

On behalf of Lunt & Associates, LLC on Tuesday, April 2, 2019.

Developing your parenting style and values is difficult under any circumstances, but dealing with a co-parent who undermines your relationship with your child is exceptionally hard. Often, this behavior is simply something that you must overcome or ignore, but not if your co-parent's behavior violates your rights.

Direct parenting time interference can occur when one parent keeps another parent from spending time with their child as outlined in their custody agreement. Indirect interference, on the other hand, may not steal your time, but may attempt to manipulate your parent-child relationship or undermine your authority.

Questions about a Colorado divorce? We can help

On behalf of Lunt & Associates, LLC on Friday, March 29, 2019.

If you are facing a divorce here in Colorado either as a defendant or as a plaintiff, it's common to be confused by the legal processes necessary to extricate you from your marriage.

While there is no substitute for the knowledge and counsel that a consultation with a respected and experienced Colorado family law attorney can provide, those in this situation may find answers to some common questions about a Colorado divorce.

Quality over quantity: Parenting after divorce

On behalf of Lunt & Associates, LLC on Wednesday, February 27, 2019.

You love your children and want to know that you can be there for them when they need you. Part of what scares you about your divorce is that you know that they could be removed from your care more often than you'd like. You want to be able to provide for them and keep them safe, but it's daunting to think about doing that when you're not seeing them every day.

You're not alone feeling like this. Many parents struggle with feeling like they aren't prepared to let go of time with their children, even though they have to if the other parent is going to get time with their children, too. How can you cope with this kind of stress?

Is it time to modify custody or support orders after divorce?

On behalf of Lunt & Associates, LLC on Friday, February 1, 2019.

When the Colorado courts finalize your divorce, you may assume that the final terms in the divorce decree are permanent. However, while asset division is usually final after the end of the divorce, issues related to child support, spousal support and parenting time or custody can still change as family circumstances change.

People often make major changes to their lives after a divorce. From moving to a new place to live to seeking a better job to provide more financial comfort for the family, there are many factors that can change in your family after a divorce that can also impact parenting and support obligations.

How to decide whether to file for a divorce

On behalf of Lunt & Associates, LLC on Saturday, January 26, 2019.

Deciding on whether to divorce your spouse can take years to do. No one wants to accept that their marriage has failed, because this was never their intention when they became married.

However, if you are feeling deeply unhappy in your marital relationship, it is important that you address the existing problems so that you can start to enjoy your life again. There can be many reasons why a marriage can fail. However, by working on some of these root problems, many couples manage to rekindle their relationship and to live a happy life together. Ultimately, though, it is important that you reflect on the situation and that you take whatever action will facilitate your own peace of mind and joy again.

Child custody and substance abuse — like oil and water?

On behalf of Lunt & Associates, LLC on Saturday, December 29, 2018.

In the United States today, there are countless minor children in the custody of parents who are dangerously addicted to drugs and/or alcohol. The Washington Times reported there were 47,600 Americans who succumbed to opioid overdoses in a single year. Addiction to opioid drugs is now being referred to by the current Administration as a "national health emergency."

Those statistics are stark, but for the families who live every day with the uncertainty spawned by a loved one's addiction, the realities are even harsher. Still, many — if not most — alcoholics and addicts remain resistant to rehab and recovery programs.

International divorces: Complicated, but not impossible

On behalf of Lunt & Associates, LLC on Saturday, December 8, 2018.

One of the most complicated types of divorce is an international divorce. It's hard, because unless both people are in the same county, the time it takes to return documents and get in touch with the court can be much longer than it would be if both people were local.

It's also hard because of time differences. Depending on the time difference between countries, it could require a person to stay up until the middle of the night or require them to call the court at unusual hours. Attorneys would also potentially have to be willing to call the international court when it is open.