Colorado Child Custody Litigation
Understand Your Custody Rights
When going through a divorce, parents tend to dispute child custody matters more often than not. It is very important to understand the Colorado child custody law focuses on the child’s best interest, and not the parents’ interest, to 
determine the outcome.
Family law can be a very trying time in a parent’s life. Child custody is but one of the many issues disputed in a Colorado divorce action. Given today’s economy , how can parents minimize expensive attorney fees associated with child custody and divorce litigation?
Focus on the child’s best interest and not your own agenda: Colorado child custody law focuses on the best interest of the child standard. Parents experiencing divorce should seriously attempt to resolve disputes in a mature manner. Sometimes negotiating a sensible parenting plan can be the difference in highly expensive litigation costs.
Looking at work schedules and what would be best suited for the child can start the analysis and can lead to other amicable resolutions in other matters in the divorce process. Your divorce attorney should keep you focused on the court’s mandate to consider certain things when deciding the issue of parenting time (formerly called “child custody”).
Custody litigation is not a forum to focus on parents: although the analysis for the outcome in a divorce action can be the other parent’s habits, relationship with the child and other facts, the real focus is the child’s future and ability to live a healthy life.
Colorado courts already understand that the adults are at odds with each other and dislike cases that involve only ‘mud slinging’ at the other parent. Skilled child custody lawyers understand that Colorado judges want sound information on what serves the child’s best interest (even though damaging facts come to light.)
Child custody and relocation: If you are a Colorado resident looking to move out of state, you should consult with your lawyer as to the facts of your case and ensure that the move will not substantially effect the non-custodial parent’s rights. In addition, you must also be able to show the long-term and shortterm effects of your ability to support the child.
Although Colorado law generally presumes in favor of relocation, the right to move out of state is not absolute. As mentioned above, the cost-effective way to handle child custody relocation matters is to first discussion with the non-custodial parent; try to come to some amicable resolution and develop a workable parenting plan / schedule. Your attorney can then finalize the document and file apply it to the divorce proceeding. In the case of child custody modification that involves relocation, then the stipulated parenting plan can be filed with the court.
If you need assistance with Colorado child custody, divorce and relocation matters, contact one of our Denver attorneys or call us at 720.941.7200. Lorraine Stark
