In a shocking move today, the United States Supreme Court denied certiorari to all five circuit appellate cases reviewing same-sex marriage in different states. When the Supreme Court denies certiorari, it means that the case will not be heard, and the lower courts’ rulings stand. All five circuit opinions overturned same-sex marriage bans in their […]
In March of 2014, a grand jury in New Jersey indicted NFL running back Ray Rice with a felony charge of aggravated assault. The indictment stemmed from an altercation with his then-fiancé, now wife, Janay Palmer in a hotel elevator in Atlantic City. Video footage was released shortly thereafter showing part of the incident, but […]
On January 1st, 2014, new guidelines for spousal maintenance (sometimes known as alimony or spousal support) went into effect after being passed by the Colorado legislature in 2013. The maintenance guidelines attempted to make maintenance more like temporary maintenance and child support that use basic spreadsheets that make the monetary amounts universal based on the […]
Adams District County Court Judge C. Scott Crabtree found that Colorado’s ban on same-sex marriage violates the United States and Colorado constitutions. The judge immediately stayed his order acknowledging that the final decision on the matter will either be at the state or federal Supreme Court, and the judge did not want to create any […]
One of the most important issues that a court decides in a dissolution of marriage action is the allocation of marital property, or in non-legal terms, who gets what. In Colorado, any property obtained by either party during the marriage (with some exceptions) is considered marital property and is divided equitably by the court. C.R.S. […]
Now that marijuana is legal in the state of Colorado for recreational use, it’s important to know the effects marijuana use can have on a divorce or child custody matter. People are often surprised when they face harsh consequences that a court orders in a child custody matter solely because of marijuana use (either medicinal […]
People are often confused about the differences between obtaining a divorce (or dissolution of marriage) and an annulment. It is a common misconception that if a person wants to break a marriage, they can get an annulment solely based on the length of marriage. In Colorado, to receive an annulment there must be one of […]
It is becoming increasingly common for people to seek a protection order against their spouse during divorce proceedings. While a protection order may be filed into the divorce case, it creates a completely separate issue that encompasses very different areas of law. It’s important to know the process for obtaining a protection order and what […]
Most people that go through a divorce are surprised at how long and nasty of a process it can turn into. People may rationalize that getting a divorce will be similar to breaking up with their college sweet heart; there will be some tears, but it will be over quickly and the two people will […]
In 2011, the Colorado Legislature passed the Colorado Civil Union Act which allows same-sex couples to enter into a civil union together. The law allows same-sex couples to enter into a legal relationship as close to marriage as possible without the relationship being called a marriage in that the Colorado Constitution specifically bans same-sex marriage. […]