Family law and domestic matters are among the most complex and sensitive legal issues any person or family can face. There is much at stake, including the emotional, financial and even physical well-being of those involved. In order to arrive at a successful conclusion, it is important to have a family law firm on your side that you trust to pursue your interests.
At Ciancio Ciancio Brown, P.C., our Denver family law attorneys offer expertise in all facets of family law and domestic relations, including divorce, custody and parenting time, child support, paternity, and civil protection orders. Our team of family law attorneys and staff have been handpicked by Cynthia L. Ciancio, one of Colorado’s most successful and influential family law attorneys.
With so many law firms to choose from, choosing a law firm to handle your family law case is not an easy decision. But, here are some reasons why you should choose Ciancio Ciancio Brown, P.C.
We offer direct and personal representation. Your Denver family attorney will always be honest and upfront about your family law case, getting to the point to save you time and money. Additionally, we will get to know you on a personal level and communicate with you often about your case.
In every family, legal matters arise from time to time. Family relationships are both emotionally and legally complex, especially in today’s world of diverse family structures. You may need a family lawyer to navigate any of the following sensitive legal matters involving close family relationships:
The best family lawyers in Denver handle weighty legal matters that impact a family’s life going forward with sensitivity and a resolution-oriented approach for their clients. We offer unbundled services for our family clients who wish to handle the majority of their cases on their own but still want to receive some guidance from a lawyer. Rather than working on a retainer, our Denver family lawyer would provide services by the hour for clients seeking help with a particular issue or legal process.
If you need to set legal parameters for any of your family relationships, such as navigating the legalities of child adoption or meditating with a spouse to fairly distribute marital assets during a divorce, Ciancio Ciancio Brown, P.C. understands the importance of defending our client’s rights and providing legal counsel and representation toward achieving the outcome they desire in all family court matters.
When people think about family law, different topics may come to mind. In Colorado, there is not necessarily a dedicated “Family Court.” Family law matters are generally heard in District Court or Juvenile Court, depending on the issues presented. Common types of family law matters include, but are not limited to:
You might be thinking – does Ciancio Ciancio Brown, P.C. handle these types of cases that are listed above? The answer is yes.
Our family attorneys in Denver have years of experience handling all of these types of family law cases, among others. We can overcome any challenge that you or your family may face during your legal proceedings of your family matters. We offer personalized legal services that are tailored to each client’s unique needs and goals.
Divorce is one of the most common types of family law cases heard in Denver. With the right lawyer by your side, a divorce or legal separation doesn’t have to be as difficult or stressful as you might imagine. Your Denver divorce attorney can guide you through the steps of the divorce process while protecting your rights and interests. Here are the basic steps of a divorce in Colorado:
You will need to file three documents with the family courthouse in your county: the petition for divorce, the summons, and the case information sheet. Complete these documents with or without assistance from a Denver family law attorney and pay the filing fee to file them with the court.
The spouse that files for divorce becomes the petitioner and the other spouse is the respondent. Neither has an advantage over the other – being the one that files for divorce doesn’t come with any benefits. Upon filing the paperwork, you or a hired professional will serve your spouse with a summons, to which your spouse has 21 days to respond in writing.
You and your spouse will have the chance to “discover” everything about each party’s earnings, marital assets, property, and debts. You will do this by filling out and submitting sworn financial statements and disclosure forms. It is a crime to lie or knowingly omit information on these documents.
All couples in Colorado have the chance to create their own divorce decrees and decide the terms of their divorces before the family law matter has to go to a judge. If the couple can communicate with each other and compromise, they will have an uncontested divorce, where a judge signs off on the couple’s arrangements. If not, it is a contested divorce that has to go to court.
A divorce trial, in some cases. If a divorce case goes to trial, Colorado’s equitable distribution law means that a judge will split marital property and debts in a manner that is fair for both parties, but not necessarily equal.
Child custody will be decided based on the best interests of the child. Other family law matters, such as child support and alimony payments, will be decided based on the case.
Every divorce case is unique. The best way to learn what to expect from your particular divorce case is by speaking to a family law attorney in Denver. Our lawyers at Ciancio Ciancio Brown, P.C. will tailor our legal services to your exact needs.
We provide child-focused divorce services that are designed to reduce the emotional toll of divorce and always put the best interest of your kids first. Our family law firm in Denver can handle high-asset divorce cases, high-profile divorces, collaborative divorces, military divorces and other complicated cases.
There are not enough stars for me to rate my experiences with Ciancio Ciancio Brown! They are not only amazing attorneys but also amazing good hearted people. That is not something you can say about most attorneys offices but they actually care. I highly recommend them!!! I was recommended to them by a family friend and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
– Amber Davis
I cannot recommend Cyndy highly enough. She is continually recognized by her peers as one of the top lawyers in the state and such honors are clearly merited. I owe Cyndy a tremendous debt of gratitude.
– Family Law Client
If you have a difficult case, and most family law cases involving children are difficult, the last thing you want to have to worry about is whether your attorney is representing you in the best possible manner and looking out for what is best for your whole family. For this reason, I would definitely consult Cyndy Ciancio in any future family law issue.
– Family Law Client
Family law attorneys in Colorado often encounter common questions from clients about divorce law and other family law matters in Colorado including the following:
The final cost of your Denver family lawyers in any sort of case depends on the complexities of your situation. If you and your former spouse are able to agree on terms and come to an agreement quickly, your attorney fees will reflect that. A hotly contested or contentious family law case will cause fees to escalate. So, the longer it takes to come to a signed agreement and the higher the contention, the higher the final cost.
Most attorneys at Ciancio Ciancio Brown P.C., require a retainer fee paid upfront after an initial consultation. After finalizing the divorce, the retainer amount is applied toward the total amount owed. However, if your unique family law case doesn’t require as much time and resources, you will likely not be charged a retainer fee.
Colorado is an “equitable division of marital assets” divorce state. This means divorcing spouses can retain any separate assets which include any assets that were theirs before the marriage, were inherited by them during the marriage, or were gifted to them alone during the marriage. Any assets accumulated during the marriage must be distributed fairly—if not exactly equally—between the spouses, either through a settlement agreement made between them or by a judge’s decision in a divorce hearing.
Colorado does not require spouses to separate before a divorce. In fact, some spouses remain living together throughout the divorce process.
Colorado has a 91-day waiting period for divorce after filing the initial petition, so even the fastest, uncontested divorce takes at least that long. The length of the divorce process varies widely depending on whether or not divorcing spouses can form a settlement agreement on their own or through mediation, or whether they argue their disputed matters in court in a contested divorce. For divorcing spouses with substantial or complex assets, the process of discovery and asset distribution takes longer than for those with few assets.
The divorce process can also be prolonged if one party doesn’t want the divorce and is attempting to lengthen the process. However, once the respondent receives the petition, they have 21 days to respond.
A civil union is a legalized relationship between loved ones that’s very similar to a marriage. While not all states currently offer this option for union, Colorado recognizes civil unions between couples with the same rights, protections, and privileges as those in a traditional marriage. Unlike a common law marriage, couples seeking a civil union must apply for a license, similar to a traditional marriage.
To dissolve a civil union, the process is very similar to a Colorado divorce. The partners must have obtained their civil union status in Colorado and at least one partner in the civil union must have resided in Colorado for at least 91 days prior to filing the petition with the court in their jurisdiction.
Colorado is a no-fault divorce state, so couples only need to file on the grounds of irreconcilable differences. Whether or not one spouse committed adultery does not impact divorce; however, when a spouse has a serious relationship outside of the marriage, it could impact a child custody agreement. Also, if a spouse has spent significant marital assets on another relationship, the judge could award a larger amount of marital assets to the other spouse in response.
Litigation is a journey. This is a journey we have taken with our clients a countless number of times. If you face the uncertainty, risk, fear, anger or disbelief that comes with the prospect of going through a legal dispute, the divorce law firm of Ciancio Ciancio Brown, P.C. will help you through it. With a broad spectrum of legal services available – not only in family law, but in business law, personal injury and criminal defense, as well – we are your family lawyers for life.
The skill and knowledge of your Denver family law attorney can make a critical difference to the outcome of your family law case. Your family attorney will understand the law and how to navigate it to your greatest advantage, as well as how to address the personal side of your matter. You can focus on yourself, your family, and your future while an experienced lawyer handles the rest.
For all of your family law needs, our Denver family law firm offers the level of service and expertise you are seeking. Call or contact us online to schedule a case evaluation. With offices in Denver, Westminster, and Breckenridge, we assist families in the greater Denver and Colorado area.
