Greenwood Village Divorce Lawyer Provides Effective Counsel

Colorado firm works to protect spouses’ interests

Deciding that it’s time to end a marriage usually follows months or years of conflict. Accordingly, many spouses seek to complete the divorce process as promptly and calmly as possible. At the Law Offices of Bonnie E. Saltzman, LLC in Greenwood Village, we blend skillful legal representation with a compassionate approach that focuses on your long-term well-being. Attorney Bonnie Saltzman is an accomplished family lawyer with more than 30 years of experience. Whether you’re anticipating an uncontested divorce or have serious disputes over issues such as custody, property division or spousal maintenance, we offer the legal counsel you need to make informed choices about critical matters.

Understanding contested and uncontested divorces

Under Colorado law, marriages are dissolved on a “no fault” basis. This means that courts grant divorces because the marital relationship is irretrievably broken, not because one party has proven the other’s misconduct. No evidence of adultery, abandonment or cruelty is admissible or heard by the court as reason for dissolution of the marriage, though certain types of misconduct might affect custody terms or other elements of the divorce terms. We can explain various aspects of the Colorado divorce process to you, such as:

• Uncontested divorces — Attorney Bonnie Saltzman works diligently to negotiate a marital settlement agreement whenever possible. Filing for an uncontested divorce usually cuts down on the time, money and aggravation associated with marriage dissolution.
• Affidavits — If your divorce is uncontested, you and your spouse can execute an affidavit requesting a decree be entered without a hearing. This means you can dissolve the marriage without ever going to court.
• Waiting period — In Colorado, there is a 90-day minimum waiting period before the court will grant a divorce. However, where the parties disagree on terms, the process can take many months, possibly even more than a year, depending on the complexity of the circumstances involved in the case.

Attorney Bonnie Saltzman will prepare the necessary documents and represent you in court. Once divorce proceedings are finalized, the court issues a Decree of Dissolution of Marriage that terminates your legal relationship and establishes terms on parenting and financial issues. While divorce is never easy, seeking legal advice can assist you in determining the most effective approach for your divorce, whether it involves mediation, legal representation for settlement or litigation through the court system.

Negotiating terms in financial and parenting matters

Drawing on more than three decades of family law experience, Bonnie Saltzman is a strong advocate for divorcing spouses during negotiations and court appearances relating to:

• Parental responsibility — Developing proper arrangements to address decision-making authority and parenting time schedules takes great care. We take a personalized approach to all custody and visitation concerns to identify the solution that works best for children and their parents.
• Child support — During initial child support determinations, as well as modification and enforcement matters, we help parents pursue terms that accurately reflect each side’s finances and meet the needs of their sons and daughters.
• Property division — Colorado is an equitable distribution state, which means that if the parties cannot reach a settlement on the division of marital assets and debts, the judge will decide based on what they think is fair. There is no requirement that spouses must receive equal shares.
• Spousal maintenance — Sometimes referred to as alimony, disputes over these payments from one ex-spouse to the other can lead to high emotions.

When substantial changes in circumstances occur after the divorce is finalized, you can also rely on us for sound counsel if one or more post-decree modifications are warranted.

Contact an experienced Colorado divorce lawyer for a free consultation

The Law Offices of Bonnie E. Saltzman, LLC represents Colorado spouses during divorce proceedings and in related matters, such as child support and custody disputes. Our office is located in Greenwood Village and you can schedule a free initial consultation by calling 720-388-1565 or contacting us online.