Colorado calls it 'dissolution of marriage,' and two features of the process shape almost everything else: a mandatory waiting period before any decree can enter, and a disclosure rule that puts your financial paperwork on the table early, whether you're ready or not.
Colorado is an equitable distribution state, not a community property state — the court (or the parties, by agreement) divides marital property in a way that's fair given the circumstances, which is not always a 50/50 split. Property either spouse brought into the marriage, along with gifts and inheritances kept separate, generally stays that spouse's own property, but any increase in its value during the marriage can become marital and divisible. Tracing that increase, and keeping the paper trail that proves it, is one of the more consequential preparation tasks in a Colorado case.
Every dissolution filed in Colorado is subject to a mandatory 91-day waiting period, measured from the date the other spouse is served or waives service — a decree cannot enter before that, even if both spouses agree on everything from day one. Cases are filed in District Court in the county where either spouse lives, and Colorado is a no-fault state: the only ground is that the marriage is 'irretrievably broken.' Knowing the 91 days are fixed, regardless of how quickly you and the other side reach agreement, helps set realistic expectations from the start rather than treating early cooperation as a shortcut around the calendar.
Colorado Rule of Civil Procedure 16.2 governs disclosure in domestic relations cases, and it's unusually explicit compared to many states: both spouses must exchange a sworn financial statement and a defined set of supporting documents early in the case, without waiting for a formal request. That typically includes income documentation, tax returns, statements for bank and retirement accounts, debts, and information about any business interest. Rule 16.2 also carries an ongoing duty to update disclosures if your financial situation changes while the case is open — it isn't a one-time exercise.
Because disclosure is mandatory rather than optional, the practical work of preparing for a Colorado divorce is largely the work of assembling that packet before it's demanded: recent pay records, account statements, property and mortgage documents, and anything tied to a business or separate-property claim. Spouses who show up with this organized tend to move through the early stages of a case with far less friction and far fewer follow-up letters.
Colorado replaced 'custody' with 'parental responsibilities' — decision-making responsibility and parenting time are addressed separately, and courts decide both based on the best interests of the child. Child support follows the Colorado Child Support Guidelines, an income-shares model that considers both parents' incomes and the parenting time schedule, so a clear, realistic parenting plan tends to make the support conversation more predictable, not less. Specific figures depend on the guideline worksheets and each family's numbers, so treat any outside estimate as a starting point for discussion, not a result.
1) Start your Rule 16.2 disclosure packet before you file — pay records, account statements, debts, and any separate-property tracing documents — since you'll owe most of it early regardless. 2) Confirm residency and figure out which county's District Court your case belongs in. 3) Build a simple property list that separates 'brought into the marriage' from 'acquired during the marriage,' flagging anything that's grown in value. 4) Sketch a parenting time and decision-making proposal in concrete terms if children are involved, rather than leaving it vague. 5) Plan around the 91-day floor — it won't move for either spouse's convenience, so use that window productively rather than waiting on it. Colorado's own courts website is the reliable source for current forms and county-specific filing details.
No. Colorado uses equitable distribution, meaning marital property is divided fairly based on the circumstances, which is not automatically an equal split. Separate property generally stays separate, though its growth in value during the marriage can become marital.
No. The 91 days runs from service or waiver of service and applies regardless of how quickly the spouses reach agreement. A decree cannot enter before that period passes.
A sworn financial statement plus supporting documents such as income records, account statements, and debt information, exchanged early without waiting for a request — and updated if your finances change while the case is pending. Confirm the current required forms with the court or a local family law attorney.
SortMyDivorce reads the letters your Colorado case generates — disclosure requests, deadlines, proposed positions — and turns them into one organized dashboard with the exact language each one used. $39/year.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws change and differ by jurisdiction — confirm specifics with a local family lawyer or your court's official website. If you use SortMyDivorce, your letters stay confidential — never shared, never sold.