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Can I Stop Paying Child Support if My Ex Won’t Let Me See My Kids?

When a parent keeps their children from the other during court-ordered parenting time, it is common to have questions regarding child support, such as can you stop paying child support if your ex won’t let you see your children? Don’t Stop Paying Child Support! While stopping child support is a natural response to losing parenting time, it is not legal to do so. Parenting time and child support are separate issues that are handled independently …

Are Child Custody Orders Permanent in Colorado?

Generally, child custody orders are issued in legal separations, divorce actions, and paternity actions. What many parents don’t realize at first is that the family courts see child custody orders as open-ended. Meaning, they are subject to change. There are many valid reasons why a child custody order may need to be changed. Often, child custody orders are modified because the child’s needs or activities change, because of a job change, a new spouse, a relocation, an illness or a disability. Sometimes, …

Are You Guilty of Parental Alienation?

When people divorce, it’s normal to have resentment toward one’s spouse. This is especially the case when there has been adultery, emotional abuse, and other issues that caused hostility to build over the years. It’s only human nature to be critical of one’s ex during a breakup, but when there are children involved, it’s important that parents keep their negative opinions of each other to themselves. Otherwise, if a parent engages in “parental alienation,” it not …

Can a Father Win Sole Custody in Colorado?

Thirty years ago, mothers almost always ended up with custody of the children in a divorce. This wasn’t just the case here in Colorado, that was the case nationwide. But fast-forward to today, and a lot has changed. Fathers are now getting equal consideration in child custody cases. Why the shift? One of the major reasons the family courts have changed their attitudes towards fathers is the number of women who are in the workforce. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, …

Can Taking Antidepressants Hurt My Child Custody Case?

If you are in an unhappy marriage, perhaps aspects of the relationship have caused you to feel angry, hopeless, or even depressed. It is not uncommon for people in hollow marriages to experience situational depression, or in more chronic cases, feelings of sadness may progress into full-blown clinical depression. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “Depression (major depressive disorder or clinical depression) is a common but serious mood disorder.” If you’ve experienced depression personally, …

Which Parent Claims the Dependency Exemption?

With tax season quickly approaching, a lot of our clients, especially those with children, ask us about the dependency exemption. Which parent claims the exemption, and can the noncustodial parent ever claim the exemption? After all, they are the ones paying child support. The Internal Revenue Service is very clear about the fact that only one taxpayer can claim the dependency exemption for a child each year. As a general rule, the custodial parent is the taxpayer who …

Colorado Child Custody FAQs

If you are headed for divorce and you have children with your spouse, you will undoubtedly have questions about child custody. Will the children live with one parent more of the time? Which parent will pay child support? Can the children choose which parent to live with once they reach a certain age? In order to help you better understand Colorado’s child custody laws, we’re going to give you some information on the subject below. Please continue reading and …

Social Media & Divorce: The Rules

These days, the vast majority of adults have at least one social media account. While you may not log on to Twitter or Instagram, the odds are you at least have a Facebook account. So, if you’re headed for divorce, this post is for you. Once in a while we’ll come across or hear about someone’s post that will cause us to shake our heads, and think, “Why would they post that on Facebook?” In today’s …

Parenting Time

Parenting time in Colorado is determined by stipulation of the parties or a court’s conclusion. While parents can agree through casual conversation or formal negotiation, any indecision or issues will lead to a court’s determination. In Colorado, a court typically determines parenting time by applying the “best interests of the child” standard. Noted by the state legislature, this statutory standard is used when co-parenting is difficult to accomplish due to the parents’ ability, or inability, …

If it Ain’t Broke, You Should Still Fix It: Why Custody Orders are Important

There are many situations in which a parent may be reluctant to avail himself or herself of the civil court process for orders involving parenting time. When things are going well, it is often difficult to make changes. It is especially difficult when you aren’t familiar with the law that governs your current parenting situation or aware of how involving the court may drastically improve your situation. You likely aren’t aware of the nightmare scenarios …


DISCLAIMERS:

The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.


Our team includes attorneys licensed to practice in multiple states including April D. Jones in California, Patrick G. Barkman in Texas, the Cherokee Nation, the Northern District of Texas, and the District of Colorado (United States Court of Appeals 10th and 5th Circuit).