A Denver, Colorado, Law firm Keeping Families out of Court

At the Law Firm of David Littman, P.C., we are committed to helping people effectively deal with post-divorce dispute resolutions in a manner that least impacts their minor children. In 2005, the Colorado legislature gave us several new tools to help effectively and efficiently handle post-divorce disputes. These tools help us minimize the animosity between parents and keeps Colorado families out of court.

Denver, Colorado, Parenting Coordinator (statute 14-10-128.1)

Parenting Coordinators are appointed by the court to provide parents advice and help parents make decisions regarding their children. A Parenting Coordinator's role is to facilitate communication, provide advice, and interpret the existing court orders. A Parenting Coordinator does not have the authority to make decisions. Their function is to provide dispute resolution guidance, assist with problem solving, and improve communication between parents. The goal is to keep parenting disputes out of court. In high conflict cases, the court may order the appointment of a Parenting Coordinator or both parents may agree and must sign a Parenting Coordinator Agreement.

Denver, Colorado, Decision Maker (statute 14-10-128.3)

Decision Makers are appointed by the court upon the agreement of the parents. Parents must sign a Decision Maker Agreement. Unlike Parenting Coordinators, Decision Makers interpret the existing parenting plan and are authorized to make binding decisions which are filed in writing with the court. The benefit of having a Decision Maker is that parents can quickly resolve emergent parenting disputes without hiring a lawyer or going to court. Decisions are often made verbally and then later filed with the court in writing.

Arbitration (statute 14-10-128.5)

While arbitration can be used to resolve divorce disputes, the intention of this arbitration statue is to provide parents a tool to resolve post-divorce disputes involving parenting plans, child support, parenting time, and other matters related to children. An Arbitrator can only be appointed by agreement of the parties, and they must sign an Arbitration Agreement. Post-divorce arbitration, including the rules of evidence, can be as formal or informal as the parties choose. The decisions made by court appointed Arbitrators are binding.

Contact our Denver, Colorado, Divorce Lawyers

The attorneys and paralegals at David Littman, P.C., are highly trained and are available to work with high conflict families in any of these three roles. To learn more about Parenting Coordinators, decision makers, and post(or pre)-divorce arbitration, please contact the Denver divorce attorneys at the Law Firm of David Littman, P.C. We can be reached by phone at 303-832-4200, by e-mail, or by filling out the intake form on the Contact Us page.