Colorado Pro Se Divorce & Family Law Self-Help
By Attorney Charles E. Liken Jr., Colorado court-appointed Child & Family Investigator. Representing yourself in a Colorado divorce or family case? This free, plain-English guide gives you the map — the steps, the forms, and the tools you need to do it yourself.
Charles E. Liken Jr., Esq. — On the Legal Front Lines · Former Government Investigator, Denver Human Services · Licensed Colorado Attorney · 20+ Years in Private Practice · Former Colorado Deputy District Attorney · Colorado Court-Appointed Child and Family Investigator
First — what does “pro se” even mean?
“Pro se” (say “pro say”) is Latin for “for oneself.” In plain English, it just means representing yourself in court without hiring a lawyer to take over your case. You fill out your own forms, file them, speak for yourself at hearings, and make your own decisions. It's allowed in Colorado family court — many people do it every year — and for a straightforward, cooperative divorce it can work well. The catch is that the judge holds you to the same rules as a lawyer, and the paperwork is the easy part: knowing what you're giving up when you sign is where self-represented people get hurt.
Everything on this page is free to use — no sign-up, no email, no catch. It's here because access to the courts shouldn't depend on whether you can afford a lawyer.
Doing it yourself? Backup is one call away.
No-charge 20-minute call with Attorney Liken — coaching on one form, one hearing, one issue, or full representation. Your case, your call.
The LLF DIVORCE Package — $3,895 flat + court filing & service fees, paid by client at cost
The most dangerous stretch of a pro se divorce is the beginning — jurisdiction, service, and the financial disclosures that shape everything after. In this package, Attorney Liken handles everything up until the Initial Status Conference himself, then hands you the wheel with the file organized.
- Filing, done right — petition and initial filings drafted and filed by the firm (JDF 1011 and companions), in the correct county, with jurisdiction confirmed. The court's filing fee (currently about $260 for a dissolution, per the Colorado Judicial Branch domestic relations orientation) is paid by the client, at cost.
- Service of process — we arrange and complete proper service on your spouse and file the proof, so nothing gets thrown out on a technicality. The process server's charge is paid by the client, at cost — no markup.
- Complete C.R.C.P. 16.2 financial disclosures — your Sworn Financial Statement (JDF 1111) and the full mandatory disclosure package, prepared by an attorney whose background includes 700+ government investigations.
- Initial Status Conference (ISC) representation — Attorney Liken appears with you at the first court event, sets the case calendar cleanly, and flags the issues that will matter later.
- The handoff — a written roadmap of your next steps as a pro se litigant, plus these free tools. Add coaching or step up to full representation any time.
Scope — plain and simple: this package covers your case just until the Initial Status Conference (ISC) — filing, service, disclosures, and the ISC itself. Nothing after the ISC is included: from there you continue pro se with your roadmap, and coaching, one-issue help, or full representation are available any time by separate agreement.
What launch help costs
National figures: Forbes Advisor divorce-cost survey (median $7,000; average $15,000–$20,000; attorneys avg. $270/hr). Averages, not quotes — every case differs.
Flat fee covers the defined scope above for a Colorado dissolution of marriage; conflicts check and written fee agreement required; additional services (contested motions, hearings beyond the ISC, mediation, trial) available by agreement at the firm's standard rates or by package. Fees are deposited to the firm's COLTAF trust account and earned as set out in the fee agreement. Filing fees, service fees, and other third-party costs are additional.
The Colorado divorce process, step by step
Start the case
One spouse files a Petition for Divorce or Legal Separation (JDF 1011) with a Case Information Sheet (JDF 1000) and pays the filing fee (or requests a waiver with JDF 205). If you file together, you're co-petitioners.
Serve & respond
The other spouse is served and has 21 days to respond (35 days if served outside Colorado or by publication). Watch our Service of Process video.
Financial disclosures
Both sides must exchange sworn financial statements (JDF 1111) and supporting documents within 42 days — this is mandatory (C.R.C.P. 16.2). Hiding assets here has real consequences.
Parenting & support
If you have children, file a Parenting Plan (JDF 1113) and run the numbers with our child support and maintenance calculators.
Mediation
Most Colorado courts require mediation before a contested hearing — and it settles the majority of cases.
Hearing & decree
At least 91 days after the court gets jurisdiction over your spouse (by service, by joining as co-petitioner, or by entering an appearance, C.R.S. § 14-10-106(1)(a)(III)), the court can enter your Decree of Dissolution and final orders. In Colorado, 91 days is the earliest a divorce can be final.
Everything a pro se litigant needs
Landlord letters that cite the law
Five ready-to-send letters for the most common lease showdowns — each one built on the exact Colorado statute, so the cite does the arguing in line one. Open a letter, copy it, replace every [BRACKETED BLANK], and send it in writing (email plus certified mail is the gold standard). Keep a copy of everything.
Break a Lease Safely — Domestic Violence & AbuseC.R.S. § 38-12-402
When to use it: you are a victim of domestic violence or domestic abuse, unlawful sexual behavior, or stalking, and you need out of a residential lease. Strengthened in 2025 by HB 25-1168 (effective May 22, 2025) — a self-attestation you sign yourself counts as proof, and a lease term that bars you from changing your locks or taking other reasonable safety steps is void. Full guide: Breaking a Lease After Domestic Violence.
Lock Change Notice — Staying Put After AbuseC.R.S. § 38-12-402
When to use it: same qualifying situations as Letter 1, but you are staying in the home and need the locks changed so the abuser can't walk in. The landlord cannot stop you, charge a fee, or retaliate, and you should give the landlord a key or code within 14 days (unless the landlord is the person who harmed you).
End a Month-to-Month Tenancy — Clean NoticeC.R.S. § 13-40-107
When to use it: you rent month-to-month (or your lease rolled over) and you're moving on ordinary terms. For a tenancy of one month or longer but less than six months, Colorado requires written notice at least 21 days before the end of the rental period — count carefully.
Get Your Security Deposit Back — the 7-Day DemandC.R.S. § 38-12-103
When to use it: you moved out, the deadline passed (30 days, or up to 60 days if your lease says so), and your deposit — or an itemized accounting — never arrived. This is the statutory demand that unlocks treble (3×) damages plus attorney fees for wrongful withholding. Send it before you sue; the seven days matter.
Demand Repairs — Warranty of HabitabilityC.R.S. §§ 38-12-503 & 38-12-507
When to use it: no heat, bad water, mold, broken locks, pests — conditions that make the home unsafe or uninhabitable. Colorado's warranty of habitability cannot be waived, and written (or electronic) notice is what starts the landlord's legal clock. Document everything with photos and dates.
Get exactly as much help as you want
You don't have to choose between “all alone” and “hand over everything.” The firm meets you at any point on this ladder.
Do-It-Yourself, Supported
You handle your own case using our free tools — the forms library, calculators, glossary, and videos. Cost: $0.
Coaching & Document Review
Stay pro se, but hire Attorney Liken by the hour to review your paperwork, prep you for a hearing, or strategize a single issue. You keep control; you borrow the judgment.
One-Issue Representation
Full representation on just the piece that matters most — a contested parenting dispute, a support fight, a protection order — while you handle the rest yourself.
Full Representation
Hand the whole matter to the firm. Attorney Liken and Senior Managing Paralegal Yazmin Vasquez carry it from first filing to final decree.
Not sure which rung of the ladder you need?
That's exactly what the no-charge 20-minute call with Attorney Liken answers — no pressure to climb higher than your case requires.
Questions about your case? Book a no-charge 20-minute call with Attorney Liken.
Do it yourself. Never do it alone.
A no-charge 20-minute call with Attorney Liken can save you a costly mistake — whether you hire us or not.