Unbundled (Limited-Scope) Divorce & Family Law Services
Hire Attorney Liken for just the part of your Colorado divorce or family case where you want a lawyer — the filing, the financial disclosures, one hearing or one contested issue — and handle the rest yourself. The scope is defined in writing, and when we appear in court, the court is told exactly what our role is.
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
What “unbundled” means
Unbundled legal services — also called limited-scope representation — means dividing your case into tasks. You hire a lawyer for the tasks you choose and handle the rest yourself. It is not an all-or-nothing choice between doing everything alone and handing over the whole case. Colorado’s rules allow it: a lawyer may limit the scope of a representation when the limit is reasonable and the client gives informed consent (Colo. RPC 1.2(c)), and C.R.C.P. 11(b) sets the court procedures for a limited appearance.
The point is control. You decide where a lawyer adds the most — the filing that has to be right, the disclosures that shape the whole case, the hearing you are dreading, the one issue that is truly contested — and you keep the routine pieces for yourself. We put that division of labor in writing before we begin, so everyone knows what we are, and are not, responsible for.
Not sure which piece to hand off?
The no-charge 20-minute call with Attorney Liken will tell you whether limited scope fits your case — and where a lawyer adds the most.
Choose the piece you want help with
Tell us how much of the work you want us to do
Coaching & Strategy
Talk through your options, your next filing or your upcoming hearing with Attorney Liken, then carry it out yourself. Oral advice and coaching, by agreement.
Drafting & Document Review
We prepare or review a document you will file yourself — a petition, a response, a parenting plan, a settlement agreement. When a lawyer helps draft, C.R.C.P. 11(b)(2) calls for a short attorney disclosure attached to the filing.
One Hearing or One Issue
We file a notice of limited appearance and represent you on the hearing or issue we agreed on — and only that (C.R.C.P. 11(b)(1)).
Case Launch
Filing, service and financial disclosures through the Initial Status Conference, then a clean handoff. See the flat-fee launch package.
How limited-scope representation works in Colorado
Free 20-minute call
Tell Attorney Liken where your case stands and where you want help. He will tell you plainly whether limited scope fits — and which piece to hand off first.
Scope and fee in writing
After a conflicts check, a written agreement spells out what we will do, what we will not do, and the fee, as Colo. RPC 1.2(c) and 1.5(b) contemplate. You give informed consent to the limits.
Notice of limited appearance
If we will appear in court for you, we file and serve a notice naming the part of the case we are handling, before or together with our appearance (C.R.C.P. 11(b)(1)). The judge and the other side know exactly what our role is.
We do the agreed work
The filing, the disclosures, the hearing or the issue — whatever we agreed. Everything outside that stays with you, and papers about the rest of the case go to you, not to us.
Notice of completion
When the agreed work is done, we file a notice of completion and the limited appearance ends — no need to ask the court’s permission (C.R.C.P. 11(b)(1)).
Add more when you need it
Come back for the next hearing, the next issue or full representation, by a new written agreement.
Is limited scope the right fit?
It works well when the case is cooperative or largely agreed, the contested issues are narrow, and you are comfortable handling routine filings and deadlines yourself. It is a thoughtful choice when:
- you want a lawyer on the high-stakes steps — the filing, the disclosures, a settlement agreement, a key hearing — and will manage the rest;
- you have already started on your own and want a professional to review your paperwork before it is filed or signed; or
- one issue — parenting time, support, the house — is the real dispute and everything else is settled.
It is a poor fit when there are safety concerns, including domestic violence; when the case involves a business or complicated retirement and property interests; or when the dispute is so contested that one lawyer needs to manage the whole case. Colorado’s rules require that a limit on the scope of representation be reasonable under the circumstances (Colo. RPC 1.2(c)), so if limited scope would leave you unprotected, Attorney Liken will tell you so and discuss full representation.
Questions we hear
Is unbundled representation allowed in Colorado?
Yes. Colo. RPC 1.2(c) lets a lawyer limit the scope of a representation if the limit is reasonable and the client gives informed consent, and C.R.C.P. 11(b) sets out the court procedures for limited appearances and for drafting help.
Will the judge know I have a lawyer for only part of my case?
If we appear in court for you, yes: we file a notice of limited appearance that says which part of the case we are handling. If we only help you draft a document that you file yourself, C.R.C.P. 11(b)(2) calls for a short attorney disclosure with the filing. Help with the Colorado Judicial Branch’s own forms and oral advice generally do not require either notice (C.R.C.P. 11(b)(3)).
Who is responsible for the rest of my case?
You are. Outside the agreed scope you remain a self-represented party, and the court and the other side deal with you directly. That is why we define the scope in writing before we begin.
Can I move to full representation later?
Yes, by a new written agreement and a fresh conflicts check, subject to the court’s schedule and the stage of your case. Many clients start with one piece and add others.
What does it cost?
The fee depends on the scope and is set out in the written agreement — as a flat fee for a defined task or on an hourly basis. Court filing fees, process-server charges and other third-party costs are separate. For a defined-scope price, request a flat-fee quote; for the case-launch package, see the LLF DIVORCE Package.
Does the first call cost anything?
No. The 20-minute call with Attorney Liken is no-charge, and it will tell you whether limited scope fits your case.
Hire help for the part that matters.
A no-charge 20-minute call with Attorney Liken will tell you whether limited scope fits your case — and which piece to hand off first.