When you file a Petition for the Dissolution of Marriage, most courts will immediately set an Initial Status Conference (ISC) that is approximately 40 days from the date the case was filed. This initial hearing may be set even before your spouse has been served. If you are the respondent to a divorce case, meaning you are the party being served, it is important to check with the court clerk immediately following service to determine if the court has scheduled a date for your first hearing. The initial status conference is an opportunity for both parties to inform the court of their issues. During the ISC, parties are generally required to have their financial disclosures completed and to have taken the mandatory parenting class. Statute also authorizes the entry of emergency orders at the initial status conference, such as orders regarding emergency support or visitation. During the ISC, the court may determine that your case requires a Temporary Orders Hearing to issue interim orders for child support, parenting time, maintenance, the payment of marital debt, and/ or the payment of attorney fees. Interim orders are valid until they are replaced with permanent orders at the final hearing. The State of Colorado has a 90-day waiting period following service of the Petition before the court can grant a divorce. Following this period, the divorce court may set your case for a permanent orders hearing, where the court will consider testimony, evaluate evidence and issue findings of fact and conclusions of law. When the judge signs the Divorce Decree, the marriage will be dissolved.
If you want to be represented by a Colorado family law attorney at your upcoming ISC,or at any point during your family law case, call The Harris Law Firm.