Divorce
Divorce can be an emotionally and financially stressful experience that can leave you with uncertainties about your future. Having the right divorce lawyer to support you during this process can make all the difference in how your divorce is resolved. The top-rated divorce attorneys at Burnham Law are ready to partner with you, protect your rights, and effectively guide you through the challenges of divorce. We not only help clients overcome these difficulties and minimize their potential risks but also guide them to new beginnings. Contact us for help with your divorce case.
At any point during the process, high-tension situations can erupt into full-on litigation battles. Sound advice and effective representation, however, can help you stay focused throughout the process.
At Burnham Law, many of our attorneys are trained, certified mediators. Others have years of experience negotiating between combative parties in complex financial and emotional circumstances. This combination of experience makes our lawyers effective at handling various types of divorce cases, no matter the challenge.
Modifications
It is not uncommon for former spouses to want to modify issues addressed in their original divorce decree, such as maintenance, child custody or support, months or years after the decree was issued by the court. Post-decree modifications are possible; however, the court will not just grant them for any reason. Generally, the person who wants to modify the divorce decree needs to be able to demonstrate a significant change of circumstances that looks to remain permanent. While custody terms are binding, they are not set in stone.
It is possible to have them changed. Technically speaking, you can modify a divorce decree any time after the original order was issued, but the Colorado family court system will not simply change custody terms upon request. Stability is viewed as being in the child’s best interest, and the court will not entertain disputes between ex-spouses about their children under the guise of modification. For that reason, any modification made within six months of the original decree may be more difficult to get approved, and for modification at any time, change must be warranted.
Relocation
Relocation is a challenging area in domestic litigation. It is a specialized and nuanced area of law where strategy and lawyering collide, and it’s often the case that a skilled attorney can level the playing field in even the most hopeless cases.
The attorneys at Burnham Law can help you prepare your case if relocation is a factor, whether you or your spouse is seeking to relocate with the children during the initial divorce proceeding (Pre Decree) or after the divorce when a parenting plan is in effect (Post Decree).
Relocation cases regularly involve the use of experts (CFI/PRE Organization & Planning) and/or investigations. We handle these cases regularly and we can help put you in a position to succeed and achieve your goals.
Domestic Violence & Protection Orders
If you are ever physically assaulted by your partner or spouse or reasonably believe you could be, the first thing to do is contact emergency services and get out of the situation as quickly as you can. Domestic violence is a serious crime and it can leave more than just physical scars, especially if your children are present. Once you have removed yourself from the situation, report the incident to the police. Failing to file reports against the perpetrator can make it more difficult for you to prove your case later.
At Burnham Law, we have worked on many divorce cases where domestic violence has occurred, and the perpetrator has been charged. We have represented victims in the criminal proceedings, so they understand what is happening and have someone to advocate for them. This experience also makes us uniquely positioned to make sure the serious issue of domestic violence is reflected in the divorce proceedings, where it is also relevant.
Domestic violence can occur in a manner other than in the form of physical violence. Emotional abuse and manipulative actions can have a similar impact on you and your children. Domestic violence is a complex and emotional reality that many live. The cyclical nature of domestic violence involves ongoing control using emotional, physical and other forms of domestic violence. The cycle of domestic violence is difficult to escape, but your attorneys at Burnham Law are here to help you navigate the legal process in order to help rebuild and regain.
When traditional legal representation feels out of reach due to high costs, there’s an alternative designed to help you access justice without breaking the bank. Licensed Legal Paraprofessionals (LLPs) offer affordable, targeted assistance for specific legal matters, making legal help more accessible and streamlined.
WHAT ARE LLPs?
A Licensed Legal Paraprofessional is a legal professional authorized by the Colorado Supreme Court to provide legal services. LLPs are thoroughly trained and licensed to handle Domestic Relations issues—offering a cost-effective option when you need reliable guidance without the expense of traditional legal counsel.
HOW CAN LLPs HELP YOU?
LLPs focus on handling a range of family law matters and more. Their practice extends to areas such as:
- Divorce and Legal Separation: Assisting with documentation and preliminary tasks related to the dissolution of marriage or civil unions.
- Parental Responsibilities: Helping initiate or modify parenting arrangements, including parentage determinations.
- Child Support and Maintenance: Managing the establishment or adjustment of child support obligations.
- Personal Legal Matters: Guiding you through processes involving protection orders, name changes, or gender designation updates.
- Court Procedures: Filing court-approved documents, responding to motions, and providing support during hearings to ensure you’re well-informed every step of the way.
By focusing on these specific areas, LLPs streamline the legal process—making it easier for you to understand your options and move forward with confidence.
WHAT ARE THE LIMITATIONS?
While LLPs can be a tremendous asset, there are certain matters that fall outside their scope of practice. They do not:
- Handle contested common-law marriage claims or complex parentage disputes involving multiple non-parent parties.
- Litigate high-stakes issues such as pre- or post-nuptial agreements or intricate business property disputes.
- Prepare Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDROs) or manage other advanced financial arrangements.
For criminal law, bankruptcy, or other highly specialized legal areas, it remains essential to work with a licensed attorney who can fully represent your interests.
WHY CHOOSE AN LLP?
LLPs provide an approachable, affordable way to navigate the legal system. By focusing on targeted areas, they help reduce costs and simplify processes—ensuring that you receive practical, timely legal support. Whether you’re dealing with family law matters or need assistance with other straightforward legal issues, an LLP can offer the expertise you need without the higher fees typically associated with full-service legal representation.
READY TO GET STARTED?
If you believe an LLP might be the right fit for your situation, we’re here to help. At Burnham Law, our team is dedicated to guiding you through your legal options and connecting you with the appropriate professional support. Reach out today to discover how our services can make your legal journey simpler and more cost-effective.
Navigating family law can be challenging, especially when legal fees quickly add up. Many individuals face the difficult choice between quality legal support and the high costs of traditional attorneys. At Burnham Law, we offer a cost-effective alternative through our Licensed Legal Paraprofessionals (LLPs), providing exceptional family law services at a lower rate than an attorney.
WHAT ARE LLPS?
Licensed Legal Paraprofessionals are highly trained legal professionals authorized to handle specific family law matters. Although they are not attorneys, LLPs are certified experts equipped to manage issues such as divorce, child custody, parenting plans, and more. Their focus enables them to deliver efficient and effective legal solutions without the high price tag of traditional representation.
THE COST COMPARISON: LLPS VS. TRADITIONAL ATTORNEYS
Traditional family law attorneys typically charge upwards of $400 per hour, and those costs can quickly become overwhelming. Consider the following example:
- Traditional Attorney: A $5,000 retainer at $400/hour offers approximately 12.5 hours of legal services.
- LLP Services: The same $5,000 at $270/hour covers about 18.5 hours of legal support.
This means you get nearly 50% more service time for your money with an LLP—making them a smart, strategic choice for managing family law issues without overstretching your budget.
QUALITY AND EXPERIENCE YOU CAN TRUST
Opting for an LLP does not mean compromising on quality. At Burnham Law, our LLPs are family law practitioners who work in close collaboration with our experienced attorneys. This integrated approach ensures that you receive comprehensive, expert advice tailored specifically to your case, all while keeping costs manageable.
REAL-WORLD SCENARIOS WHERE LLPS EXCEL
LLPs can be particularly effective in various family law situations, including:
- Divorce Cases: Drafting and reviewing documents, mediating disputes, and guiding you through the legal process.
- Child Custody and Parenting Plans: Navigating complex custody arrangements to protect your rights and your child’s best interests.
- Uncontested Matters: Facilitating streamlined, cost-effective resolutions when both parties agree on key issues.
Their targeted expertise allows LLPs to handle these matters with precision and care, ensuring that you receive timely and effective legal support.
WHY BURNHAM LAW’S LLP SERVICES STAND OUT
At Burnham Law, our commitment is to provide affordable yet high-quality legal support. Our LLP services are designed to offer:
- Affordability: High-caliber legal representation without the financial strain.
- Expertise: Focused, specialized knowledge in family law.
- Collaboration: A team approach that leverages the skills of both LLPs and seasoned attorneys.
- Client-Centered Service: Clear communication, personalized solutions, and support at every step of your legal journey.
READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP?
Choosing Burnham Law’s LLP services means making a smart, strategic decision for your family law needs. If you’re facing challenges such as divorce or custody disputes, our dedicated team is here to guide you with expertise and care.
Contact us today for a consultation and discover how our affordable legal solutions can help you secure the best possible outcome for your case. Your family’s future is too important to leave to chance—let Burnham Law provide the compassionate, expert support you deserve.
When you’re considering legal support for your family law matter, you might wonder how to be sure that a Licensed Legal Paraprofessional (LLP) is right for your case. At Burnham Law, we want you to feel confident knowing that our LLPs have met rigorous standards to ensure you receive quality, affordable legal support.
WHAT IS AN LLP?
An LLP is a specialized legal professional trained in family law and authorized to perform specific legal tasks. While LLPs are not traditional attorneys, they undergo extensive education, hands-on experience, and a challenging exam process to guarantee that they’re equipped to handle your legal needs with precision and care.
RIGOROUS PATHWAYS TO QUALIFICATION
Our LLPs qualify through one of two stringent pathways, each designed to ensure that only highly capable professionals serve you.
PATH A: EDUCATION AND FOCUSED EXPERIENCE
- Advanced Education: LLP candidates typically hold a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school, an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies, or a bachelor’s degree supplemented by additional paralegal coursework or certifications.
- Targeted Work Experience: They must complete a minimum of 1,500 hours of substantive legal work in the past three years, with at least 500 hours specifically in Colorado family law.
- Ethics Training:Completion of an accredited ethics course ensures that every LLP adheres to strict professional standards.
PATH B: EXTENSIVE PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE
- Comprehensive Legal Practice: Candidates are required to have at least three years (or 4,500 hours) of substantive legal practice in the last five years, including a strong focus on Colorado family law (with 1,500 hours overall and 500 of those within the past three years).
- Ethics Training: Similar to Path A, completing an accredited ethics course is a critical component of their qualification.
A RIGOROUS EXAM PROCESS
Before joining our team, every LLP must pass a comprehensive exam designed by experienced attorneys. This exam evaluates their core competencies in family law and ethical practice through:
- Family Law Multiple-Choice: Testing critical knowledge in family law, this section comprises 90 questions over 180 minutes.
- Ethics Multiple-Choice: With 45 questions to be answered in 90 minutes, this section assesses the candidate’s understanding of professional conduct.
- Family Law Essays: Two essay questions completed in 90 minutes gauge their ability to apply legal principles in real-world scenarios.
This pass/fail exam ensures that only those who meet our high standards are entrusted with your case.
CONFIDENCE IN YOUR LEGAL SUPPORT
By choosing Burnham Law’s LLP services, you’re selecting professionals who have undergone a rigorous process of education, practical experience, and examination. This thorough vetting guarantees that our LLPs are well-equipped to handle your family law matters efficiently and with expert care.
If you’re still unsure or have questions about how our LLPs can support your legal needs, we’re here to help. Contact us today to learn more about the qualifications that make our team a trusted partner in your legal journey.
Custody
In Colorado, custody and visitation matters are driven by what is in the best interest of the child. This standard directs the court to consider a variety of factors, including the child’s relationship with both parents and other people in his or her life; the mental and physical health of everyone involved; the child’s adjustment to home, school and community life; and whether there has ever been any domestic violence in the home.
Child custody issues can be as distressing as they are contentious. When these issues threaten your time and relationship with your child(ren), you need a skilled child custody lawyer on your side who can help you protect your rights and interests.
Strategic, tenacious, and compassionate, our attorneys will work with you closely and help you navigate the complicated procedures involving child custody. With our help, you can achieve your goals and protect the best interests of your family. Based on your unique situation, we will develop and implement a game plan to point you in the right direction.
High Asset & High Conflict
Divorce is typically an emotional and stressful experience. During a divorce, it is not unusual for both spouses to take irrational actions that may not be in their best interests or make mistakes that cost them significantly in settlement calculation. There are many special issues that can arise as a part of a divorce involving property and assets, so having an attorney who is experienced in high-asset divorces can make a significant impact on your outcome.
When you have a lot of properties and assets, substantial retirement accounts, stock or business holdings or other benefits, they will be addressed during your divorce. With an experienced and aggressive attorney, you will have a better chance of being aware of all the assets involved and to what you are entitled. Since divorce laws vary by state, having an attorney who is familiar with Colorado law also means you will be able to receive specific guidance as to how the divorce will move forward in this state. Even if your spouse has full control over the finances when you are divorcing, you may still have the right to have your attorney fees paid from marital property or by the community assets.
With a large number of assets and property on the line and the very nature of your lifestyle being impacted by the settlement, a high-asset divorce can become complicated quickly. For this reason, having an experienced legal team on your side is important. Speak to Burnham Law about your high-asset divorce today. We have the experience and knowledge necessary to fully represent and protect the rights of clients involved in high-asset divorces.
CFI/PRE organization & planning
In situations where parents cannot agree on co-parenting responsibilities and/or how decision-making will be managed, the court will appoint a Child and Family Investigator (CFI) or a Parental Responsibility Evaluator (PRE) to report on what is in the children’s best interest. A CFI/PRE is usually a licensed attorney or mental health professional with knowledge of child development. The role of the CFI/PRE is to conduct an investigation and provide a recommendation to the court about custody and/or decision-making based on what they believe is in the children’s best interest.
Burnham Law’s trained Child and Family Investigator can help you to be more prepared for the often emotionally rigorous process of a child investigation. They can explain the process of an investigation, provide insight on what information an investigator will need and help you organize and disseminate the documents and other evidence that will be crucial for the investigation.
To help keep costs down, the courts have placed some limits on the scope of Child and Family Investigators (CFIs). Being prepared with the correct documents and other information will help you get the best possible outcome from the investigation. Their experiences working with the courts, as well as hundreds of Colorado families, will be a benefit to you and your family.
LGBTQ+ Rights
Burnham Law is proud to offer same-sex legal family planning. We recognize the need for the highest-quality and strategy-based legal representation for Colorado’s LGBTQ+ community. We provide effective representation to all clients and our depth of knowledge is not limited to traditional family law legal representation. Such specialized representation includes the following, cohabitation agreements, Domestic Partnership agreements, donor insemination contracts, allocation of parental responsibilities between same-sex partners, parenting plans and surrogacy contracts.
Adoption
Colorado is what is known as an “agency state,” which means you have the ability to go through a private or county child placement agency. It is important to know about possible fees associated with the adoption process since private agencies charge fees that can run into thousands of dollars. Whether you can and should use a private or county agency generally comes down to the underlying facts in your case and the speed with which you are hoping to complete the adoption.
The courts take parental rights termination very seriously, so you will need to demonstrate in court that this action is necessary and in the best interests of the child’s health and well-being, but also that the other parent has either been absent or any parenting time has been extremely harmful to the minor child. The burden of proof on an adopting parent to terminate a parent’s rights is very high and the Court will not make the process simple if the matter is contested.
Because adoptions can be very complicated, it’s recommended that you work with an attorney who is knowledgeable about the procedures, all requirements, the relevant laws and the entire process. An attorney is particularly necessary if you’re dealing with a contested adoption or if there is a question whether an adoption is able to be completed privately versus through an agency.
Before divorce, separation or other disputes arise, you own property, financial investments and other things that you rely on to be able to start your new life after litigation. However, after hiring an attorney, struggling through litigation and seeing unexpected bills pop-up, that property is dwindling and the financial investments are often significantly less than when you started. Mediation is an easier and cheaper path forward.
The mediator here has served as a local mediator for cases varying from criminal, restraining orders, domestic disputes and other neighborhood disagreements, including pre-litigation disputes between family members, neighbors, friends or co-workers. In addition to being trained and experienced mediators, our lead mediator is an experienced family law attorney.
