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The Divorce Process
A divorce begins with the filing of a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage with a court. At least 90 days must have elapsed from the time of the filing of the Petition to the time the court enters a decree dissolving the marriage. However, many divorces take much longer than that. If spouses have contested issues regarding their divorce, it can take anywhere from 4 months to 2 years to finalize
the divorce. If spouses can reach agreements, they can be divorced in 90 days. After the Petition has been filed, the other spouse generally files a Response. The Court will then mail to each spouse a Case Management Order and an order to attend parenting classes. If you have children, you must attend the parenting class. You will also be ordered to attend an initial conference within a short time after the filing of the Petition. The initial conference is an informal meeting with either a judge or a court facilitator in which you address temporary orders and discovery. If you are in Arapahoe or Douglas County, these initial conferences are handled en masse, meaning you and a number of other divorcing couples listen to the same information in the same room at the same time. Temporary orders can include orders regarding parenting time, child support, maintenance and debt payment. You must bring a completed financial affidavit to this conference. You will be required to exchange a great deal of financial information before the initial conference. After the initial conference, the discovery process will begin. Your case may be set for a status conference or for a permanent orders hearing. The permanent orders hearing is the hearing at which the divorce is finalized, and the court enters final orders regarding parenting time, parental decision making, child support, maintenance, property division, debt division, attorney fees, name changes, and enters a decree of dissolution. | 
