Colorado Divorce Paperwork: Forms, Filing, and Disclosures

Filing for divorce in Colorado runs on a specific stack of court forms from the Colorado Judicial Branch, most of them free to download. The required Colorado divorce paperwork always includes a Case Information Sheet (JDF 1000) and a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage (JDF 1101); if one spouse files alone, a Summons (JDF 1102) is added. From there, the forms you need depend on whether you have children, whether maintenance is on the table, and how much property you’re dividing. Two timing rules sit behind everything: at least one spouse must have lived in Colorado for 91 days before filing, and the court cannot finalize the divorce until a separate 91-day waiting period runs after the case begins.¹ Colorado is a no-fault state, so the only legal ground is that the marriage is “irretrievably broken.”²

The Forms That Open a Colorado Divorce

Two core documents start every case. The Case Information Sheet (JDF 1000) collects names, addresses, and Social Security numbers for both spouses.³ The Petition for Dissolution of Marriage (JDF 1101) is the document that actually asks the court to end the marriage. It covers the date and place of the marriage, when the spouses separated, the names and ages of any children, and the relief you’re asking for: property division, spousal support, parenting arrangements, or all of these.⁴

If both spouses agree to start the process, they file the petition together as Co-Petitioners. When only one spouse initiates, that person is the Petitioner, the other becomes the Respondent, and a Summons (JDF 1102) is added to the packet to formally notify the Respondent that a case has been opened.⁵

If you want to return to a former name, you can request that right in the petition. If you don’t ask during the divorce, you can file a separate motion (JDF 1824) later. Filing within 60 days of the final decree is free; after that, the fee is $105.⁶

Where to File and What It Costs

File your completed forms with the District Court in the county where you or your spouse lives. The filing fee for a divorce petition is $260.⁷ If you can’t afford it, submit a Motion to Waive Fees (JDF 205). To qualify, your household income generally needs to fall below 125% of the federal poverty line, or you need to be enrolled in certain public benefits programs.⁸

You can file in person at the clerk’s office or use Colorado Courts E-Filing (CCE), the state’s online filing system. CCE handles domestic relations cases and lets you create an account, fill out forms, and upload scanned documents. Scan each document separately rather than combining forms into one file, and check that every signature line and caption box is filled in before you submit.⁹ Once the clerk accepts your filing, you’ll get a case number that tracks everything from that point forward.

Delivering the Papers to Your Spouse

Co-Petitioners skip this step: by filing together, you’ve both already agreed to open the case. When one spouse files alone, the Respondent must be formally notified. Colorado allows three methods.¹⁰

The simplest is a waiver of service. The Respondent voluntarily accepts the papers and signs a Waiver and Acceptance of Service form (JDF 1102(a)). Signing it does not mean admitting the petition’s allegations are true, and the Respondent still has the right to respond and appear.¹¹

If the Respondent won’t voluntarily accept the papers, you need personal service. You cannot hand the papers over yourself. The sheriff, a professional process server, or any adult over 18 who isn’t involved in the case must deliver them, and that person fills out a Return of Service form for you to file with the court.

Service by publication is a last resort when you genuinely cannot locate your spouse. You must first attempt personal service and then file a Motion for Alternative Service (JDF 1301) asking the court for permission to publish a legal notice instead.

Once served, the Respondent generally has 21 days to file a written response, or 35 days if they live outside Colorado. Missing that deadline doesn’t automatically end the case, but it can limit the Respondent’s ability to contest what the Petitioner has requested.

The Automatic Injunction You Didn’t Ask For

The moment the petition is filed and the other spouse is served or signs a waiver, a temporary injunction kicks in automatically against both spouses. You don’t need to request it; it’s printed on the summons and petition. The injunction stays in effect until the divorce is finalized, and violating it can lead to contempt of court.⁴

While the case is pending, neither spouse can transfer, hide, or dispose of marital assets outside the normal course of daily living and business without the other’s consent or a court order; extraordinary expenditures must be reported. Both parties are restrained from disturbing the peace of the other. If the marriage involves minor children, neither parent can take them out of Colorado without the other parent’s written consent or a court order. And neither spouse can cancel, modify, or let lapse any health, auto, homeowner’s, renter’s, or life insurance policy covering either spouse or the children; any change requires at least 14 days’ advance written notice.

The insurance restriction trips people up most often. A spouse who drops the other from a health plan during a pending divorce risks serious legal consequences. If you need to make changes to any insurance policy, get written consent first or file a motion with the court.⁴

Financial Disclosure Forms

Colorado requires both spouses to fully disclose their finances without waiting for the other side to ask. Under Rule 16.2 of the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure, each party must exchange mandatory disclosures within 42 days after the petition is served.¹²

The centerpiece is the Sworn Financial Statement (JDF 1111), which requires detailed monthly figures for income, payroll deductions, living expenses, and unsecured debts like credit cards or personal loans.¹³ If either spouse holds investments, retirement accounts, or other significant assets, they also complete the Supporting Schedules (JDF 1111SS), covering stocks, bonds, mutual funds, pension and 401(k) plans, and separate property.¹⁴

Every entry on the Sworn Financial Statement is signed under penalty of perjury, which gives it the same legal weight as courtroom testimony. Understating income or hiding assets can result in sanctions and a very unfavorable outcome once the court finds out. Along with the statements, both sides exchange supporting documents: bank statements, tax returns, pay stubs, and similar records. After the exchange, both parties file a Certificate of Compliance (JDF 1104) to confirm to the court that the disclosure actually happened.¹⁵

Added Paperwork When Children Are Involved

If minor children are part of the case, the packet grows. The Parenting Plan (JDF 1113) is where you spell out how parenting will work going forward: where the children will live, how holidays and summer breaks will be divided, and which parent has decision-making authority over education, medical care, religious activities, and extracurriculars. The plan also sets ground rules such as sharing contact information for the children’s doctors and schools, and notifying each other of address changes.¹⁶

Child support in Colorado follows a formula based on both parents’ combined gross income, adjusted for childcare costs, health insurance premiums, and extraordinary expenses. Which worksheet you use depends on how parenting time is split. If one parent has the children for fewer than 93 overnights per year, use Worksheet A (JDF 1820). If both parents have at least 93 overnights, the case involves shared physical care and you use Worksheet B (JDF 1821).¹⁷ Getting the overnight count right matters; using the wrong worksheet can produce a significantly different support amount.

Many Colorado judicial districts also require divorcing parents to complete a court-approved parenting education class. This is not a statewide rule. Individual districts impose it through their case management orders, and the format, length, cost, and deadline vary by county. Fees typically range from about $25 to $85 per person. If your district requires the class, you’ll generally need to file the completion certificate with the court before the case can be finalized.

Spousal Maintenance Paperwork

If one spouse earns significantly more than the other, the lower-earning spouse can request maintenance (Colorado’s term for alimony). The court first decides whether maintenance is appropriate by determining that the requesting spouse cannot meet their reasonable needs through their own property or employment. A statutory advisory formula then applies to marriages that lasted at least three years where the couple’s combined annual adjusted gross income is $240,000 or less; above that threshold, the court has broad discretion and weighs factors like the marital standard of living, each spouse’s earning capacity, length of the marriage, and whether one spouse sacrificed career advancement for the other.¹⁸

The actual support order, for both maintenance and child support, is recorded on JDF 1117. Keep in mind that spousal maintenance directly affects the child support calculation: the payor’s income is reduced and the recipient’s income is increased for child support purposes.¹⁹

The Separation Agreement

Before the court can finalize the divorce, you need a written agreement covering how property, debts, and support will be divided. The Property and Financial Agreement (JDF 1115) is the standard form. It walks through every major asset and liability category, and leaving things vague here is one of the most common mistakes people make in do-it-yourself divorces.²⁰

Fill in specifics for each category. For real estate, list the property address, which spouse takes ownership, and who pays the mortgage, taxes, and insurance; if the property will be sold, specify the timeline and how proceeds are split, and if one spouse keeps the home, include a refinancing deadline to remove the other spouse from the loan. For vehicles, give the year, make, model, and VIN, plus who takes the title and who handles any remaining loan payments. Separate debts into secured (mortgages, car loans) and unsecured (credit cards, student loans, back taxes); for each, list the creditor, current balance, and which spouse is responsible. For bank accounts, note the financial institution, last four digits of the account number, account type, and the percentage split. Retirement accounts and investments (IRAs, 401(k)s, pensions, stocks, bonds, and mutual funds) often require a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) to divide, and the agreement should specify who prepares it. For life insurance, state whether either spouse must maintain a policy, the coverage amount, the beneficiary, and how long the obligation lasts. For personal property, either confirm the division is already done or list specific items and who gets each one.

If spouses can’t agree on the terms, the court will decide for them after a hearing. The outcome is rarely as tailored as what two motivated spouses can negotiate on their own or through mediation.

Finalizing the Divorce

Colorado imposes a mandatory 91-day cooling-off period before the court can issue a final decree. The clock does not start when you file the petition. It starts when the court gains jurisdiction over the other spouse, which happens when the Respondent is personally served, signs a waiver of service, or joins as a Co-Petitioner.¹ Even if both spouses agree on everything immediately, the court must wait for this period to pass.²¹

Once the waiting period expires and all required paperwork is in order (the parenting plan if children are involved, the separation agreement, financial disclosures, and support worksheets), the court can issue the Decree of Dissolution of Marriage (JDF 1116). In many agreed cases, neither spouse needs to appear. One or both can submit a Non-Appearance Affidavit, and the judge reviews the paperwork and signs the decree without a hearing. If any issues remain contested, the court schedules a hearing and makes decisions based on the testimony and evidence presented.²² The final decree incorporates all permanent orders for property division, support, and parenting.

1
Justia. Colorado Code 14-10-106 – Dissolution of Marriage and Legal Separation
2
Justia. Colorado Code 14-10-107 – Commencement – Pleadings – Abolition of Existing Defenses – Automatic, Temporary Injunction – Enforcement
3
Colorado Judicial Branch. JDF 1000 – Case Information Sheet
4
Justia. Colorado Code 14-10-107 – Commencement – Pleadings – Abolition of Existing Defenses – Automatic, Temporary Injunction – Enforcement
5
Colorado Judicial Branch. JDF 1102 Summons for Dissolution of Marriage or Legal Separation
6
Colorado Judicial Branch. Name Change Restoration After Divorce
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Colorado Judicial Branch. List of Fees
8
Colorado Judicial Branch. Fee Waivers
9
Colorado Judicial Branch. E-Filing for Non-Attorneys
10
Colorado Judicial Branch. How to Serve Court Papers in Divorce and Custody Cases
11
Colorado Judicial Branch. JDF 1102(a) Waiver and Acceptance of Service
12
Colorado Judicial Branch. Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 16.2 – Court Facilitated Management of Domestic Relations Cases
13
Colorado Judicial Branch. JDF 1111 – Sworn Financial Statement
14
Colorado Judicial Branch. JDF 1111SS – Supporting Schedules for Assets
15
Colorado Judicial Branch. Certificate of Compliance with Mandatory Financial Disclosures
16
Colorado Judicial Branch. JDF 1113 – Parenting Plan
17
Colorado Judicial Branch. JDF 1821M – Child Support Worksheet B (Shared Physical Care)
18
Justia. Colorado Code 14-10-114 – Maintenance
19
Colorado Judicial Branch. JDF 1117 – Support Order
20
Colorado Judicial Branch. JDF 1115 – Property and Financial Agreement
21
Colorado Judicial Branch. JDF 1010 – How to File for Divorce
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Colorado Judicial Branch. JDF 1116 – Decree of Dissolution of Marriage or Legal Separation