Filing divorce paperwork in Colorado means submitting a petition, a case information sheet, and (if you’re filing on your own) a summons to the district court in the county where you or your spouse live, paying a $260 filing fee, and then meeting a set of disclosure and waiting-period requirements before a judge can sign the final decree. Colorado is a no-fault state under C.R.S. § 14-10-106, so you don’t prove wrongdoing; you only confirm the marriage is irretrievably broken and that at least one spouse has lived in Colorado for 91 days or more.1Justia Law. Colorado Code 14-10-106 – Dissolution of Marriage – Legal Separation From the day the court gains jurisdiction over your spouse, the case cannot be finalized for at least 91 more days, so plan around that floor.
The Forms That Open Your Case
Three documents go in together at the start.
The Petition for Dissolution of Marriage (JDF 1011) is the form that officially opens the case.2Colorado Judicial Branch. JDF 1011 – Petition for Divorce You list both spouses’ full legal names, the date and place of marriage, and confirm the 91-day residency. The petition also has a section where either spouse can ask to restore a former name, so handle that here instead of filing a separate motion later.
The Case Information Sheet (JDF 1000) gives the clerk the administrative details: names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, mailing addresses, and the names and birth dates of any children of the relationship.3Colorado Judicial Branch. JDF 1000 – Case Information Sheet Match every name and date to the petition exactly. Mismatches between forms are one of the most common reasons clerks reject filings.
If you and your spouse are filing jointly as co-petitioners, the petition and case information sheet are enough. If you’re filing alone, you also need the Summons for Dissolution of Marriage (JDF 1102), which notifies your spouse that a case has been opened and sets their response deadline.4Colorado Judicial Branch. JDF 1102 – Summons for Dissolution of Marriage or Legal Separation
Fees and How to Submit
The petitioner pays $260 to open the case.5Colorado Judicial Branch. List of Fees If the other spouse later files a response, they pay a separate $116.6Justia Law. Colorado Code 13-32-101 – Docket Fees in Civil Actions If you cannot afford the fee, submit a Motion to File Without Payment (JDF 205) and the court will review your income and expenses before deciding.
You can file in person at the clerk’s office or electronically through the Colorado Courts E-Filing system, which supports domestic relations cases and requires an account. One limitation to know up front: if the court grants you a fee waiver, you cannot use e-filing and must bring your documents to the courthouse.7Colorado Judicial Branch. E-Filing for Non-Attorneys
Serving Your Spouse and the Response Clock
When you file alone, your spouse must be formally served with the petition and summons. You have three practical options:
- A county sheriff can serve the papers. State law caps the sheriff’s fee for serving and returning a civil summons at $35, though some counties add a zip-code surcharge.8Justia Law. Colorado Code 30-1-104 – Fees of Sheriff
- A private process server generally costs more than the sheriff, with the exact price depending on location and how many attempts it takes.
- If your spouse is cooperative, they can sign a Waiver and Acceptance of Service (JDF 1102(a)), which skips formal service entirely. The signed waiver goes into the court file as proof of notification.9Colorado Judicial Branch. JDF 1102(a) – Waiver and Acceptance of Service
Once served, the respondent has 21 days to file a written response, or 35 days if they live outside Colorado. Courts generally allow extra time if a spouse asks, but ignoring the deadline altogether lets the petitioner request a default judgment, meaning the judge can grant the divorce on the petitioner’s terms with no input from the other side.
Financial Disclosures and the Separation Agreement
Rule 16.2 of the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure requires both spouses to exchange detailed financial information within 42 days after the petition is served. Nobody has to ask for it. The obligation is automatic.
The main document is the Sworn Financial Statement (JDF 1111).10Colorado Judicial Branch. Sworn Financial Statement You itemize gross monthly income from every source, list monthly expenses such as housing, utilities, insurance, and transportation, and inventory your assets and debts. Pull together recent pay stubs, bank statements, and tax returns before you start. The form wants precise numbers, and because you sign it under oath, misrepresenting your finances can draw sanctions or even reopen a closed case.
After the exchange, each spouse files a Certificate of Compliance (JDF 1104) confirming that the mandatory disclosures actually went to the other party.11Colorado Judicial Branch. Certificate of Compliance with Mandatory Financial Disclosures – JDF 1104 Skipping it tells the judge you haven’t met your disclosure duty, which can delay the case or bring court-imposed consequences.
With a full picture in hand, the two of you prepare a Property and Financial Agreement (JDF 1115) covering how assets are divided, who takes which debts, and whether spousal maintenance applies.12Colorado Judicial Branch. Property and Financial Agreement This is where you spell out who keeps the house, how retirement accounts split, and who carries which credit card balances. If both sides agree, the court will usually approve the agreement without a hearing. If you cannot agree, a judge decides after reviewing the financial disclosures.
When maintenance is in play, Colorado has an advisory formula under C.R.S. § 14-10-114 for marriages of at least three years where combined annual adjusted gross income is $240,000 or less.13Justia Law. Colorado Code 14-10-114 – Maintenance Guidelines Whatever amount you agree to or the court orders, it gets written into the Property and Financial Agreement and reflected on the Support Worksheet (JDF 1821).14Colorado Judicial Branch. Support Worksheet (Child Support and Maintenance)
Extra Paperwork When You Have Children
If children under 19 are involved, the paperwork grows. Colorado requires a Parenting Plan (JDF 1113) that lays out how both parents will share responsibility going forward.15Colorado Judicial Branch. JDF 1113 – Parenting Plan The plan addresses two things:
- Decision-making authority over major issues like education, medical care, and religious upbringing, and whether that authority is shared or allocated to one parent.
- A detailed parenting-time schedule covering regular weekdays, weekends, holidays, school breaks, and vacations. The more specific the calendar, the fewer arguments later.
Child support runs through the Support Worksheet (JDF 1821), which factors in both parents’ incomes, the number of overnights with each parent, health insurance costs for the children, and child care expenses.14Colorado Judicial Branch. Support Worksheet (Child Support and Maintenance) The worksheet produces a guideline amount, and the court expects parents to follow it unless there’s a compelling reason to deviate.
Under C.R.S. § 14-10-123.7, a judge can order one or both parents to attend a parenting education program about the impact of divorce on children.16Justia Law. Colorado Code 14-10-123.7 – Parenting Education Many judicial districts order it in every case with minor children. Programs vary by district, with some accepting online completion and others requiring in-person attendance, so check with your local court before you sign up. Costs usually run under $100, and reduced fees are sometimes available.
The 91-Day Wait and the Final Decree
Even if you agree on everything from day one, the court cannot enter a decree of dissolution until 91 days have passed since it gained jurisdiction over the respondent. That clock starts on the date of service, the date a waiver was filed, or the date you filed jointly.1Justia Law. Colorado Code 14-10-106 – Dissolution of Marriage – Legal Separation Day 91 is the absolute fastest a Colorado divorce can finish. Contested cases take considerably longer.
To close the case, submit a proposed Decree of Dissolution (JDF 1019) for the judge to sign.17Colorado Judicial Branch. JDF 1019 – Decree (Divorce) Once signed, the decree legally ends the marriage and incorporates the terms of your separation agreement, parenting plan, and any support orders. If you asked for name restoration in the petition or response, the decree handles it. If you forgot, you have 60 days after the decree is signed to file a Motion for Name Restoration (JDF 1824) with no additional fee.18Colorado Judicial Branch. Divorce and Separation