An initial status conference in Colorado is the first scheduled meeting in a divorce or parental responsibilities case, held within 42 days of filing the petition. A Family Court Facilitator, Magistrate, or Judge uses it to check that service is complete, see which issues the parties agree and disagree on, confirm that financial disclosures have been exchanged, and set the deadlines that will govern the rest of the case. It is a working meeting, not a hearing. No testimony is taken, but the orders and deadlines that come out of it shape everything that follows.
When It Happens and Who Has to Be There
Colorado Rule of Civil Procedure 16.2(c) requires the conference to occur no later than 42 days after the petition is filed.1Colorado Judicial Branch. Step 1 – Initial Status Conference The court schedules it automatically when the case opens. You do not request it.
Both parties must attend, with or without lawyers.2Colorado Bar Association. Notice of Initial Status Conference – Larimer County Many districts hold the conference by Webex or Zoom; some still require you to appear at the courthouse. Your notice will say which. The tone is closer to a case meeting than a courtroom proceeding. The public generally is not present, and no witnesses are called.
What to Bring and Have Ready
Preparation is almost entirely about financial disclosures. Colorado requires both sides to exchange a detailed set of financial documents without either party having to ask. The exchange should be complete, to the extent reasonably possible, by the date of the conference.
Sworn Financial Statement
The centerpiece is the Sworn Financial Statement, form JDF 1111 on the Colorado Judicial Branch website.3Colorado Judicial Branch. Sworn Financial Statement It covers your gross monthly income, deductions, expenses, and unsecured debts.4Colorado Judicial Branch. JDF 1111 – Sworn Financial Statement You sign it under oath. Child support and maintenance calculations run off this form, so treat each line seriously. If your finances are complex, you may also need the Supporting Schedules form, JDF 1111 SS, for assets like real estate or a business.
Mandatory Disclosures to the Other Party
Rule 16.2(e) requires you to send the other party a list of supporting financial documents. The Certificate of Compliance, JDF 1104, lists what has to be exchanged:5Colorado Judicial Branch. JDF 1104 – Financial Disclosure
- The three most recent years of tax returns
- Recent pay stubs or proof of earnings
- Bank and other financial institution account statements
- Retirement account statements (401(k)s, pensions, IRAs)
- Brokerage and investment statements
- Three years of business financial statements, if you own a business
- Three years of personal financial statements
- Real estate appraisals, titles, and mortgage information
- Loan and credit card statements
- Health, life, auto, and property insurance documentation
- Documentation of employment benefits
- Childcare and extraordinary children’s expenses, where applicable
Only the Sworn Financial Statement and the Child Support Worksheet get filed with the court. Everything else goes directly to the other party. Once you have sent the required items, you sign the JDF 1104 under penalty of perjury and file it with the court to show compliance.5Colorado Judicial Branch. JDF 1104 – Financial Disclosure
Parenting Class Certificate
If minor children are involved, both parents must complete a court-approved parenting class and file a certificate of completion. Approved providers are set by your judicial district. Most programs run $30 to $65 per person, with some specialty courses costing more.6Colorado Judicial Branch. Parenting Classes Online options are widely available, so most parents finish before the conference date.
What Gets Discussed at the Conference
The facilitator or judge works through a short list of practical items.7Colorado Judicial Branch. About Family Cases Forms
Service comes first. The court confirms the other party has been properly served. Without service, there is no jurisdiction and the case cannot move. If service is not done, the facilitator sets a deadline for completing it.
Next is a sorting of issues. The court notes anything you and the other party already agree on, whether that’s dividing an account or a general parenting schedule, and identifies what is still contested. The remaining disputes typically fall into property division, maintenance, child support, and parenting time.
For cases with complex financial or custody questions, the court may discuss experts under Rule 16.2(g). The parties are expected to try to agree on a single expert per issue, such as a business valuator or a parental responsibilities evaluator. If they cannot agree, the court appoints one. The court may also refer the case to mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution under Rule 16.2(i). Mediation is a standard step, and most courts expect the parties to attempt it before a judge will hold a contested hearing.8Judicial Legal Help Center. Step 4 – Prepare – Section: 3. Status Conference
If you need immediate relief, raise it here. The court may schedule a temporary orders hearing coming out of the conference to address interim child support, parenting time, maintenance, use of the family home, who pays which debts, and insurance coverage.8Judicial Legal Help Center. Step 4 – Prepare – Section: 3. Status Conference Temporary orders are requested by motion9Colorado Judicial Branch. Motion for Temporary Orders and stay in effect until the court enters a final decree or changes them. Come prepared to explain any urgent needs in plain terms.
The Case Management Order
The most important thing the conference produces is the Case Management Order. It sets deadlines for discovery, expert reports, mediation, and future hearings, and it usually fixes a date for the permanent orders hearing, where the court resolves remaining issues and enters the decree. Every deadline in this order matters. Missing one can mean losing the right to present evidence, having claims dismissed, or facing sanctions.
Notices about these dates typically come through the court’s electronic filing system, or by mail if you are self-represented. Track every deadline yourself. Do not rely on the court to send reminders.
When You Can Skip Appearing
Two narrow situations excuse attendance.2Colorado Bar Association. Notice of Initial Status Conference – Larimer County First, if the parties have resolved everything and file an affidavit for entry of decree without appearance, with all required documents, at least ten days before the conference. Second, if both parties have attorneys and jointly file a stipulated case management plan, certificates of compliance with mandatory disclosures, and sworn financial statements signed by both parties before the conference date. Outside these two paths, attendance is not optional.
What Happens if You Miss It or Hide Assets
Skipping the conference without qualifying for one of the exemptions can result in dismissal of the case without further notice.2Colorado Bar Association. Notice of Initial Status Conference – Larimer County If you filed, your case is thrown out. If you are the respondent, the court can proceed without your input.
Failing to produce mandatory financial disclosures brings its own exposure. The court can impose sanctions, bar you from presenting evidence on financial issues, or draw negative inferences about what you were hiding. Because the Sworn Financial Statement and the Certificate of Compliance are signed under penalty of perjury, deliberately concealing assets or misstating income can also lead to criminal perjury charges under Colorado Revised Statutes 18-8-502. For most people, the family court fallout is the bigger problem: a judge who finds hidden assets will not extend the benefit of the doubt on anything else in the case.
The 91-Day Waiting Period Does Not Extend the Conference Timeline
Colorado imposes a mandatory 91-day waiting period before a court can enter a final decree. Under CRS 14-10-106, the court cannot finalize a dissolution until at least 91 days after it acquires jurisdiction over the respondent, which usually means 91 days after service or a signed waiver.10Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 14 Section 14-10-106 – Dissolution of Marriage and Legal Separation The initial status conference sits at the 42-day mark, well inside that window, so the waiting period does not delay the conference itself. For contested cases that take months, the 91-day minimum is a non-issue. For uncontested cases, it sets the earliest possible finish line.