QUESTION

I'm currently living in Qatar and want my spouse and I have agreed to divorce. Can we file in Colorado?

Asked on Jan 30th, 2017 on Divorce - Colorado
More details to this question:
We were married in Colorado 18 years ago. Until just recently we owned a house there. But we have not lived there for 12 years. We want to avoid filing in Qatar because Sharia law is applied. We intend to share custody of the children and there is no despute over property or assets. Can you advise if we can file in Colorado, and if not what are our alternatives? Thank you, Ann-Michelle
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1 ANSWER

Family Law Attorney serving Denver, CO
Hi Ann-Michelle, Thank you for your inquiry.  For Colorado to have jurisdiction over your divorce, either you or the other party must have lived in Colorado for at least 91 days before the divorce is filed.  For Colorado to have jurisdiction over issues pertaining to the children, the children must have lived in Colorado for at least 182 consecutive days prior to the filing date (or since birth if the children are under 6 months).  If you file in Colorado despite the children not living in Colorado for those time periods, then the court cannot address any issues regarding the children.  If you and the other party agree to share parenting time and decision-making over the children, and you both agree on the division of marital assets, then: (1) that's a good omen; and (2) it would be prudent to file the divorce as soon as practicable.  In my experience, the longer a party waits to file for divorce, the more likely there will be disputes to arise beteen the parties concerning the children and the division of marital assets. My firm handles dissolutions of marriage throughout Colorado.  If any of this is unclear, or if you would like to disucss your matter further, please feel free to reach out to me. Have a wonderful day, Genet NOTICE: Exchanging messages with Genet T. Johnson, Esq. on Lawyers.com Ask a Lawyer does not create an attorney-client relationship with Genet T. Johnson and the law firm of Johnson Law Group, LLC, nor does doing so impose any obligations on Johnson Law Group, LLC to treat any information you send as confidential.  No attorney-client relationship is formed until you and Johnson Law Group, LLC have signed an Engagement Agreement setting for the terms and conditions of representation.
Answered on Feb 06th, 2017 at 8:56 AM

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