Title 14, Domestic Matters

(1) A party to a child-custody proceeding, including a modification proceeding, or a petitioner or respondent in a proceeding to enforce or register a child-custody determination, is not subject to personal jurisdiction in this state for another proceeding or purpose solely by re…

(1) A court of this state may communicate with a court in another state concerning a proceeding arising under this article. (2) The court may allow the parties to participate in the communication. If the parties are not able to participate in the communication, they must be given…

(1) In addition to other procedures available to a party, a party to a child-custody proceeding or other legal representative of the child may offer testimony of witnesses who are located in another state, including testimony of the parties and the child, by deposition or other m…

(1) A court of this state may request the appropriate court of another state to: (a) Hold an evidentiary hearing; (b) Order a person to produce or give evidence pursuant to procedures of that state; (c) Order that an evaluation be made with respect to the custody or allocation of…

(1) Except as otherwise provided in section 14-13-204, a court of this state has jurisdiction to make an initial child-custody determination only if: (a) This state is the home state of the child on the date of the commencement of the proceeding, or was the home state of the chil…

(1) Except as otherwise provided in section 14-13-204, a court of this state that has made a child-custody determination consistent with section 14-13-201 or 14-13-203 has exclusive, continuing jurisdiction over the determination until: (a) A court of this state determines that t…

(1) Except as otherwise provided in section 14-13-204, a court of this state may not modify a child-custody determination made by a court of another state unless a court of this state has jurisdiction to make an initial determination under section 14-13-201 (1)(a) or 14-13-201 (1…

(1) A court of this state has temporary emergency jurisdiction if the child is present in this state and the child has been abandoned or it is necessary in an emergency to protect the child because the child, or a sibling or parent of the child, is subjected to or threatened with…

(1) Before a child-custody determination is made under this article, notice and an opportunity to be heard in accordance with the standards of section 14-13-108 must be given to all persons entitled to notice under the law of this state as in child-custody proceedings between res…

(1) Except as otherwise provided in section 14-13-204, a court of this state may not exercise its jurisdiction under this part 2 if, at the time of the commencement of the proceeding, a proceeding concerning the custody of the child has been commenced in a court of another state …

(1) A court of this state that has jurisdiction under this article to make a child-custody determination may decline to exercise its jurisdiction at any time if it determines that it is an inconvenient forum under the circumstances and that a court of another state is a more appr…

(1) Except as otherwise provided in section 14-13-204, or by other law of this state, if a person seeking to invoke the jurisdiction of a court of this state under this article has engaged in unjustifiable conduct, the court shall decline to exercise its jurisdiction unless: (a) …

(1) Subject to a court order allowing a party to maintain the confidentiality of addresses and other identifying information and to subsection (5) of this section, in a child-custody proceeding, each party, in its first pleading or in an attached affidavit, shall give information…

(1) In a child-custody proceeding in this state, the court may order a party to the proceeding who is in this state to appear before the court in person with or without the child. The court may order any person who is in this state and who has physical custody or control of the c…

As used in this part 3, unless the context otherwise requires: (1) "Petitioner" means a person who seeks enforcement of an order for the return of a child under the "Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction" or enforcement of a child-custody determin…

Under this part 3 a court of this state may enforce an order for the return of the child made under the "Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction" as if it were a child-custody determination. Source: L. 2000: Entire article R&RE, p. 1531, § 1, effect…

(1) A court of this state shall recognize and enforce a child-custody determination of a court of another state if the latter court exercised jurisdiction in substantial conformity with this article or the determination was made under factual circumstances meeting the jurisdictio…

(1) A court of this state that does not have jurisdiction to modify a child-custody determination may issue a temporary order enforcing: (a) A visitation or parenting time schedule made by a court of another state; or (b) The visitation or parenting time provisions of a child-cus…

(1) A child-custody determination issued by a court of another state may be registered in this state, with or without a simultaneous request for enforcement, by sending to the appropriate district court in this state: (a) A letter or other document requesting registration; (b) Tw…

(1) A court of this state may grant any relief normally available under the law of this state to enforce a registered child-custody determination made by a court of another state. (2) A court of this state shall recognize and enforce, but may not modify, except in accordance with…

If a proceeding for enforcement under this part 3 is commenced in a court of this state and the court determines that a proceeding to modify the determination is pending in a court of another state having jurisdiction to modify the determination under a provision of law adopted b…

(1) A petition under this part 3 in which the petitioner is seeking expedited enforcement pursuant to this section must be verified. Certified copies of all orders sought to be enforced and of any order confirming registration must be attached to the petition. A copy of a certifi…

Except as otherwise provided in section 14-13-311, the petition and order must be served, by any method authorized by the law of this state, upon respondent and any person who has physical custody of the child. Source: L. 2000: Entire article R&RE, p. 1535, § 1, effective July 1.…

(1) Unless the court issues a temporary emergency order pursuant to section 14-13-204, upon a finding that a petitioner is entitled to immediate physical custody of the child, the court shall order that the petitioner may take immediate physical custody of the child unless the re…

(1) Upon the filing of a petition seeking enforcement of a child-custody determination, the petitioner may file a verified application for the issuance of a warrant to take physical custody of the child if the child is immediately likely to suffer serious physical harm or be remo…

(1) The court shall award the prevailing party, including a state, necessary and reasonable expenses incurred by or on behalf of the prevailing party, including costs, communication expenses, attorney fees, investigative fees, expenses for witnesses, travel expenses, and child ca…

A court of this state shall accord full faith and credit to an order issued by another state and consistent with this article that enforces a child-custody determination by a court of another state unless the order has been vacated, stayed, or modified by a court having jurisdict…

An appeal may be taken from a final order in a proceeding under this part 3 in accordance with expedited appellate procedures in other civil cases. Unless the court enters a temporary emergency order under section 14-13-204, the enforcing court may not stay an order enforcing a c…

In applying and construing this article, consideration must be given to the need to promote uniformity of the law with respect to its subject matter among states that enact it. Source: L. 2000: Entire article R&RE, p. 1537, § 1, effective July 1.

If any provision of this article or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of this article that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions…

A motion or other request for relief made in a child-custody proceeding or to enforce a child-custody determination that was commenced before July 1, 2000, is governed by the law in effect at the time the motion or other request was made. Source: L. 2000: Entire article R&RE, p. …

This article shall be known and may be cited as the "Colorado Child Support Enforcement Procedures Act". Source: L. 81: Entire article added, p. 905, § 1, effective June 8.

As used in this article 14, unless the context otherwise requires: (1) "Court" means any court in this state having jurisdiction to determine the liability of persons for the support of another person. (2) "Delegate child support enforcement unit" means the unit of a county depar…

The remedies provided in this article are in addition to and not in substitution for any other remedies. Source: L. 81: Entire article added, p. 906, § 1, effective June 8.

(1) Any payment of public assistance by a county department of human or social services made to or for the benefit of any dependent child or children creates a debt, which is due and owing to the county department of human or social services, recoverable by the county as a debt d…

(1) A writ of garnishment for the collection from earnings of judgments for arrearages for child support, for maintenance when combined with child support, for child support debts, or for maintenance shall be continuing; shall have priority over any garnishment, lien, or income a…

(1) (a) Interest per annum at four percent greater than the statutory rate set forth in section 5-12-101 on any arrearages and child support debt due and owing before July 1, 2021, may be compounded monthly and may be collected by the judgment creditor; however, such interest may…

(1) In any action in which child support is ordered, an interested party may apply to the court for an order requiring that the obligor post security, a bond, or other form of guarantee to secure payment of the child support ordered. In considering such request, the court shall c…

(1) Evidence of noncompliance with an order for child support, or maintenance when combined with child support, in the form of an affidavit from the clerk of the court or in the form of a copy of the record of payments certified by the clerk of the court or in the form of a copy …

(1) Legislative declaration. The general assembly hereby finds and declares that, for the good of the children of Colorado and to promote family self-sufficiency, there is a need to strengthen Colorado's child support enforcement laws and to simplify, streamline, and clarify the …

(1) In all orders which direct the obligor to provide health insurance for any child, the court or delegate child support enforcement unit shall include a provision directing the obligor's employer to enroll such child and the obligor, if enrollment of the obligor is a requiremen…

(1) (a) (I) Except as otherwise provided in subparagraph (II) of this paragraph (a), effective July 1, 1997, every application for, or application for the renewal of, a professional or occupational license or certificate, a commercial driver's license pursuant to section 42-2-403…

This article is known as the "Colorado Civil Union Act". Source: L. 2013: Entire article added, (SB 13-011), ch. 49, p. 147, § 1, effective May 1.

The general assembly declares that the purpose of this article 15 is to provide eligible couples the opportunity to obtain the benefits, protections, and responsibilities afforded by Colorado law to spouses consistent with the principles of equality under law and religious freedo…

As used in this article 15, unless the context otherwise requires: (1) "Civil union" means a relationship established by two eligible persons pursuant to this article that entitles them to receive the benefits and protections and be subject to the responsibilities of spouses. (2)…

(1) To establish a civil union in Colorado, the two parties to the civil union shall satisfy all of the following criteria: (a) Both parties are adults, regardless of the gender of either party; (b) Neither party is a party to another civil union; (c) Neither party is married to …