Broomfield Family Law Blog

Putting a value on investment real estate

On behalf of Warkentine Law Office posted in high-asset divorce on Friday, November 8, 2019.

Many couples in the Denver, Colorado, area may make some extra income, or even support themselves, through rental property or investment real estate. Owning extra property can be helpful to a family in two respects. It can be a source of income, and it can also yield a return on the investment as housing prices increase.

However, for these same reasons, investment property can present complications in a high-asset divorce or legal separation. Specifically, it can be difficult to put a precise value on rental property, which in turn means that the property is more difficult to divide up.

We offer a range of mediation services

On behalf of Warkentine Law Office posted in mediation on Sunday, October 27, 2019.

This blog has discussed how many Colorado couples in Broomfield and throughout the greater Denver area often find mediation a beneficial way to resolve a divorce, legal separation or other family law issue.

While not right in every case, mediation gives a person a golden opportunity to deal with oftentimes highly emotional and complicated family law issues at relatively low costs in terms of time, money and emotional stress. Moreover, mediation can reduce the tool a divorce or custody fight takes on minor children.

How can I resolve my divorce through mediation?

On behalf of Warkentine Law Office on Friday, October 25, 2019.

Going through a lengthy and combative divorce can be emotionally and financially draining. If your divorce ends up going to court, you might have to pay attorney’s fees and court fees. If you and your spouse can resolve your matters outside of court, your divorce might not be as expensive.

The cost of an average divorce in court is about $15,000, depending on the state you live in. The financial savings are apparent when compared to the cost of an average mediated divorce, which is about $1,500.

How does mediation work?

On behalf of Warkentine Law Office posted in mediation on Friday, October 11, 2019.

While many residents of Broomfield and the greater Denver area may have heard about family law mediation, some people who have never experienced the process may have little idea of how a mediation actually works in a family law setting.

Much of what happens at a mediation depends on the individual practices of a mediator and, in many cases, the rules and expectations of the court which orders the mediation. As such, perhaps the first thing a person should be aware of is that the choice of a mediator is important.

Divorce is more likely in Colorado than in most other states

On behalf of Warkentine Law Office posted in divorce & legal separation on Friday, September 27, 2019.

According to recent statistics, if you lived in Colorado in 2018, then you were more likely to go through a divorce than if you lived in most other states in the union.

The national average divorce rate is 11.67. This number means that for every 1,000 couples in a given year, 11.67 of them will divorce.

Enforcement of parenting time and custody orders

On behalf of Warkentine Law Office posted in child custody & parenting time on Friday, September 13, 2019.

Most parents in Broomfield and throughout the greater Denver area hope that, after going through the pain of a split with their child's other parent, things will go relatively smoothly when it comes to parenting time and issues related to child-rearing.

After all, single parenting is made only harder when the other parent does not follow the ground rules established in the couple's parenting plan. In extreme cases, an uncooperative parent can make life totally unmanageable for the both the other parent and the children involved.

Coping with a high-conflict ex over co-parenting plans

On behalf of Warkentine Law Office on Tuesday, September 3, 2019.

Studies show that children of divorced households generally fare better when they have access to both parents. Researchers say kids can adapt to a new routine both during and after a divorce. However, negative impacts do occur when intense conflicts exist between parents.

The negative vibe can get worse when ex-spouses are continually battling over four main child-related issues, which are vacation plans, schools and extra-curricular activity, medical care and religious decisions.

Should I bring my attorney to a divorce mediation?

On behalf of Warkentine Law Office posted in mediation on Thursday, August 29, 2019.

For a number of good reasons, many couples choose to resolve their divorce, legal separation or other family law issues through mediation. In many cases, a court may order parties to try to resolve their disputes through mediation.

The fact that a person will participate in mediation does not mean that he or she should not consult with an attorney. In fact, in many cases, the opposite is true. A skilled family law mediation attorney can give a person going through mediation important advice both before and during the process.

Stock options can present complex property division issues

On behalf of Warkentine Law Office posted in high-asset divorce on Thursday, August 15, 2019.

Executives, professionals and other highly compensated employs who live in Broomfield or in other parts of the greater Boulder and Denver areas often get to enjoy various employee perks and benefits that often have a lot of monetary value. For instance, employees may be offered what are called stock options. As the name implies, a stock option gives the employee the choice, or option, to buy a certain number of shares of company stock for a certain price at a future date, oftentimes years down the road.

A stock option is valuable when it gives someone the ability to purchase stock at what amounts to a discount. For instance, if a person has an option to buy 100 shares of stock at $50 a share, but the stock is at that point selling on the market at $100 a share, then the employee instantly makes $5,000 just by exercising his or her stock option.

What are my obligations if I need to move?

On behalf of Warkentine Law Office posted in child custody & parenting time on Friday, August 2, 2019.

Especially in today's economy and cultural environment, many people may need to move with their kids at some point in their lives. These moves often may involve going to another town, a neighboring state or even to another part of the country altogether.

While these moves are often important or even necessary for a family, when a parent is subject to a child custody or parenting time order, she is subject to certain legal responsibilities. This is particularly true if she is the parent with whom the children live for most of the time.