C.R.C.P. Overhaul: Practical Impacts on Divorce, APR, and Post-Decree Practice | Episode 229

Colorado Family Law Rule Changes: What Divorcing Families Need to KnowIn this episode of Divorce at Altitude, Ryan Kalamaya and Amy Goscha discuss major proposed changes to Colorado’s family law procedural rules. Amy shares insight from her two years of work on the project, explaining why Colorado is moving toward a more family-specific set of court procedures and how these changes could affect divorcing parents, attorneys, self-represented parties, and other family law professionals.Ryan and Amy break down why the current civil rules often do not fit family law cases well, especially when children are involved, and how the proposed rules aim to make the system more efficient, more understandable, and more responsive to the realities of divorce and parenting disputes.Episode HighlightsWhy Colorado Is Updating Family Law Rules Amy explains that the main motivation behind the project is recognition that families entering the court system have different needs than parties in general civil litigation.The Problem With Using General Civil Rules in Family Law Cases Colorado currently relies heavily on broader civil procedure rules, even though family law disputes are fundamentally different from construction, business, or personal injury cases.How Other States Influenced the Project The committee looked closely at states like Arizona, which has had separate family law procedural rules in place since 2006. Those rules have been well received and helped inform Colorado’s proposed reforms.The Large Number of Self-Represented Litigants A major driver of the changes is the fact that a very high percentage of people in family court do not have lawyers. The new rules are intended to make the process easier to understand and navigate for those individuals while also helping courts manage cases more effectively.A Broad and Diverse Committee Worked on the Changes Amy describes how the project involved judges, attorneys, court facilitators, dispute resolution professionals, and others. The goal was to include multiple perspectives so the rules would be practical for everyone who works in or relies on the family court system.What is Divorce at Altitude? Ryan Kalamaya and Amy Goscha provide tips and recommendations on issues related to divorce, separation, and co-parenting in Colorado. Ryan and Amy are the founding partners of an innovative and ambitious law firm, Kalamaya | Goscha, that pushes the boundaries to discover new frontiers in family law, personal injuries, and criminal defense in Colorado. To subscribe to Divorce at Altitude, click here and select your favorite podcast player. To subscribe to Kalamaya | Goscha's YouTube channel where many of the episodes will be posted as videos, click here.  If you have additional questions or would like to speak to one of our attorneys, give us a call at 970-429-5784 or email us at [email protected].************************************************************************DISCLAIMER: THE COMMENTARY AND OPINIONS ON THIS PODCAST IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT AND INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES AND NOT FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING LEGAL ADVICE. CONTACT AN ATTORNEY IN YOUR STATE OR AREA TO OBTAIN LEGAL ADVICE ON ANY OF THESE ISSUES.