Understanding the Latest Child Support Statute Updates | Episode 239

Colorado Child Support Statute Updates: What Changes in 2025 and 2026 Mean for FamiliesIn this episode of Divorce at Altitude, Amy Goscha and associate attorney Kate Mulholland break down major updates to Colorado’s child support statute. They explain how House Bill 25-1159 changes the treatment of extraordinary medical expenses, tax credits, retroactive child support, low-income calculations, and parenting-time credits. The conversation focuses on what family law practitioners and parents need to know as the new rules take effect in phases across 2025 and 2026.Guest InformationKate Mulholland is an associate attorney at Kalamaya Goscha, where she practices primarily family law and also handles criminal defense and civil protection order matters. She joined the firm in August 2024 and works on contested family law issues, post-decree disputes, motions practice, and cases involving the overlap between family law and criminal law.Episode HighlightsWhy Colorado overhauled its child support framework Kate explains that House Bill 25-1159 is the most significant child support update in more than a decade. The goal is to modernize the statute to reflect current cost-of-living realities, address low-income situations more fairly, clarify medical expense handling, and align state practice with IRS guidance on tax benefits.Medical expense changes effective May 31, 2025 One of the first major updates eliminated the old $250 threshold that each parent had to meet before being reimbursed for extraordinary medical expenses.Ordinary vs. extraordinary medical expenses are now defined The statute now clearly distinguishes between ordinary and extraordinary medical expenses. Extraordinary expenses include co-pays, deductibles, uninsured out-of-pocket expenses, prescription medication, medical equipment, orthodontia, and dental treatment.Why this matters in real life Amy and Kate use Eric and Melanie Wolf as an example. Before the update, Melanie might have had to spend $250 of her own money on the children’s extraordinary medical expenses before she could seek reimbursement.The statute now creates more predictability for reimbursement Kate notes that the updated law also gives structure to reimbursement timing. A parent seeking reimbursement must provide proof within a reasonable time, and if proof is not provided by July 1 of the following year.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.