Know your rights, where to get help and ways to help yourself
There are 74 resources
Adoption
General Information
Frequently Asked Questions About Adoption in Colorado
(Separate Website)
This site has information such as: the Colorado Adoption Directory, Colorado Adoption subsidy, Colorado Adoption Photolisting, CO Dept. of Human Services Child Welfare Services and more.
By: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Frequently Asked Questions about Adoption
Information about qualifications needed to adopt, the adoption process, forms needed in an adoption, adopting a step-child, placing children up for adoption, foster parenting, grandparents adopting grandchildren and more including links to forms and instructions, referrals to other resources and organizations.
By: Colorado Legal Services
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Common Law Marriage - FAQ
More information about what common-law marriage means - for example what happens if you move to another state, what happens to the children, and more.
By: Colorado Legal Services - Northwest Project
Common-Law Marriage (a brief explanation)
(Separate Website)
This chapter of the Senior Law Handbook explains all implications and responsibilities of Familial Relationships. Chapter 13.9 describes what common-law marriage is as simply as possible.
(The Senior Law Handbook is a project of the Colorado Bar Association's Elder Law and Trust and Estate Section.)
By: Colorado Bar Association - Senior Law Handbook
Emergency Legal Assistance for Victims
(Separate Website)
Aiding victims through trauma intervention, emergency legal assistance and advocacy, crisis court support and intervention services.
By: Project Safeguard
Healing the Invisible Wounds: Children's Exposure to Violence
(Separate Website)
This resource helps parents and other caregivers understand the potential impact of exposure to violence on the development of their children.
By: Safe Start Center
National Sexual Assault Hotline
(Separate Website)
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) is the nation's largest anti-sexual assault organization and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline (1-800-656-HOPE).
By: Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)
Responding to Child Abuse & Neglect
(Separate Website)
These resources help protect children's safety, support families, and reduce the risk of future harm. Also learn how to report suspected child abuse and neglect.
By: Child Welfare Information Gateway
Stop Family Violence
(Separate Website)
Stop Family Violence serves as a catalyst for social change, empowering people to take action at the local, state and national level to ensure safety, justice, accountability and healing for people whose lives are affected by violent relationships.
By: Stop Family Violence
Marriage and Public Benefits
(Separate Website)
How marriage and public benefits work together and what you qualify for once married. Go to Section 6-7 "Marriage and Public Benefits."(The Senior Law Handbook is a project of the Colorado Bar Association's Elder Law and the Trust and Estate Section.)
By: Colorado Bar Association - Senior Law Handbook
So Now You Are a Conservator
(Separate Website)
A court recently has appointed you as conservator for another person. What does this mean? What are your responsibilities? What are potential liabilities? This chapter of the CBA's Senior Law Handbook will help you learn more.
By: Colorado Bar Association - Senior Law Handbook
Common Law Marriage - FAQ
More information about what common-law marriage means - for example what happens if you move to another state, what happens to the children, and more.
By: Colorado Legal Services - Northwest Project
Common-Law Marriage (a brief explanation)
(Separate Website)
This chapter of the Senior Law Handbook explains all implications and responsibilities of Familial Relationships. Chapter 13.9 describes what common-law marriage is as simply as possible.
(The Senior Law Handbook is a project of the Colorado Bar Association's Elder Law and Trust and Estate Section.)
By: Colorado Bar Association - Senior Law Handbook
Emergency Legal Assistance for Victims
(Separate Website)
Aiding victims through trauma intervention, emergency legal assistance and advocacy, crisis court support and intervention services.
By: Project Safeguard
Healing the Invisible Wounds: Children's Exposure to Violence
(Separate Website)
This resource helps parents and other caregivers understand the potential impact of exposure to violence on the development of their children.
By: Safe Start Center
National Sexual Assault Hotline
(Separate Website)
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) is the nation's largest anti-sexual assault organization and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline (1-800-656-HOPE).
By: Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)
Responding to Child Abuse & Neglect
(Separate Website)
These resources help protect children's safety, support families, and reduce the risk of future harm. Also learn how to report suspected child abuse and neglect.
By: Child Welfare Information Gateway
Stop Family Violence
(Separate Website)
Stop Family Violence serves as a catalyst for social change, empowering people to take action at the local, state and national level to ensure safety, justice, accountability and healing for people whose lives are affected by violent relationships.
By: Stop Family Violence
Marriage and Public Benefits
(Separate Website)
How marriage and public benefits work together and what you qualify for once married. Go to Section 6-7 "Marriage and Public Benefits."(The Senior Law Handbook is a project of the Colorado Bar Association's Elder Law and the Trust and Estate Section.)
By: Colorado Bar Association - Senior Law Handbook
So Now You Are a Conservator
(Separate Website)
A court recently has appointed you as conservator for another person. What does this mean? What are your responsibilities? What are potential liabilities? This chapter of the CBA's Senior Law Handbook will help you learn more.
By: Colorado Bar Association - Senior Law Handbook
Common Law Marriage - FAQ
More information about what common-law marriage means - for example what happens if you move to another state, what happens to the children, and more.
By: Colorado Legal Services - Northwest Project
Common-Law Marriage (a brief explanation)
(Separate Website)
This chapter of the Senior Law Handbook explains all implications and responsibilities of Familial Relationships. Chapter 13.9 describes what common-law marriage is as simply as possible.
(The Senior Law Handbook is a project of the Colorado Bar Association's Elder Law and Trust and Estate Section.)
By: Colorado Bar Association - Senior Law Handbook
Emergency Legal Assistance for Victims
(Separate Website)
Aiding victims through trauma intervention, emergency legal assistance and advocacy, crisis court support and intervention services.
By: Project Safeguard
Healing the Invisible Wounds: Children's Exposure to Violence
(Separate Website)
This resource helps parents and other caregivers understand the potential impact of exposure to violence on the development of their children.
By: Safe Start Center
National Sexual Assault Hotline
(Separate Website)
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) is the nation's largest anti-sexual assault organization and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline (1-800-656-HOPE).
By: Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)
Responding to Child Abuse & Neglect
(Separate Website)
These resources help protect children's safety, support families, and reduce the risk of future harm. Also learn how to report suspected child abuse and neglect.
By: Child Welfare Information Gateway
Stop Family Violence
(Separate Website)
Stop Family Violence serves as a catalyst for social change, empowering people to take action at the local, state and national level to ensure safety, justice, accountability and healing for people whose lives are affected by violent relationships.
By: Stop Family Violence
Marriage and Public Benefits
(Separate Website)
How marriage and public benefits work together and what you qualify for once married. Go to Section 6-7 "Marriage and Public Benefits."(The Senior Law Handbook is a project of the Colorado Bar Association's Elder Law and the Trust and Estate Section.)
By: Colorado Bar Association - Senior Law Handbook
So Now You Are a Conservator
(Separate Website)
A court recently has appointed you as conservator for another person. What does this mean? What are your responsibilities? What are potential liabilities? This chapter of the CBA's Senior Law Handbook will help you learn more.
By: Colorado Bar Association - Senior Law Handbook
Understanding Divorce and Custody Issues
Frequently asked questions explaining what you will experience when you file for a divorce and/or when a divorce is filed against you, including how the court determines what will happen with issues about children of your marriage.
By: Colorado Legal Services - Northwest Project
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
How do you ask the court to determine who has what parental responsibilities (custody)?
(Separate Website)
These are the instructions and forms you need to use to ask the court to determine Parental Responsibilities (Custody). (You need Acrobat Reader to open the forms in this packet. Scroll down and click on the Acrobat icon to download a copy.)
By: Colorado State Judicial Branch
Custody Preparation for Moms
(Separate Website)
This sites' focus is on helping and educating protective mothers. The information on this site is not intended to be legal advice.
By: custodyprepformoms.org
How to Ask the Courts to Change Custody Orders If you have a divorce decree or have permanent orders in a case already establishing parental responsibility of your child(ren) (custody) and you want to make a change to those orders, this is the information you need.
By: Colorado Legal Services - Fort Collins
Change of Custody How to change custody (allocation of parental responsibility) orders.
By: Colorado Legal Services - Northwest Project
How to File Contempt of Court in Domestic Cases
This site has instructions and forms you need when filing contempt of court citations. You must have Adobe Reader on your computer. If you do not, go to www.adobe.com, look for the icon "Get Adobe Reader", click on it and follow instructions.
By: Colorado Judicial Branch
Modification of Domestic Relation Orders - video
Watch this bilingual video resource to learn more about requesting changes to existing parental court orders.
By: Colorado Legal Services - Denver, CO
Changing Visitation
How to change, reduce or restrict visitation - child is living with you.
By: Colorado Legal Services
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
What is a Contempt Citation?
When someone files a contempt citation against you, it means they are asking the Judge to punish you because they believe you have violated a court order.
By: Colorado Legal Services
Emergency Legal Assistance for Victims
(Separate Website)
Aiding victims through trauma intervention, emergency legal assistance and advocacy, crisis court support and intervention services.
By: Project Safeguard
A Father's Guide to Child Support
(Separate Website)
This handbook serves to help fathers
understand how child support works. Children have the right to receive support from both parents and do not lose that right when a parent is not in their home.
By: CDHS, Division of Child Support Enforcement
Free Legal Information from LawLine9
(Separate Website)
This program is designed to provide information on options, legal information and suggestions where the individual may go for legal assistance. They are designed to aid understanding of legal issues and not designed to provide specific legal advice for individual circumstances.
By: Denver Bar Association
Instructions and Forms to Enforce Parenting Time
(Separate Website)
These instructions and forms will help you learn about completing an enforcing parenting time court filing, rules & laws in Colorado, case filing form & fee requirements.
By: Colorado Judicial Branch
Frequently Asked Questions about Dissolution of Marriage/Divorce
Answers to questions in the following areas: general information about divorce, issues that come up with divorce, location/jurisdiction issues, property division in a divorce and more. It also has links to important court forms and instructions and links to other websites with helpful information.
By: Colorado Legal Services
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Understanding Divorce and Custody Issues
Frequently asked questions explaining what you will experience when you file for a divorce and/or when a divorce is filed against you, including how the court determines what will happen with issues about children of your marriage.
By: Colorado Legal Services - Northwest Project
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Court Forms - Dissolution of Marriage WITH children
(Separate Website)
Case filing form & fee requirements, available services in Colorado, common legal terms & frequently asked questions all regarding divorce with children situations.
By: Colorado State Judicial Branch
Court Forms - Dissolution of Marriage with NO children
(Separate Website)
Case filing forms & fee requirements, available services in Colorado, common legal terms & frequently asked questions all related to a divorce without children situation.
By: Colorado State Judicial Branch
What is Stalking?
(Separate Website)
What is stalking? What are some legal definitions? Is the threatening nature of stalking always apparent? How prevalent is stalking? These questions and many more are answered in this resource.
By: Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence
Answers to Your Questions about Victims' and Witnesses' Rights This resource has information on Crimes Covered by the Victim Rights Act; The Victim Rights Act; Law Enforcement Responsibilities; Agency Responsibilities; Department of Corrections Responsibilities; Probation Department Responsibilities ... and more.
By: Colorado Judicial Branch and Colorado Legal Services
Are You Being Abused?
(Separate Website)
When one person scares, hurts or continually puts down the other person, it's abuse. This information will help you understand the meaning of abuse.
By: National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV)
Immigrant Women and Abuse
(Separate Website)
If you are an immigrant to the United States, and you are a victim of domestic violence or rape, here are some suggestions we hope will help you.
By: Women's Justice Center
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Emergency Legal Assistance for Victims
(Separate Website)
Aiding victims through trauma intervention, emergency legal assistance and advocacy, crisis court support and intervention services.
By: Project Safeguard
National Domestic Violence Hotline - 1.800.799.SAFE (7233)
(Separate Website)
Call this number for help or go to the website to learn about more help available to domestic violence victims. Assistance is available in both English and Spanish. Hotline advocates and volunteers also have access to translators in 139 languages.
By: National Domestic Violence Hotline
Domestic Violence - Taking Action and Getting Help
(Separate Website)
This resource provides information about to plan ahead in case of a Domestic Violence emergency, seeking help in an emergency and additional hotlines, shelters and support resources available to victims of domestic violence. (Note: the shelters listed are primarily in Seattle, please refer to other resources within this site for local shelter information.)
By: Multilingual Access Project
Read this in:
Chinese / 中文
,
Russian / Pусский
,
Spanish / Español
Staying Safe While Going to Court
(Separate Website)
This site has instructions on how to stay safe while going to court, as well as information about preserving evidence to use in court, plus much more.
By: womenslaw.org
Legal Momentum:helping victims of domestic violence maintain their jobs and their housing
(Separate Website)
Legal Momentum has a project focusing on helping victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking maintain their jobs and their housing while taking steps to address the violence. Many updated materials and additional resources.
By: Legal Momentum
Teenage Dating and Violence
(Separate Website)
Many topics are covered on this site including, the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline, identifying abuse and what to do if you are victim. This resource also facilitates an interactive Live Chat with an advocates, how support a friend involved with dating violence and the teen dating Bill of Rights.
By: loveisrespect.org
The Effects of DV on Children
(Separate Website)
Potential effects, parents, safety, age-specific indicators, working with children, statistics and a child's own safety plan all can be found on this site.
By: ACADV
What is a Protection Order?
(Separate Website)
There is a lot of information about protective orders (used to be called restraining orders) on this website, including how to go about getting one, who will help serve the papers and more.
By: Colorado Legal Services
How to Get a New Social Security Number
(Separate Website)
If you are a victim of domestic violence and need to relocate and establish a new identity, it may be helpful to get a new Social Security number. Social Security (not routinely) will assign a new number to an individual when evidence shows they are being harassed, abused or their life is endangered.
By: Social Security Online
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Healing the Invisible Wounds: Children's Exposure to Violence
(Separate Website)
This resource helps parents and other caregivers understand the potential impact of exposure to violence on the development of their children.
By: Safe Start Center
Stop Family Violence
(Separate Website)
Stop Family Violence serves as a catalyst for social change, empowering people to take action at the local, state and national level to ensure safety, justice, accountability and healing for people whose lives are affected by violent relationships.
By: Stop Family Violence
What Are Your Rights as a Grandparent?
Questions and answers about grandparents' rights.
By: Colorado Legal Services
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Grandparents' Visitation Rights
(Separate Website)
If you have a disagreement with your adult children or one of your children gets a divorce, you could be denied contact with your grandchildren. If a parent does not let you visit your grandchildren the court might be able to help. (The Senior Law Handbook is a project of the Colorado Bar Association's Elder Law and Trust and Estate Section.)
By: Colorado Bar Association - Senior Law Handbook
A State Fact Sheet for Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising Children
(Separate Website)
This website has national and statewide data and a listing of programs in Colorado that can help. You need Adobe Reader on your computer to open this file. Go to adobe.com, click on "Get Adobe Reader" and download the program to your computer.
By: AARP.org
Guide to Public Benefits for Grandfamilies
(Separate Website)
This article covers topics such as: cash assistance, disabilities, food and home energy, foster care and related support, health and tax credit programs.
By: AARP
Grandparents' guide to health insurance for children
(Separate Website)
A guide to finding children's health insurance for grandparents and other relative caregivers raising children. This guide highlights health coverage programs, eligibilty requirements, application processes, and other questions relevant to relative caregivers.
By: Children's Defense Fund
How to Change your Child's Last Name
Questions and answers about how to change your child's last name when you have custody of the child.
By: Colorado Legal Services
Forms to Use When Filing for Name Change for an Adult
(Separate Website)
Use these forms when filing for a name change in Colorado.
By: Colorado State Judicial Branch
Forms to Use When Filing for Name Change for a Minor
(Separate Website)
Use these forms when filing for a child's name change in Colorado.
By: Colorado State Judicial Branch
Paternity Issues
Questions and answers about paternity.
By: Colorado Legal Services
Answers to your Questions about Paternity This resources answers the following questions: What is the definition of the parent-child relationship? Does the relationship between the parent and child depend on the parents' marital status? How is a man presumed to be the natural or biological father of a child? ... and many more.
By: Colorado Judicial Branch and Colorado Legal Services
Establishing Paternity in Relation to Child Support
(Separate Website)
If you are not married to the father of your child, the first step in getting a child support order is to establish paternity. This resource will help you learn about establishing or disclaiming paternity, rules & laws in Colorado, case filing form & fee requirements, available services in Colorado, common legal terms & FAQs.
By: Colorado Judicial Branch
Verifying Military Status
(Separate Website)
By: Department of Defense
Child Support
(Separate Website)
This website describes the definition of child support; directions on how to get child support; how to establish paternity; how to get a child support order; and how to collect support.
By: www.thebeehive.org
Instructions and Forms for Requesting a Civil Protection Order
(Separate Website)
Instructional information and forms you will need before you file your case in county court.
By: Colorado State Judicial Branch
How to Get a Protection Order, Including Questions and Answers about Family Violence
(Separate Website)
Information about steps you need to take to get a protection order plus questions and answers about family violence.
By: womenslaw.org
Answers to Your Questions about Victims' and Witnesses' Rights This resource has information on Crimes Covered by the Victim Rights Act; The Victim Rights Act; Law Enforcement Responsibilities; Agency Responsibilities; Department of Corrections Responsibilities; Probation Department Responsibilities ... and more.
By: Colorado Judicial Branch and Colorado Legal Services
Enforcing Protection Orders if You Move to Another State
(Separate Website)
Do you have a protective order? Are you thinking of moving to another state? This website has information to help you use the full faith and credit law for enforcement of your protective order by other states.
By: Violence Against Women Online Resources
What is a Contempt Citation?
When someone files a contempt citation against you, it means they are asking the Judge to punish you because they believe you have violated a court order.
By: Colorado Legal Services
Emergency Legal Assistance for Victims
(Separate Website)
Aiding victims through trauma intervention, emergency legal assistance and advocacy, crisis court support and intervention services.
By: Project Safeguard
Frequently Asked Questions about Child Support
This resource has answers to questions such as how child support is set up, how long a person will have to pay, how to get help collecting child support, what if absent parent lives out of the state or country plus more, including links to court instructions and forms.
By: Colorado Legal Services
Child Support
(Separate Website)
This website describes the definition of child support; directions on how to get child support; how to establish paternity; how to get a child support order; and how to collect support.
By: www.thebeehive.org
Colorado Child Support Enforcement Program
(Separate Website)
The Colorado Child Support Enforcement Program will put children first by helping both parents assume responsibility for the economic and social well-being, health and stability of their children. This resource serves to help parents and employers understand all obligations that come with establishing child support
By: Colorado Department of Human Services
Child Support and Alimony from Military Personnel and Department of Defense Employees
(Separate Website)
Information about garnishing the pay of active, reserve, and retired members of the military and the pay of civilian employees of the Federal government for payment of child and/or spousal support.
By: Defense Finance and Accounting Service
The Uniformed Services Former Spouses' Protection Act
(Separate Website)
Frequently asked questions about the Uniformed Services Former Spouses' Protection Act.
By: Defense Finance and Accounting Service
Child Support Enforcement Abroad
(Separate Website)
When one parent is in a foreign country, finding a way to enforce a U.S. child support order overseas can be a daunting prospect. This resource helps answer many frequently asked questions.
By: U.S. Department of State
How to File Contempt of Court in Domestic Cases
This site has instructions and forms you need when filing contempt of court citations. You must have Adobe Reader on your computer. If you do not, go to www.adobe.com, look for the icon "Get Adobe Reader", click on it and follow instructions.
By: Colorado Judicial Branch
A Father's Guide to Child Support
(Separate Website)
This handbook serves to help fathers
understand how child support works. Children have the right to receive support from both parents and do not lose that right when a parent is not in their home.
By: CDHS, Division of Child Support Enforcement
Free Legal Information from LawLine9
(Separate Website)
This program is designed to provide information on options, legal information and suggestions where the individual may go for legal assistance. They are designed to aid understanding of legal issues and not designed to provide specific legal advice for individual circumstances.
By: Denver Bar Association
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