Schedule Your Free Info Call
Close

Cart

Summary

Cart Subtotal$0.00
Proceed to Checkout  View or Edit Your Cart

Colorado: Filing for Divorce on Your Own vs. Jointly?

By Heather MacKenzie
Co-Founder & President
Last Updated: January 11, 2024
Published: July 06, 2022
, , ,

It does not matter to the court who the petitioner (the one who initiates the process) is and who the respondent is. There is no inherent prejudice or benefit for being one or the other. Filing as co-petitioners also does not give you an advantage, except that you only have to pay one filing fee and do not have to formally serve (deliver) the first set of divorce forms. It is all about choosing what is best for you and your situation.

If you and your spouse are able to work together, filing as co-petitioners will save money on filing costs. Once your petition is filed with the court, the soonest your divorce will be officially decreed is three months. (The court requires a mandatory 91-day waiting period.)

However, if a person files the petition on their own and then serves the other spouse with a copy, the 91-day period begins on the date the petition is served.

Another difference is that if filing jointly, you’ll only have to file JDF 1000 (Case Information) and JDF 1101 (Petition). If filing on your own, you will have to file JDF 1000, 1001, and 1102.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Heather MacKenzie
Co-Founder & President
Divorce Preparation, Divorce Process, Divorce Guidelines, Legal Insights

Heather is Hello Divorce's co-founder, President and Chief Content Officer, and our resident expert on divorce rules, procedures and guidelines across the states. Heather uses her content background, deep legal knowledge, and coding skills to author most of our state-specific divorce software. Heather joined Hello Divorce two months into a planned year-long vacation from the start-up world because she was convinced that the legal world is one of the only things left that truly needed disruption. Since her expertise (obsession) is making complex, frustrating processes easier – and even enjoyable – for consumers, Heather leads the product, customer service, marketing, and content teams at Hello Divorce.

Heather has a Master's in Journalism from Northwestern University and a BA from the University of Notre Dame. Heather lives in California with her husband, two kids, and too many pets. You can often find her answering Hello Divorce's free info calls on weekends, and in her free time, she dabbles in ukulele, piano, and electric bass.

Related Articles