Colorado offers a legal separation, a decree that divides finances and sets parenting terms without ending the marriage. It follows the same process as a divorce.

A decree of legal separation resolves everything a divorce does (property, debt, parenting, maintenance, child support) but leaves you legally married. People choose it for reasons like religious beliefs, keeping a spouse on health insurance (check the plan first, since many treat legal separation like divorce), or simply not being ready to fully end the marriage. It uses the same 91-day residency and waiting-period rules.

A court will only grant a legal separation if both spouses want one. If either spouse asks for a full divorce, the court grants the divorce instead (C.R.S. § 14-10-106). If you later change your mind, you can ask the court to convert the legal separation into a dissolution. Colorado does not require any period of separation before filing for divorce; you can file whenever you meet the 91-day residency rule, even while still living together.

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Colorado

Colorado, USA