In 2008, there were 1,568 new divorce filings in Douglas County. In 2007, there were 1,589. In relevant terms, no change. There are two primary domestic court divisions in Douglas County, Division 3 and Division 4. While divorce filings remained steady, filings to modify maintenance and child support increased. I'm sure the present economic conditions are contributing to the increase in requests for modification.
Give some thought to the demands of this caseload for just two divisions, two Judges. Consider how busy a particular Judge might be, and how similar (though the persons are unique) the issues, and conflict, in each divorce case might be. What would you expect?
The silver lining is that not every case results in a court battle, and there are effective alternatives to help those that are disagreed to resolve their dispute. My advice - get good legal advice, be informed, then use the alternatives.
Tips - The Obligatory List
To maintain a blog means you gotta have tips. That nice little compact list of important things. So, below is a list that fits my "pretty good" category of such lists, courtesy of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers:
10 Tips for Divorcing Parents
1. Never disparage your former spouse in front of the children. That person is your child's father or mother.
2. Do not use your children as messengers.
3. Reassure your children that you love them and the divorce is not their fault.
4. Encourage your children to see your former spouse frequently.
5. Treat your children's interests as paramount.
6. Do not let your children act as your caretaker. There are other professionals, associates, and friends for that.
7. If you have a drug or alcohol problem, get treatment.
8. If you are not the custodial parent, pay child support.
9. If you are the custodial parent, do not complain to your children that you are not getting child support.
10. If at all possible, do not uproot your children.
Take heed, I'd say. Consider, I'd say. Pretty good, I'd say.
Glad I got that posted, in the event you were thinking "this guy's not really a lawyer," simply because the blog had no post with a list.
Since we've established this as the lists post, below is a non-obligatory list by you know who. Courtesy of D. Letterman's home office in Wahoo, NE., here are:
Top Ten Signs You've Hired a Bad Lawyer.
10. Begins every sentence with "Well, as Ally McBeal once said..."
9. He keeps citing the legal case of Godzilla vs. Mothra.
8. Just before the trial starts he whispers, "The judge is the one with the little hammer, right?"
7. He thinks he'll win your case, "because there's a first time for everything"
6. He once failed to get a conviction of O.J. Simpson.
5. Whenever he says, "Your Honor" he makes those little quotation marks in the air.
4. Sign in front of law office reads, "Practicing Law Since 2:45."
3. Begins by telling jury, "You all look like you should be on Jerry Springer."
2. Giggles every time he hears the word "briefs."
1. His phone number: 1-600-SHYSTER.
10 Tips for Divorcing Parents
1. Never disparage your former spouse in front of the children. That person is your child's father or mother.
2. Do not use your children as messengers.
3. Reassure your children that you love them and the divorce is not their fault.
4. Encourage your children to see your former spouse frequently.
5. Treat your children's interests as paramount.
6. Do not let your children act as your caretaker. There are other professionals, associates, and friends for that.
7. If you have a drug or alcohol problem, get treatment.
8. If you are not the custodial parent, pay child support.
9. If you are the custodial parent, do not complain to your children that you are not getting child support.
10. If at all possible, do not uproot your children.
Take heed, I'd say. Consider, I'd say. Pretty good, I'd say.
Glad I got that posted, in the event you were thinking "this guy's not really a lawyer," simply because the blog had no post with a list.
Since we've established this as the lists post, below is a non-obligatory list by you know who. Courtesy of D. Letterman's home office in Wahoo, NE., here are:
Top Ten Signs You've Hired a Bad Lawyer.
10. Begins every sentence with "Well, as Ally McBeal once said..."
9. He keeps citing the legal case of Godzilla vs. Mothra.
8. Just before the trial starts he whispers, "The judge is the one with the little hammer, right?"
7. He thinks he'll win your case, "because there's a first time for everything"
6. He once failed to get a conviction of O.J. Simpson.
5. Whenever he says, "Your Honor" he makes those little quotation marks in the air.
4. Sign in front of law office reads, "Practicing Law Since 2:45."
3. Begins by telling jury, "You all look like you should be on Jerry Springer."
2. Giggles every time he hears the word "briefs."
1. His phone number: 1-600-SHYSTER.
What is that on Colfax?
In case you didn't know it, or you were driving around downtown thinking to yourself what the heck are they building at 14th and Colfax Ave. , the new Denver Justice Center is under construction. Maybe you just forgot about it, since construction actually began in August 2007.
The $380 million project gets you a new courthouse, detention center, and parking garage. The new courthouse will be sporting 35 new courtrooms, and 310,000 usable sq. feet. All in 5 stories. The projected move in date is August 2010.
If you like to watch grass grow, then you can track the progress at this website:
Everything you wanted, and more, courtesy of the internet.
The cool part is that this project includes a large art budget, including the largest single public art commission in Denver's history, to Dennis Oppenheim - $1.2 million.
Also of note, "Ralph Helmick was selected to create a suspended sculpture for the atrium of the Courthouse." Alright Mr. R. Helmick, the pressure is on. It's gotta be beautiful, lyrical, metaphorical, meaningful, impressionable, retro-contemporary, and da' bomb, among other things. You can do it.
OK, what we marching ants need to know is that the three domestic relation's courtrooms are now at 303 W. Colfax in the Yasui building. They were moved out of the Denver City and County Building. The magistrate's courtrooms, 15A and 15B, are still there however.
Before you start driving around trying to figure out where you should go, call the court and get the current filing and courtroom information - it changes from time to time.
The $380 million project gets you a new courthouse, detention center, and parking garage. The new courthouse will be sporting 35 new courtrooms, and 310,000 usable sq. feet. All in 5 stories. The projected move in date is August 2010.
If you like to watch grass grow, then you can track the progress at this website:
Everything you wanted, and more, courtesy of the internet.
The cool part is that this project includes a large art budget, including the largest single public art commission in Denver's history, to Dennis Oppenheim - $1.2 million.
Also of note, "Ralph Helmick was selected to create a suspended sculpture for the atrium of the Courthouse." Alright Mr. R. Helmick, the pressure is on. It's gotta be beautiful, lyrical, metaphorical, meaningful, impressionable, retro-contemporary, and da' bomb, among other things. You can do it.
OK, what we marching ants need to know is that the three domestic relation's courtrooms are now at 303 W. Colfax in the Yasui building. They were moved out of the Denver City and County Building. The magistrate's courtrooms, 15A and 15B, are still there however.
Before you start driving around trying to figure out where you should go, call the court and get the current filing and courtroom information - it changes from time to time.
New Rule Regarding Insurance
Beginning January 1, 2009, all attorneys in private practice in Colorado must publicly disclose whether they are covered by malpractice insurance.
The new rule is based on a model/proposed rule of the American Bar Association. The Colorado Supreme Court adopted the rule last fall. Colorado attorneys are required to disclose on the attorney's license registration statement whether they do, or do not, carry malpractice insurance. The disclosed information will be made public through the Office of Attorney Registration, and will be published on their web site. Colorado now joins twenty-two other states that require a similar disclosure either to the client or on their license registration forms.
I can't think of a good reason not to have this rule, and expect more states to enact a similar rule in the future. I particularly like the requirement as it applies to divorce clients. Many divorces involve persons that have never had to deal with an attorney, have never been involved in a legal matter, and may not have any significant experience dealing with binding agreements, discovery, orders, hearings, etc. The same persons are, however, to a significant degree entrusting to their attorney their assets, property, and financial future. They should be entitled to know whether their attorney has liability insurance.
In practical application, and where this rule may be important, is where an attorney is not familiar with divorce or family law. There is sometimes a (mis)perception that divorce law is simple, and any attorney can do it. Setting aside the issue of which is more "simple" for a moment, would you ask your kid's pediatrician to perform a heart bypass? Or your car's mechanic to install your new water heater? If you do, maybe things will work out, maybe not.
The new rule is based on a model/proposed rule of the American Bar Association. The Colorado Supreme Court adopted the rule last fall. Colorado attorneys are required to disclose on the attorney's license registration statement whether they do, or do not, carry malpractice insurance. The disclosed information will be made public through the Office of Attorney Registration, and will be published on their web site. Colorado now joins twenty-two other states that require a similar disclosure either to the client or on their license registration forms.
I can't think of a good reason not to have this rule, and expect more states to enact a similar rule in the future. I particularly like the requirement as it applies to divorce clients. Many divorces involve persons that have never had to deal with an attorney, have never been involved in a legal matter, and may not have any significant experience dealing with binding agreements, discovery, orders, hearings, etc. The same persons are, however, to a significant degree entrusting to their attorney their assets, property, and financial future. They should be entitled to know whether their attorney has liability insurance.
In practical application, and where this rule may be important, is where an attorney is not familiar with divorce or family law. There is sometimes a (mis)perception that divorce law is simple, and any attorney can do it. Setting aside the issue of which is more "simple" for a moment, would you ask your kid's pediatrician to perform a heart bypass? Or your car's mechanic to install your new water heater? If you do, maybe things will work out, maybe not.
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