Family Law Boot Camp

The Essential Guide to Representing Yourself in a Colorado Family Law Case

Alisha Taibo Coombe

• Publisher: The Unapologetic Voice House LLC
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781735974859
• Topic: Law
• Subtopic: Family Law
• Index: Law

Are you going through a divorce, custody or other family law case? Are you representing yourself or wishing you understood the process? Family Law Boot Camp explains every step of the process without all the legal jargon at a fraction of the cost of calling an attorney. This thorough and eminently helpful guide takes you from the very start of your case choosing which forms you need through your closing argument in trial, with citations to real law you will need to use. You will learn how to draft legal documents, select witnesses, object, and enter evidence at trial. While the author of this book is based in Colorado and uses Colorado law as the premise of this book, Family Law Boot Camp will help you understand every step of your case so you can prepare and present it in the most effective way possible. A must-have for anyone involved in a family law matter. In this book you will find: -A helpful glossary of legal terms-Sample legal documents such as witness disclosure-Tips on dealing with a difficult opposing counsel-Advice from other attorneys and judges-A sample trial plan, trial outline, opening statement, closing argument, and objections!This concise, easy-to-understand guide will help you navigate your case effectively and painlessly.

Copyright © 2021 by Alisha Taibo Coombe

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

ISBN: 978-1-7359748-5-9

The Unapologetic Voice House
Scottsdale, AZ
www.theunapologeticvoicehouse.com

for Dan, Johnny, Emma, Sophia and Olivia, who make me the happiest wife, mommy and step-mom in the world.

Contents

Contents

Acknowledgements

Prologue

A to Z Guide of Helpful Legal Terms

Section 1 – Starting Your Case

Chapter 1: Overview of a Family Law Case

How to Start Your Case

The Case Caption

Parties

Magistrates and Judges

Serving the Papers

The Mandatory Injunction

The Case Management Order

The Initial Status Conference

Litigation

Financial Disclosures, Witness Disclosures, and Discovery

Parenting Class

Opposing Counsel

Temporary Orders Hearing

Motions

Mediation

The Final Hearing

Chapter 2: Jurisdiction and Venue

Section 2 – Building Your Case

Chapter 3: Case Deadlines

Chapter 4: How to find the Law

A Brief Summary of Laws You May Need to Know

Property And Debt Division

Child Support and Maintenance

The Child Support Enforcement Agency

Custody

Relocation

Grandparent Visitation

Stepparent Adoption and Termination

Protection Orders Hearings

Contempt

Chapter 5: Draft a Trial Plan.

Chapter 6: Disclosures and Discovery

Witness Disclosures

Financial Disclosures

What if The Other Side is Hiding Assets?

Discovery

Privileges

Other Protections

Subpoenas

Motion to Compel

Chapter 7: Experts

Why do I need an Expert?

Usual Types of Experts in Family Law

Child and Family Investigator

Parental Responsibilities Evaluator

Vocational Evaluation Expert

Business Valuation Expert

Home Appraiser

Other experts

How do I pick an expert?

Section 3 – Trial

Chapter 8: Pretrial Preparation

Planning For The Timing Of Your Case

Starting a Trial Outline

How to Question Witnesses

Direct Examination

Cross Examination

How to Question Experts

What to Bring to Court

Court Checklist

Chapter 9: Presenting Evidence

How to Get the Document into Evidence

How to Object

Basic Evidence Rules

Chapter 10: Opening Statements and Closing Arguments

Chapter 11: Final Forms

Trial Management Certificate

Parenting Plan

Separation Agreement

Affidavit for Decree Without Appearance

Proposed Decree

Proposed Support Order

Section 4: Post-Trial

Chapter 12: Post-trial Checklist

Conclusion

Advice from the Bar

Appendix

About the Author

Acknowledgements

My deepest gratitude goes first to the love of my life, Dan Coombe. Without a husband like you, it would have been impossible to write a book while being a full-time working mom. You make marriage easy and life fun every day. Thank you for always encouraging and supporting me, giving me your time, reviewing and editing the book, and offering positive and objective feedback. You are my best friend and soulmate. I love you forever. SWNGBGR!

The completion of this book would not have been possible without the assistance and feedback of my mentor and dear friend, Judge Don Toussaint. Thank you for giving the most valuable gift a person can give - your time - to mentoring me and reviewing and editing this book. I truly appreciate your kindness, encouragement and friendship.

Prologue

It may interest you to know that 75% of all family law cases in Colorado courts are filed by people who are representing themselves. That’s an incredible number. That means you are in good company, and you are not alone. At $250 an hour and up, legal services have become a luxury most people cannot afford. However, the Courts maintain that parties who represent themselves without a lawyer are held to the same standards as attorneys. While this book cannot replace three years of law school, it can provide you with the information and tools you need to effectively represent yourself in your family law case.

This book will help you better prepare your case by guiding you to the law the judge will apply, orient you to the process, and tell you what you need to do, in what order, and what the court expects of you in terms of deadlines, forms, presentation and demeanor. This book was written from the perspective of going through a Colorado family law case from start to finish, and the timelines and rules pertain specifically to Colorado. I have tried to touch on the major points of a family law case, such as division of assets and debts, support payments, and custody, as well as some lesser common cases like adoption and contempt.

This book is not legal advice. Legal advice refers to when an attorney tells you what you should do in your specific case. I do not know you and cannot possibly give you legal advice concerning your unique situation. If you have specific questions about what you should do at any given moment in your specific case, you should consult with an attorney. There are attorneys who are willing to help you by meeting with you on a one-time consultation basis, and who are willing to advise on an ongoing basis without expensive retainers or entering their appearance as your counsel in your case. This limited type of representation is also known as “unbundled services” and a Google search for “unbundled services attor...