Need affordable help for family law issues in Colorado? Attorney’s fees can be very expensive, especially for in-depth and complicated cases, so it can be tempting to act as your own attorney. But Dissolution, Allocation of Parental Responsibility, and other family law cases are a specialized area of law, and trying to act as your own attorney can lead to expensive mistakes and grim outcomes. Going through the process as a pro-se party should be a last resort, but what other options are there if your finances don’t allow you to hire an attorney in the traditional sense? Luckily, there are several:
Colorado Legal Services
Many people know that the Colorado Public Defenders Office takes on criminal cases free of charge if you are within specific financial guidelines. However, many people don’t know that there’s an organization that does the same for family law and other types of civil cases.
If you are within the financial guidelines established by Colorado Legal Services they have attorneys that can, free of charge, fully represent you in your family law proceeding. Unlike the Public Defenders Office, Colorado Legal Services is not a state-run office, but an independent non-profit organization with knowledgeable and hardworking attorneys in offices throughout the state. If you are within their guidelines Colorado Legal Services is the first place to look for affordable help with family law cases. More information about Colorado Legal Services can be found at their website here: https://www.coloradolegalservices.org.
Metro Volunteer Lawyers
Unlike Colorado Legal Services, Metro Volunteer Lawyers does not have a team of attorneys on staff that can handle all aspects of the case, but the organization is committed to connecting underserved groups with volunteer attorneys willing to provide assistance. Metro Volunteer Lawyers’ Family Law Court Program (FLCP) provides information about the process as well as blank copies of the necessary documents to help pro se parties effectively represent themselves. The organization also hosts regular clinics where parties can complete the necessary forms in the presence of attorneys who are available to answer any questions and provide any guidance necessary, and works to have volunteer attorneys appear at the final court hearing to make sure all issues are addressed.
Metro Volunteer Lawyers’ Family Law Court Program doesn’t offer the full representation that’s available through a private attorney or Colorado Legal Services, but their resources can help you when you need it most. More information about Metro Volunteer Lawyers can be found at their website here: https://www.denbar.org/mvl.
Pro Bono/Reduced Rate Representation
The Colorado Bar Association suggests that every attorney provide 50 hours of reduced rate or pro bono services each year, and many lawyers strive to meet that suggestion. Law firms often carry a small number of pro bono or severely reduced rate cases at any time and if you catch the right firm at the right time they may have space to take on a case pro bono or for a reduced rate. It can never hurt to call and ask.
If you can’t find anyone able to take on the case pro bono or for a reduced rate, there is an option to hire an attorney in a limited capacity, commonly called “unbundled services.” This type of arrangement allows you and the attorney to fashion a plan on exactly what the attorney will handle and exactly what you will handle and can be a good option in some circumstances to get the legal assistance you need while limiting costs. You can find more information about unbundled services in a separate article here: https://www.dillielaw.com/blog/unbundled-services-your-guide-to-the-third-option-in-hiring-an-attorney/.
Court Self-Help Centers
If none of the options laid out above work out, and you find yourself acting as your own attorney, there are free resources that can help. The Colorado Judicial Branch website has a good number of self-help forms and instructions for pro se parties which can be found here: https://www.courts.state.co.us/Self_Help/Index.cfm.
Most jurisdictions around the Denver metro area also have self-help centers within the courthouse that can help you understand the process and find the pleadings that need to be filed in a case. Self-help centers throughout the state can be found here: https://www.courts.state.co.us/Self_Help/center.cfm. It is important to understand that while staff at the self-help centers can help you understand the process and the documents that need to be filed, they will not be able to provide any legal advice.
There are resources available to those unable to pay full attorneys fees, so representing yourself in any family law matters should be a last resort. Feel free to reach out to me directly at DillieLawOffice@gmail.com or (720) 507-3105 if you have any questions about anything or would like to discuss your case.