Child and Family Investigation
What is a CFI?
Courts may assign Child and Family Investigators (CFIs) in cases related to parental responsibilities, such as parenting time and decision-making. The court order appointing a CFI outlines their specific duties and scope of involvement. A CFI’s primary role is to investigate, report, and provide recommendations to the court regarding the children's best interests, as specified in the appointment order. Typically, CFIs submit a written report to the court and may also testify during hearings.
Interested in learning more? Check out the Colorado Judicial Branch Family Law Programs Overview.
Arbitration + Division of Personal Property
What is Personal Property?
Personal property refers to tangible, movable items, distinct from real property, which includes homes and land. This category encompasses jewelry, collectibles, household furnishings, kitchenware, books, and other belongings. Throughout a marriage, couples often acquire a substantial amount of personal property. While some items may hold considerable financial value, disputes frequently arise over possessions with deep sentimental significance.
Arbitration Services
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Arbitration is a type of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in which the parties involved agree (or are directed by the court) to present their case to a neutral third party, known as the arbitrator. By signing an arbitration agreement, the parties commit to accepting the arbitrator’s decision.
Arbitrators, similar to judges, aim to be fair in their decisions. The arbitrator acts like a private judge, reviewing evidence and issuing a binding resolution. In the context of a divorce, the arbitrator’s decision will become part of the couple’s property settlement. The finality of an arbitration ruling allows you to move forward, confident that your spouse cannot reopen or revisit the resolved issue.
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Cost Savings – Arbitration of marital property division can reduce legal fees and minimize the frustration of prolonged negotiations.
Finality – Property division issues are best handled decisively, offering certainty and helping both parties move forward – unlike flexible custody or parenting matters.
Privacy – Arbitration is confidential, ensuring that the details of your case remain private, which is especially important for couples with significant assets. Unlike court proceedings, arbitration records are not made public.
Customization – Arbitration can be tailored to the couple’s needs, unlike rigid court procedures, and is often quicker due to the private nature of the process.
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Many people mistakenly equate arbitration with mediation, but there are key differences between the two. Both are forms of ADR, but they function in distinct ways. In family mediation, the mediator remains a neutral party, helping the couple negotiate an agreement. In contrast, an arbitrator acts as a fact-finder and issues a ruling.
While a mediation agreement can be included in the divorce decree, it is not legally binding unless the couple chooses to make it so. On the other hand, arbitration results are binding, and there is no option to appeal the decision.
Licensed Legal Paraprofessional (LLP)
Guidance, Knowledge & Care in Family Law
At Mediated DisSolutions, we provide knowledgeable and compassionate support to help you navigate the family court system—at a fraction of the cost of traditional legal representation. Our goal is to provide effective, affordable, and knowledgeable legal guidance tailored to your family's needs.
Licensed Legal Paraprofessional Services
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Expertise & Competency – LLPs possess extensive experience and skills in family law.
Rigorous Certification – Must pass a comprehensive exam covering family law, legal procedures, and ethical standards.
Educational Requirements – Strong academic background with ongoing legal education.
Defined Scope of Practice – LLPs handle specific family law matters but do not hold a general license to practice law.
Affordability – More cost-effective than traditional attorneys, making legal services accessible.
Court Representation – LLPs can accompany clients to court but have limitations, such as not being able to question witnesses at trial.
Client Authority – Clients maintain control over the objectives of their representation, similar to working with an attorney.
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At Mediated DisSolutions, we offer support in:
Dissolution of Marriage
Legal Separation
Allocation of Parental Responsibilities
Modifications & Enforcement of Orders
Mediation & Arbitration for Personal Property Disputes
Protection Orders
Name Changes
Adult Gender Designation Changes
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LLPs have a limited license to practice in family law and are not licensed to practice in any other areas of law. To review the full text of this Rule, see [Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 207.1]
LLPs Cannot Provide Services for the Following Legal Matters:
Registration of Foreign Orders
Motions for Orders Related to Punitive Contempt Citations under C.R.C.P. 107
Disputed Common Law Marriages
Contested Parentage Cases
Non-Parent Requests for Allocation of Parental Responsibilities (APR) in Dispute
Drafting or Litigating Pre- or Post-Nuptial Agreements
Cases Involving a Party as a Beneficiary of a Trust
Jurisdictional Disputes
Preparation of Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDROs)
Drafting Documents for the Sale or Distribution of Business or Commercial Property Assets
Cases Requiring Expert Reports or Testimony for Asset Valuation
Collateral Issues That Impact a Family Law Matter – When additional legal analysis is needed outside the LLP’s scope, such as immigration, criminal, or bankruptcy matters affecting case outcomes.
Mediation
An Affordable Alternative to Litigation
Mediation is an alternative approach to divorce litigation. The point of mediation is to decrease, not increase, tension and adversarial stances during what’s already a difficult time. Contrary to popular belief, you and your spouse / partner don’t have to be “amicable” to benefit from mediation. Navigate yourself through the process with the end result in mind.
Mediation helps prevent your family from being torn apart in the process of divorce. Ongoing conflict between the parents is more damaging to the child than the separation of the parents. Through the process of mediation, you can negotiate agreements that best meet your needs and the needs of your family. These agreements are written up as a "Memorandums of Understanding," and they’re filed with the courts as part of your divorce, dissolution of marriage or legal separation.
Benefits of Mediation
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Mediation offers the opportunity to express what you want during facilitated meetings, listen to each other and come to agreements. These agreements can be about parenting time, money, personal items, personal property, division of property, child care arrangements, and anything else that needs to be resolved.
Services Include:
Dissolution of marriage or civil union
Modifications to court orders involving divorce, dissolution of civil union, legal separation and allocation of parental responsibilities
Modification of child support
Unmarried couples separating
Allocation of parental responsibilities
Parenting plans / parenting time
Parenting Coordination/Decision Making
Monitor communications between parents
Supervised Parenting Time
Personal Property Mediation/Arbitration
Organize appraisals for antiques, jewelry, furniture, china, collectibles, art, sports memorabilia and equipment, etc.
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Divorce affects children in many ways, both as they go through the divorce and throughout their entire lives. Mediation offers a peaceful alternative for making good decisions about the ones you love the most.
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The average cost of mediation is $1,000 – $3,000. The average cost of litigating low-conflict family law cases is $10,000 – $30,000.