Family Law Issues and Unmarried Couples
Parents have rights and responsibilities with regard to their children, regardless of whether they are married. At the law firm of Buchholz, McDowell & Norman, our lawyers have more than 25 years of experience of helping unmarried couples in the Denver-Boulder area deal with issues such as child custody and child support after their relationship breaks up.
Will You Need a Lawyer's Help?
Here are some of the issues that could trigger the need for an attorney's help if you are an unmarried parent:
- Cohabitation agreements: If you plan to live with another person without being married, you will not enjoy the same rights that married couples have with respect to marital property. However, our lawyers can draft cohabitation agreements that will spell out your property rights.
- Paternity actions: Before an unmarried father can be required to pay child support, you must establish that he is the biological father of your child. If the father does not acknowledge paternity, the court will establish it by means of DNA testing. Once paternity has been established, the court will order child support payments.
- Custody and visitation rights: Unmarried parents can obtain child custody and visitation rights once paternity has been established. We can help you with achieving an order which is best for your child.
- Common law marriage: If your relationship qualifies as a common law marriage in Colorado and you part ways, then you will have the same rights and responsibilities as a married couple who divorce. Our lawyers can help you determine whether or not you and your partner actually are "common law married," which requires that you and your partner live together and hold yourself out to the community as married. If you are common law married, we can assist you in securing a fair division of marital property and filing the proper divorce documents if you wish to end your partnership.
Schedule a Free Attorney Consultation
To discuss your rights as an unmarried couple with a lawyer at Buchholz, McDowell & Norman, call 303-449-1202 or fill out the contact form on this site. We serve clients in the Denver-Boulder area.
