McConaughy & Sarkissian, P.C.’s experienced family law attorneys can assist you with your legal matters to protect you and your family’s best interests. In complex situations involving divorce, child custody, maintenance, property distribution, among other legal matters, we strive to reach fair and feasible legal solutions for our clients. It is our priority to help protect the best interests of children, as they need special care and attention during the transition.
Family Law, Divorce, Custody, Construction Defect, Personal Injury
Through out the COVID-19 pandemic, our firm has remained open (law firms are considered ‘essential business” in Colorado) with one secretary answering the telephone, processing mail, filing etc. and the rest of us working from home to continue servicing client needs in the areas of construction law, general liability, personal injury and family law matters including Colorado divorce law, custody law and maintenance issues. Effective Thursday, May 18, we will resume working from our office location. The office has been thoroughly cleaned, social distancing will be maintained, and masks and gloves available for staff and visitors. Please call us with any questions regarding Colorado and Wyoming construction and other issues and for Colorado family and divorce law. Please stay safe and wash your hands often.
Co-Parenting with your former spouse or partner can be difficult even during the best of times. Co-Parenting (family law attorney) during a world-wide pandemic can create a whole series of new issues for parents to have to address. Some of the issues include whether a parent or child faces health issues making them at-risk for COVID-19; whether one or both of the parents work in a field that puts them potentially in contact with COVID-19. Such as medical care providers, grocery store employees, and first responders; and whether the stay-at-home order makes transporting a child to and from parenting time difficult or impossible.
Very few judicial districts have provided directives as to parenting time during this pandemic. One judicial district (not in the metro Denver area) issued an order. That parents are to continue to exchange children per current parenting time orders. UNLESS they would have to travel 50 miles or more for the exchange. (family law attorney) In these situations, the order provides any missed parenting time must be made up within 35 days. It also provides that supervised parenting time must continue so long as the supervising center is open.
Judicial District’s Order
While one judicial district’s order is not binding upon any other district court order. It provides some guidance that parenting time should continue unless the child would be required to travel a significant distance. However, a more practical and common concern is the health of a parent or child. Especially if either is at-risk if they get sick from COVID-19. Or a parent works in a job that puts them at risk for obtaining COVID -19. There is not an easy answer as to whether parenting time should be temporarily modified to protect everyone’s health.
Parents are required to follow the court’s parenting time orders
unless doing so would place child in
imminent physical or emotional danger.
If a parent believes a child will be endangered, they are required to
file a motion to restrict the other parent’s parenting time. Otherwise, the parent withholding parenting
time could be sanctioned by the court for violating parenting time orders.
The best advice is if you are legitimately concerned about your health. Your child’s health or that of another household member. Due to the current pandemic or stay-at-home orders, you should reach out to the other parent (family law attorney). There are creative ways to continue parenting time, including Zoom and Facetime. And make-up parenting time once this crisis is over. However, if you, the other parent, your child, or a household member contracts Covid-19. It is critical you seek the advice of your medical provider as to how you should proceed with parenting time. And make the other parent aware of the provider’s recommendations to prevent the further spread of the disease.
Please feel free to contact us. If you should have any questions about parenting time (family law attorney) or any other family law matter.
In light of the current global COVID-19 pandemic, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court suspended many legal proceedings. Additionally, the district courts have issued further directives which may differ from one county or judicial district from another. However, as a basic matter, the courts are still holding hearings for the following family law related matters:
Petitions for temporary
civil protection orders and permanent protection order hearings;
Petitions for temporary
emergency risk protection orders and hearings on emergency risk protection
orders;
Shelter hearings in
dependency and neglect cases or other juvenile proceedings;
Petitions for appointment
of an emergency guardian and/or special conservator;
Hearings on motions to
restrict parenting time and parental abduction prevention; and
Emergency mental health
proceedings
In addition
Many of the district courts continue to hold status conferences by telephone. And in some judicial districts, judges are holding certain hearings by video conferencing and/or telephone. All of the metro Denver district courts are still accepting filings for new and on-going family law matters. Including petitions for dissolution of marriage, motions for allocation of parental responsibilities, and motions to modify prior orders.
Most importantly, the courts continue to hold hearings on temporary and permanent protection orders and motions to restrict parenting time, if a child is endangered. If you need legal help during these uncertain times, we are available to you. We at McConaughy & Sarkissian, P.C. remain committed to helping you and your family navigate any family law matters you may be facing. We are available for video and telephone conferences and we are accepting new clients. Please let us know if you have questions or we can be of help to you.
The daily demands and challenges families face can be overwhelming. When family dynamics change, whether you are a spouse deciding to take a different path. Or a grandparent seeking custody, McConaughy & Sarkissian, P.C.’s experienced family law attorneys can assist you with your legal matters to protect you and your family’s best interests.
