How to File for Custody in Colorado: Forms, Fees, and the Pro Se Process

Filing for custody in Colorado means navigating a specific set of forms, deadlines, and procedures. Whether you're filing as part of a divorce or as an unmarried parent establishing rights for the first time, here's exactly what you need to do — and what it costs — to get a case started.

Which Filing Path Applies to You

Divorce with children: If you're married, custody is addressed within your dissolution of marriage case. You'll file a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage (JDF 1001) along with your parenting plan.

Unmarried parents: If you were never married, you file a standalone Allocation of Parental Responsibilities (APR) case using Petition JDF 1413. This is a separate legal action specifically for establishing parenting time and decision-making rights.

The forms are different, but both paths end at the same place — a court-ordered parenting plan (JDF 1113) that defines your schedule and decision-making allocation.

Required Forms

For divorce with children (Dissolution of Marriage):

• JDF 1001 — Petition for Dissolution of Marriage
• JDF 1000 — Case Information Sheet
• JDF 1113 — Parenting Plan
• JDF 1111 — Sworn Financial Statement
• JDF 1115 — Separation Agreement
• JDF 1104 — Certificate of Compliance (financial disclosures)

For standalone APR (unmarried parents):

• JDF 1413 — Petition for Allocation of Parental Responsibilities
• JDF 1000 — Case Information Sheet
• JDF 1113 — Parenting Plan
• JDF 1111 — Sworn Financial Statement

All forms are available free from the Colorado Judicial Branch website. The forms themselves cost nothing — the filing fee is separate.

The Sworn Financial Statement (JDF 1111)

The JDF 1111 is one of the most detail-intensive forms you'll complete. It requires a comprehensive breakdown of your monthly income, expenses, assets, and debts. Both parents must complete and exchange their JDF 1111 before the Initial Status Conference.

What you'll need to gather:

• Recent pay stubs (at least three months)
• Last two years of tax returns
• Bank account statements
• Monthly expense breakdown (housing, utilities, insurance, childcare, transportation)
• Outstanding debts and obligations

Courts take financial disclosures seriously. Filing an incomplete or inaccurate JDF 1111 can result in sanctions, evidentiary preclusion (the court can prevent you from introducing financial evidence later), or delays in your case.

Filing Fees

The standard filing fee is $230 for the petitioner. The respondent also pays a response fee. If you cannot afford the fee, you can request a fee waiver by filing JDF 205 (Verified Motion for Waiver of Filing Fees). Note that even with a fee waiver, you'll still need to pay for the mandatory parenting class — court fee waivers don't cover that.

Filing Pro Se (Without a Lawyer)

Colorado permits pro se filing — representing yourself without an attorney. Many parents file pro se for custody cases, especially when the issues are straightforward and both parents are cooperative.

What the court provides: Colorado's Self-Help Centers offer guidance on which forms to file, how to format documents, and where to file. They cannot give legal advice, but they can help you understand the procedure.

What the court doesn't provide: The blank JDF 1113 parenting plan won't tell you which schedule works best for your child's age, how to structure a holiday rotation, or how the overnight count affects your child support calculation. The forms are compliance tools, not strategy guides.

Key pro se tips:

• File everything in the correct district court (where the child has lived for the last 182 days for APR cases, or where either spouse resides for divorce)
• Calendar every deadline — the 42-day Initial Status Conference requirement starts running from the date you file or serve
• Make copies of everything before submitting originals
• Complete your financial disclosures fully and accurately — judges notice gaps

What Happens After Filing

Once you file, the clock starts:

Service of process. If you're not filing jointly, you must formally serve the other parent with the petition and summons. Colorado requires a process server, sheriff, or non-party adult to deliver the documents. You cannot serve the papers yourself.

42-day Initial Status Conference. Within 42 days of filing, both parties appear for an ISC. Before this conference, you must have exchanged financial disclosures (JDF 1111, JDF 1125 Mandatory Disclosures, JDF 1104 Certificate of Compliance).

91-day waiting period. For divorce cases, the court cannot finalize anything until 91 days after the respondent is served (or 91 days from a joint filing date). APR cases have no fixed waiting period but are subject to court docket scheduling.

The Colorado Child Custody & Parenting Plan Guide includes a forms directory with a filing checklist that tracks each required document, deadline, and exchange requirement — helping pro se parents stay organized through every procedural step.

See more Colorado guides →