Self-Help Resources

A quick note before we begin: everything here is for general informational purposes only — it is not legal advice. For advice about your specific situation, talk to a lawyer.

Your Situation

If you're handling a Colorado family law case without a lawyer — a divorce, a custody matter, a modification, a protection order, or an appeal — you are far from alone, and the system has resources built specifically for people in your shoes. Representing yourself (sometimes called being "self-represented" or "pro se") is allowed in Colorado, but it comes with a catch worth knowing up front: you'll be held to the same court rules and procedures that licensed attorneys follow. That's a real responsibility, but it doesn't mean you're on your own. Colorado courthouses are staffed with people whose entire job is to help you find your way through the process, and there's a network of free and low-cost legal help across the state.

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You can file and manage a Colorado family law case without a lawyer, but you'll be expected to follow the same rules attorneys do — which is exactly why knowing where the free help lives matters so much.

This guide will show you what help exists, who can give you what kind of assistance, how to get your paperwork done without hunting through blank forms, and what steps to take today.

What the Law Requires

A few things are fixed by Colorado law and apply no matter how much help you get. For a divorce or legal separation, one spouse must have lived in Colorado for 91 days before filing — this is a jurisdictional requirement the court cannot waive. The court won't enter a final decree until that residency is met, the marriage is found irretrievably broken, and at least 91 days have passed since the court got jurisdiction over the other spouse.

Your petition itself has required contents — the date and place of marriage, the date you separated, details about any children, and what you're asking the court to decide. The law also requires you to disclose to the court any protection orders issued in the last five years where your spouse was the protected person. All issues in a Colorado divorce are decided by a judge, not a jury.

Importantly, court access does not depend on your ability to pay. If filing fees are a hardship, Colorado law lets low-income filers ask the court to waive them. You can request a fee waiver at the same time you submit your other paperwork, and certain public assistance programs can qualify you automatically. The court decides whether to grant the waiver.

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Not being able to afford the filing fee is not a barrier — Colorado has a fee-waiver process specifically so that cost never locks you out of court.

If you have a disability, courts are required to provide reasonable accommodations. Every Colorado courthouse has a designated ADA coordinator; contact yours before your filing or hearing date so there's time to arrange what you need.

What Courts Typically Do

In practice, Colorado has made a serious effort to support people without lawyers. Every county courthouse operates a Self-Help Center staffed by a Self-Represented Litigant Coordinator — often nicknamed a "Sherlock." A Sherlock can walk you through the court process and help you with forms. Many judicial districts also have a Family Court Facilitator, who does similar work and often reviews cases at the Initial Status Conference (an early meeting where a judge or facilitator checks on where your case stands and points you toward next steps, such as mediation).

There's an important limit worth understanding clearly: Sherlocks and Family Court Facilitators cannot give you legal advice and cannot act as your lawyer. They help with process and forms — how things work, what's due when, what the court expects. For advice about what you should do in your specific situation, you'd need a licensed attorney. Many but not all judicial districts have a facilitator, so it's worth confirming what's available at your local courthouse.

Courts also increasingly steer self-represented people to online tools — a free child support calculator, process-guide videos, and downloadable forms kits — and provide facilitators at the Initial Status Conference. A practical note the courts stress: don't bring children to that conference, and if childcare is a problem, call the clerk's office ahead of time, since a few courthouses offer free childcare or a family waiting room.

Step by Step: What to Do

1. Find your local Self-Help Center and Family Court Facilitator. These are your go-to free resources for process and forms questions. You can locate the nearest one through the statewide self-help directory, or by calling your county courthouse directly. Ask whether your district has a Family Court Facilitator in addition to a Sherlock.

2. Confirm you meet the basic legal requirements. For a divorce or separation, make sure the 91-day residency requirement is satisfied before you file. If you're considering a modification, check whether your situation actually meets the legal standard — a facilitator can explain the process, but whether your change qualifies is the kind of question a lawyer answers best.

3. Let the guided wizard prepare your paperwork. Rather than tracking down blank forms and filling them in by hand, use the guided wizard on this site — it interviews you about your situation and prepares and pre-fills the correct Colorado forms for you, including your petition or response and, where needed, a fee waiver request.

4. Request a fee waiver if cost is a barrier. If the filing fee is a hardship, submit your waiver request along with your other paperwork. The wizard will prepare this for you too.

5. Arrange any accommodations early. If you have a disability, contact your courthouse's ADA coordinator well before your filing or hearing date.

6. Prepare for the Initial Status Conference. Expect to meet with a judge or Family Court Facilitator who reviews your case and may order mediation. Don't bring your children; check ahead about childcare if you need it.

7. Consider limited-scope ("unbundled") help if you need it. You can hire an attorney for just one task — say, one hearing or drafting a single motion — without paying for full representation. Colorado has a specific court process that formalizes this limited arrangement, so you don't have to choose between doing everything yourself and hiring a lawyer for everything.

8. Get extra help for complex moments. Appeals in particular are noted as difficult for self-represented people; Colorado provides a dedicated self-help email address for appeals questions and process maps that work as checklists. For evidence and hearing preparation, the state's legal-help website offers step-by-step guides.

What Research Shows Can Help

The items here focus on procedural resources rather than social-science research, so there isn't material to summarize on long-term outcomes. What the court materials consistently reinforce, though, is a practical point: the resources exist to be used. People navigating family court without a lawyer are explicitly encouraged to lean on Sherlocks, facilitators, clinics, and free or reduced-fee lawyer referrals — and for complex situations like appeals, to seek additional help rather than go it entirely alone.

What to Do Today

• Start the guided wizard so your correct Colorado forms get prepared and pre-filled for you — this removes the biggest hurdle most self-represented people face.
• Look up your nearest Self-Help Center through the statewide directory or by calling your county courthouse, and ask whether your district has a Family Court Facilitator.
• If money is tight, plan to request a fee waiver when you file, and gather proof of any public assistance you receive, which can help you qualify automatically.
• If you have a disability, email or call your courthouse's ADA coordinator today to allow time for accommodations.
• If your situation is complicated, look into free or reduced-fee legal clinics and lawyer referral options, or consider hiring an attorney for just the piece you're stuck on.

Related Issues to Be Aware Of

• Do I need a lawyer? — You can file without one, but you'll be held to the same rules attorneys follow, and some situations genuinely call for legal advice: a contempt case where jail is possible, a modification that may not meet the legal threshold, or any moment where a Sherlock's "I can't give legal advice" leaves you unsure what to do.

• Filing and court forms — Your petition has legally required contents and you must disclose recent protection orders; the guided wizard handles the paperwork, but knowing what the law requires helps you give complete, accurate information.

• Understanding the divorce process — Knowing the sequence — residency, the 91-day waiting period, the Initial Status Conference, and the possibility that the court defers some decisions until after the decree — helps you set realistic expectations about timing.

• Attorney fees and court costs — Even if you start out self-represented, a Colorado court can order one spouse to pay toward the other's attorney fees based on the parties' financial resources, and such a request can be raised early, at the temporary orders stage — worth knowing if cost is what's keeping you from any legal help at all.