Before filing for legal separation in Denver, decide whether both spouses will sign the petition. That choice changes the opening paperwork and the service steps. Then check the Denver court’s local forms: its no-children petition and simplified financial forms sit alongside Colorado’s statewide forms, but they are not a second packet to file automatically.
This guide focuses on a marriage with no children who need parenting or support orders. Denver’s local petition covers couples with no children born or adopted into the marriage, or whose children are fully emancipated. If either spouse is pregnant, a child still needs support, or emancipation is uncertain, check the appropriate forms with the court before using the no-children route.
First, confirm that Denver District Court is the right destination
A Denver legal-separation case belongs in Denver District Court, not Denver County Court. These are separate courts, even though several court offices share the City and County Building. Colorado’s filing instructions direct spouses to file in the county where either spouse lives. Living somewhere in the Denver metropolitan area does not, by itself, make Denver County the correct filing county.
For Denver civil and domestic matters, the official clerk’s location is 1437 Bannock Street, Room 256, Denver, CO 80202. This is the address to check against the court information on your forms. Do not substitute the Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse address simply because it also appears in Denver court search results.
Confirm these points before preparing the petition:
- Colorado residency: for a marriage, one spouse must have been domiciled in Colorado for at least 91 days immediately before the proceeding begins. Domicile is more than a temporary visit. If your residence history is complicated, resolve that question before filing.
- The basis for the case: Colorado requires the marriage to be irretrievably broken for legal separation as well as divorce. Legal separation is not simply a court-approved trial break.
- The result you want: legal separation leaves you married. It can address property, debts and spousal maintenance, but it does not make you free to remarry.
- The other spouse’s position: Colorado law says the court grants a requested legal-separation decree rather than a divorce decree unless the other party objects. Filing a separation petition does not guarantee that separation will remain the outcome if your spouse wants a divorce.
These requirements come from C.R.S. § 14-10-106. If your spouse lives outside Colorado, distinguish the ability to start a Colorado case from the court’s authority to make every requested financial order. An out-of-state spouse is a reason to check jurisdiction, not to invent a Colorado address for the form.
Choose the opening forms by who will sign
The Colorado Judicial Branch’s current filing guide separates joint and individual filings. Both begin with a petition and a case information sheet.
If you are filing together
- JDF 1011, Petition for Divorce or Legal Separation. Select “Legal Separation” and “Marriage” in the case-type section. Both spouses sign, one as petitioner and the other as co-petitioner.
- JDF 1000, Case Information Sheet. Complete the requested party information. The current form has a second signature section for Party Two when filing with Party One.
The state’s joint-filing instructions say to skip the summons, service and response steps. Joint filing means both spouses join the opening petition. It does not, by itself, tell the court how you want to divide every asset or debt.
If one spouse is filing individually
- JDF 1011, Petition for Divorce or Legal Separation. The filing spouse signs as petitioner; the other spouse is the respondent.
- JDF 1000, Case Information Sheet.
- JDF 1012, Summons. The state instructions say to complete the caption only.
After filing, follow the service instructions. An amicable relationship does not remove this step from an individually filed case. If the respondent voluntarily accepts the papers, JDF 1013, Waiver of Service, is the relevant divorce/separation form. It expressly says accepting service is not agreement with the petition’s facts or requests. Otherwise, use the court’s formal-service process and file the required proof.
The current summons gives a respondent served in Colorado 21 days to respond, or 35 days when served outside Colorado or notified by publication. The waiver form contains its own response instruction. Read the document actually received and the court’s orders rather than assuming that a cooperative spouse can ignore the response.
Where Denver’s DEN 1 fits
Denver publishes DEN 1, Petition for Divorce or Legal Separation without Children, on its local forms page. The current DEN 1 includes the legal-separation checkbox, pregnancy and emancipation questions, and signature spaces for the petitioner and a co-petitioner.
DEN 1 addresses the petition portion of a Denver no-children case. It is not a complete case packet, and the local forms page does not instruct everyone to file it in addition to JDF 1011. Before submitting two petitions, ask Denver’s Self-Help Center which version to use for your filing. The court also makes clear that its DEN forms are for Denver District Court only, not neighboring counties.
Download forms from their current court pages. Older search results and third-party checklists still refer to JDF 1101 and JDF 1102; the current statewide opening instructions point to JDF 1011 and JDF 1012.
Gather the information the petition actually asks for
A useful preparation folder contains more than names and a marriage date. Work through these items before signing:
- Names and party roles: keep the same petitioner and respondent/co-petitioner labels throughout the case. Do not switch them just because the other spouse prepares a later form.
- Addresses and residence dates: collect current residential and mailing information and each spouse’s Colorado residence history. If a spouse has never lived in Colorado, report that accurately and ask the Self-Help Center how to enter it in the available fields.
- Relationship information: the date and place of marriage and the date of separation requested by the form.
- Other proceedings: court names, case numbers and relevant dates for other cases involving the parties, including protection-order matters. Answer the form’s specific five-year protection-order question.
- Public benefits: information needed to answer the petition’s question about Human Services or Social Services benefits or services during the last five years.
- Requested orders: whether you are asking for maintenance, fees or other relief. This deserves attention before signing; it is not just a contact-information page.
For a new case, do not create your own case number or guess a division. Use the court-assigned information once the case is opened, and keep a copy of every filed document.
JDF 1000 is marked “Document Security: Sealed” and asks for personal identifiers. Keep that information in the designated form rather than repeating it throughout public-facing attachments. If sharing an address creates a safety concern, ask about address-confidentiality procedures before filing.
Also read the automatic temporary injunction in the petition. It restricts certain property transfers and insurance changes and prohibits disturbing the other spouse’s peace. Filing is not permission to empty an account or cancel coverage. The petition explains when its restrictions begin for the filer; the summons explains the respondent’s obligations.
Plan your Denver filing visit or online submission
Self-represented spouses can use Colorado Courts E-Filing or file with the district court as described in the statewide instructions. For an in-person Denver filing, separate these two stops:
- Room 281: Denver District Court Pro Se/Self-Help Center. Denver’s local forms page asks filers to stop here for a completeness review. Staff can review forms and explain court procedures. The center lists 303-606-2442 and 02SelfHelp@judicial.state.co.us.
- Room 256: the civil/domestic clerk’s office. This is the filing location listed for the City and County Building.
The District Court Self-Help Center lists weekday hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with occasional variations. Check the current page and court closures before traveling. A completeness review is useful, but it is not a ruling that your requested agreement is fair, enforceable or ready for a decree.
As checked in November 2026, the official fee list shows $260 for a divorce or legal-separation petition and $146 for a response. These court fees are separate from document-preparation charges, service costs and any applicable electronic-filing charges. Budget according to your actual filing route rather than an older $230 petition figure.
If you need fee relief, review JDF 205 and JDF 206 and the current fee-waiver instructions. JDF 206 is the proposed order, not a second financial affidavit. The current waiver page says online fee-waiver submission is available only for responses to eviction cases; other waiver requests must be filed in person or by mail. Plan that route before trying to start a domestic case entirely online.
Prepare two financial sets: one to file, one to exchange
The opening petition is only the start of the paperwork. The court’s family-case process page tells each spouse to file financial forms within 42 days after filing or receiving the petition. Rule 16.2 generally requires the financial-document exchange within 42 days after service, and before the initial status conference to the extent reasonably possible. Read the Case Management Order immediately and put the applicable dates on a calendar.
The forms for the court
Under the ordinary disclosure process, each spouse completes and files their own:
- JDF 1111, Sworn Financial Statement.
- JDF 1111SS, Supporting Schedules for Assets, when needed.
- JDF 1104, Certificate of Compliance with Mandatory Financial Disclosures.
Exchange the financial statement and any schedules with the other spouse as well. The certificate reports what you actually provided. The current JDF 1104 distinguishes documents filed with the court from documents sent only to the other party, and provides space to explain missing or inapplicable items. Do not check a box for records you have not supplied.
Denver also publishes DEN 3, Simplified Sworn Financial Statement. Ask whether that local form is appropriate for your case instead of assuming “simplified” means fewer financial duties. DEN 3 still asks about income, expenses, debts and assets, including bank accounts and retirement funds, and requires updates when information changes before final orders.
The records to exchange
Use JDF 1125, Mandatory Disclosure (Form 35.1), as the full checklist. For a no-children marriage case, start gathering:
- The last three years of personal tax returns, including schedules and supporting tax documents, and applicable business returns.
- Personal financial statements and loan applications from the required three-year period, plus applicable business financial records.
- Current bank, investment and retirement records, including required retirement-plan information.
- Real-estate title and value documents and current debt records showing balances and payment terms.
- Income records and insurance documents showing coverage, beneficiaries, costs and payment schedules.
These supporting records generally go to the other spouse, not into the court file, unless the court orders otherwise. Keep an organized copy and a record of what you sent and when. An agreement to keep separate accounts does not eliminate the need to identify those accounts.
Can you waive the document exchange?
There is a limited option under Rule 16.2(e)(11) and JDF 1372. Both parties must satisfy the requirements and each must file the affidavit. Conditions address pregnancy and children, maintenance, marital-asset equity below $100,000 excluding the marital residence, combined debt below $50,000 excluding that residence’s mortgage, and limits concerning separate property, pensions and trusts. Read every condition; “we agree” is not the eligibility test.
The sworn financial statement remains mandatory. This option limits the supporting-document exchange. Either spouse can withdraw consent, and the court can require full disclosure. Do not use the word “waiver” as a reason to leave all financial paperwork out.
Know what Denver’s first conference will, and will not, finish
After filing, expect procedural directions and an Initial Status Conference. Colorado’s guide says the conference will be scheduled within 42 days of filing. It is an early case-management meeting, not a promise of a final decree within 42 days.
Denver’s local DEN 2, Notice of Initial Status Conference, identifies the date, time, assigned courtroom and whether the conference is in person or by phone. It says the court will call the parties for a phone conference. Follow your actual notice rather than assuming every Denver conference uses the same video link or format.
Bring or have ready the Case Management Order, your filed papers, service information if applicable, financial forms and a list of unresolved questions. Useful questions include whether DEN 3 or the statewide financial statement is appropriate, which final documents your division requires, and what remains before the case can be submitted for a decree.
Make the agreement match the financial picture
A legal-separation petition requests a court case. A property agreement explains the proposed division. A decree is the court’s final status order. Keep those purposes separate when assembling your papers.
JDF 1115, Property and Financial Agreement, directs you to include the items from your financial statement. Denver also offers DEN 4, Simplified Separation Agreement. Both provide ways to identify whether agreement is full, partial or absent.
Read any preprinted obligations before signing. For example, DEN 4 includes a provision about signing over vehicle titles within 30 days after executing the agreement. A shorter form can still contain commitments that need practical planning.
If you have already divided belongings or opened separate accounts, describe the arrangement consistently across the documents. “We already decided who keeps it” is different from “the asset does not exist.” The statewide agreement also warns that assigning a debt to one spouse does not require a lender to release the other spouse from liability.
For a fully agreed case, ask about JDF 1018, Affidavit for Decree without Appearance, and the required final-order forms. Eligibility to request a decree without appearing does not cancel a scheduled event unless the court directs otherwise.
There is also a separate 91-day minimum before a decree can enter. For joint filing, the state guide measures it from filing together; for individual filing, service or a signed service waiver matters. The statute measures the period from the court’s acquisition of jurisdiction over the respondent. The date you moved apart does not start this court waiting period, and reaching day 91 does not automatically finish the case.
Your final preparation check
- Confirm Denver County is a proper filing county and use Denver District Court’s address.
- Choose joint or individual filing based on who will sign the petition.
- Use the current petition version and confirm how DEN 1 fits before filing duplicate petitions.
- Prepare the summons and service plan if filing individually.
- Budget for the correct court fee or prepare a fee-waiver submission using the permitted route.
- Start collecting financial records now, and separate court filings from records exchanged with your spouse.
- Track the Case Management Order, conference notice, financial deadlines and later decree requirements separately.
If you are considering paid preparation, review GetDivorcePapers’ Colorado legal-separation document-preparation service and confirm the forms and instructions included for your circumstances. Prepared documents still need to be checked against the current Denver instructions, filed through the appropriate court process and completed through a court-entered decree.
