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Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: 303.837.0757

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Aspen, Colorado 81611
Phone: 970.920.3150

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Centennial, Colorado 80112
Phone: 303.837.0757

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Colorado Family Law Decision Making

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While most states consider child custody to be all inclusive, Colorado has divided parental responsibilities, also called Allocation of Parental Responsibility (APR), and parenting time into two distinct aspects. Decision making, or the allocation of parental responsibilities, deals with how major decisions regarding a minor child will be made.

The allocation of parental responsibilities can be awarded to one parent solely or both parties jointly, depending on the particular facts and circumstances of each individual case. The manner in which parental responsibilities are allocated is not always directly related to the amount of parenting time each parent spends with the child.

The parental responsibilities which are most commonly allocated are education, religion, and medical/dental welfare. However, many other parental responsibilities may be allocated between the parents. Day to day decisions such as hygiene, play dates and discipline are most commonly determined by the parent who is physically caring for the child at the time of the decision.

Consult Our Denver Divorce Lawyer

Allocating parental responsibilities in Colorado can be a complex determination based on case specific facts and circumstances. Although the Courts generally prefer that parents jointly decide all major decisions in their child’s life, there are circumstances which warrant the sole allocation of certain decisions to a particular parent. At Litvak Litvak Mehrtens and Epstein, P.C., we have extensive experience in all aspects of the allocation of parental responsibilities.