No-Fault Divorce in Colorado
State-specific overview · Family Law
Colorado grants no-fault divorce based on irretrievable breakdown with no waiting period after filing.
How Colorado treats No-Fault Divorce
Colorado recognizes irretrievable breakdown of the marriage as the sole ground for divorce, eliminating any requirement to prove fault. Either spouse can file, and the court grants the divorce once it finds the marriage is irretrievably broken. Colorado does not impose a mandatory waiting or cooling-off period between filing and final decree. The process is streamlined compared to fault-based states, making divorce accessible without allegations of misconduct.
The general definition of No-Fault Divorce
A divorce granted without requiring either spouse to prove wrongdoing by the other.
A no-fault divorce is a divorce where neither spouse has to prove that the other did something wrong, like infidelity or abuse. Instead, one or both spouses simply state that the marriage is irretrievably broken or that they have irreconcilable differences. This is the most common type of divorce in the United States today. No-fault divorces are generally faster and less contentious than fault-based divorces because they don't require gathering evidence of misconduct.
Read the full No-Fault Divorce entry →This page is a plain-English reference and is not legal advice. State laws change frequently. For specific situations consult a licensed attorney in Colorado.