Many divorcing couples in Colorado may choose to live in the same household during the divorce process. Whether for co-parenting, asset division, or saving money, each couple has their own reasons for living together when divorcing.
If you and your spouse need to remain in the same Colorado home and you would like legal advice about the situation, call our team at Jones Law Firm, PC, at 303-799-8155 for a consultation.
Why Would a Divorcing Couple Share a Home?
Many divorcing couples may not have a choice in maintaining a shared home after divorce procedures begin. With a lower household income, plus the costs of divorce and high home prices, many couples simply can’t afford to find a separate living situation.
Some couples living together when divorcing stay in the same home for co-parenting.
Set Ground Rules for the Living Situation
Whatever the reason you and your divorcing spouse decide to both remain in the home, you will want to clearly define ground rules for continuing to live together and raise your children. Some things to consider are:
- Conflict resolution
- Mealtimes
- Division of space within the home
- Caring for pets
- Parental time division
- Privacy and boundaries
Making shared living arrangements during a divorce can be challenging, especially if you also share the home with children or extended family.
Establish Personal Space and a Common Area
Even when couples are getting an amicable divorce, each spouse should have space to call their own, especially separate bedrooms, closets, and relaxation space.
You will still need to share spaces like the kitchen or living room. In any common area, determine whether each of you will have unlimited access or if you’ll create a schedule. You may want to think about:
- Will you share food in the refrigerator and pantry or designate shelves for one person’s groceries?
- Will you set times for when each spouse can use the living room TV, or does only one of you watch it anyway?
- Will you maintain a chore schedule and rotate household responsibilities, or will each person only clean up after themselves? How will you divide cleaning up after your children?
Be sure to also consider electronic privacy issues. If you previously shared computers and accounts, it’s time to separate those and set boundaries about not using each other’s devices. You also will want to reset passwords on your own, separate devices.
Maintain the Home and Consider Bill Payments
Both spouses are responsible for maintaining the home as community members. You and your spouse need to speak earnestly about individual contributions to household income and the responsibilities each has taken throughout occupancy to determine how you will each contribute moving forward.
Additionally, will child support or alimony affect responsibilities to the home and family? Be sure to discuss adjustments in income as influenced by the divorce.
Call Our Experienced Colorado Divorce Lawyers at Jones Law Firm, PC in Denver
Living together when divorcing is common in Colorado. Our divorce lawyers at Jones Law Firm, PC, have seen every kind of divorce arrangement you can imagine. Call us today at 720-513-5983 or contact us online for more information about divorce and family law in Colorado.