In former days, parents and even their adult children could ask for a court order requiring a parent to contribute to the cost of the child's college education. With modern changes in Colorado law, however, these orders are going to become more unlikely.
Under the current laws, parents do not have a legal obligation to provide any money for a child's college education. However, the law still allows them to agree to do so. If they do so agree, then the promise to provide a college education can and will be enforced by Colorado's family law courts.
While it is not treated the same as child support, covering a college education can be very important for parents who see the value of their children pursuing post-secondary learning.
As such, college expenses may be an ideal topic to discuss in the context of a collaborative law divorce or, for that matter, any other child support proceeding.
As this blog has discussed on previous occasions, the beauty of collaborative law is that the focus is on getting the best result for one's family even if two parents are no longer going to be living together. Even if it is not strictly required, many parents will see that agreeing to cover college expenses is what is best for their children and even themselves. Parents in the Denver area may therefore be willing to discuss this issue and negotiate a solution rather than standing on their rights before a judge.
Since they will likely be binding, it is important that both parents understand exactly what their responsibilities and rights are before agreeing to pay college expenses. Attorneys with experience in collaborative law can prove very helpful in this respect.
Tags: Collaborative Law
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