Custody

If you have recently arrived in Colorado state, and Colorado is not the home state of the child, a federal law called the UCCJEA allows for a person to file for temporary emergency custody in a state other than the home state if:

• the child is present in the state; and
• the child has been abandoned or it is necessary in an emergency to protect the child because the child, a sibling or a parent of the child is subjected to or threatened with mistreatment or abuse.¹

If the child’s home state is Colorado, and you are currently in the middle of a custody proceeding, it may be the case that temporary parental rights and responsibilities orders may issued while the case waits to be resolved through trial or a settlement where a final order will be issued. Please speak to a lawyer who is familiar with Colorado custody laws to find out for sure whether or not this may be available in your county and in your situation. For lawyers, go to our CO Finding a Lawyer page.

For more information, please see Can I get temporary emergency custody? in our general parental kidnapping section.

¹ C.R.S. § 14-13-204(1)