Tools for Denver Child and Family Investigators, Therapists and Mediators

A co-parenting app and case tools you can recommend to the Denver families you work with, whether you serve as a child and family investigator, a therapist, or a mediator. Messaging between co-parents is free for both parents, and every message is time-stamped and tamper-evident.

Families in Denver who end up in the Denver District Court rarely arrive at a mediation, a therapy session, or a home visit with their records in order. FamilyCourtHelp.com is a self-help platform built for those parents. Below is what it does for them, what it means for you as a child and family investigator, therapist, or mediator, and what to know about family court in Denver.

Colorado uses its own words, "parental responsibilities" where many states say custody and "parenting time" where they say visitation, and the tools follow Colorado's terms so the papers parents bring you read the way the court reads them.

Area covered: Denver County.

Court for custody cases: Denver District Court (2nd Judicial District).

Appointed for the child: Child and family investigator (CFI) or child's legal representative (CLR).

Custody mediation: Often ordered by the judge (Office of Dispute Resolution, Colorado Judicial Branch).

Parenting coordinators: Set by state law or court rule (C.R.S. 14-10-128.1; C.R.S. 14-10-128.3).

Parenting class: Depends on the county or judge (Parenting after Divorce class).

State family law: Colorado Revised Statutes Title 14 - Domestic Matters.

What Colorado calls custody: parental responsibilities.

Co-parent messaging (Free): One time-stamped, tamper-evident thread, free for both parents, with a Tone Meter that offers calmer rewrites.

Invite a professional into the conversation (Free): A parent can add a guardian ad litem or mediator to the co-parent conversation with a single-use link.

Parenting plan, built and shared (Free to build): Parents draft a parenting plan and can share it with you to read and comment on.

Verify a chat export (Free): Check that an exported message record (the JSON file) has not been changed. No account needed.

Court-Grade Journal (Paid plan): A dated, no-delete journal; a parent can send you a packet of chosen entries.

Expense Tracker (Paid plan): Shared child costs with receipts; a parent can give you a view-only look.

Parents can create an account and message their co-parent for free, with no credit card. Building a parenting plan is free; sharing, downloading, and printing it, and the tools marked as a paid plan, are part of a monthly plan a parent can start and stop.

For child and family investigators in Denver

In Colorado, the court can appoint a child and family investigator in a custody case. What the role involves is in the FAQ below.

On FamilyCourtHelp.com you see what a parent chooses to share. A parent can invite you into the co-parent conversation with a single-use link, which you accept with your own free account; from there you can read the thread, post in it, and review the shared calendar's requests and approvals. A parent can also share the parenting plan with you to read and comment on.

The invitation a parent sends is labeled Guardian ad Litem, the title most states use. It works the same if you serve as a child and family investigator in Denver.

For therapists and counselors in Denver

Court-involved and reunification therapists, co-parenting counselors, and custody evaluators in Denver do not get an account view here, and that is deliberate: each parent keeps their own record and chooses what to bring you. The free messenger keeps the week's facts in one time-stamped thread, and its Tone Meter flags a heated message and suggests a calmer one before it is sent.

For mediators and parenting coordinators in Denver

In Colorado, custody mediation is often ordered by the judge. Parenting coordinators are set by state law or court rule (C.R.S. 14-10-128.1; C.R.S. 14-10-128.3). The details are in the FAQ below.

Sessions in Denver start further along when the draft is already on the table. Parents can share their parenting plan with you to read and comment on, and invite you into their conversation with a single-use link. Agreements then live in one time-stamped thread, and every schedule change is a request on the shared calendar that the other parent approves or declines.

Parenting coordinators can be added to a shared plan as a viewer who reads and comments.

Family court programs in Denver

Custody cases in Denver are heard in the Denver District Court. The court-connected programs below were checked against official sources.

Office of Dispute Resolution (ODR): The court system's own mediation office, based in Denver, with contract mediators for domestic relations cases. Parents pay an hourly fee.

Family Court Facilitators: Court staff who manage family cases, hold status conferences, explain the steps, and point parents to ways to resolve issues. The court lists contacts by district.

If you searched for a child and family investigator, a family therapist, or a custody mediator in Denver, the court that has your case, the order in it, or your lawyer is the place to find who is appointed or approved. This site does not appoint professionals or refer you to one. What you can do here is come prepared: keep every message with your co-parent in one time-stamped thread, write down what happened with dates while it is fresh, and work on a parenting plan before the meeting.

Free help for parents in Denver: the court help desks and legal aid offices below were checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

Denver: Denver District Court Pro Se/Self-Help Center, (303) 606-2442. Denver court center helps people without a lawyer with divorce, custody, and other family case paperwork.

Denver legal aid: Colorado Legal Services, (303) 837-1313.

FamilyCourtHelp.com is a self-help platform, not a law firm and not a court, and nothing on this page is legal, clinical, or mediation advice. Court rules and local programs change, so confirm anything that matters for a case with the court, the order that appointed you, or the program itself.

Frequently asked questions

Where are custody cases heard in Denver?

Denver District Court hears divorce, legal separation, and allocation of parental responsibilities (custody) cases for Denver residents.

Is there a court mediation program in Denver?

Yes. Families with a case in the local court can use the Office of Dispute Resolution (ODR). What it offers, and the official link, are in the family court programs section above.

Where can parents in Denver get free help with a family court case?

Free court help for parents without a lawyer: Denver District Court Pro Se/Self-Help Center. Free legal aid: Colorado Legal Services. Phone numbers and links are in the parents section above, checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

How can parents prepare for custody mediation in Denver?

Bring the family calendar, a draft parenting plan, a list of the issues still open, and a list of shared costs with receipts. Parents can put all of that together on FamilyCourtHelp.com before the first session. Families with a case in the local court can ask about the Office of Dispute Resolution (ODR).

What does a child and family investigator do in a Denver custody case?

In Colorado custody cases the court can appoint a child and family investigator, who looks into the family and writes a report with recommendations. The court can also appoint a child's legal representative, a lawyer for the child's best interests who files papers but does not write a report. You may also see "CFI", "child's legal representative" and "parental responsibilities evaluator". The rule is in C.R.S. 14-10-116.5 (CFI); C.R.S. 14-10-116 (CLR). This is general information, not legal advice; the order in the case controls.

Is custody mediation required in Colorado?

Colorado courts can send any case to mediation, and many judicial districts require it before a contested custody hearing. Parents can use a private mediator or the court system's Office of Dispute Resolution, which charges by the hour.

Does Colorado use parenting coordinators?

Colorado law lets the court appoint a parenting coordinator, a neutral person who helps parents settle disputes about the parenting plan. With both parents' written consent, the court can also appoint a decision-maker whose rulings on those disputes are binding.

Do parents in Colorado have to take a parenting class?

Colorado law lets courts order parents to take a parenting class. Most judicial districts require an approved class for parents with minor children in divorce, legal separation, or custody cases, paid directly to the class provider.