Denver Child Support Attorney

40 Years of Family Law, Applied to Every Child Support Matter

Child support matters rarely fit a simple template. Whether you’re establishing support for the first time, seeking a modification after a job change, or trying to enforce an order that isn’t being followed, the financial and emotional stakes are real. I’m Stephan Uslan, and I’ve practiced family law exclusively for over 40 years. That singular focus means every child support matter I handle receives the attention of an attorney whose entire career has been devoted to exactly these cases.

My background includes both a law degree and a degree in social work, a combination that shapes how I approach support disputes. Child support calculations are financial, but the conflicts that drive them rarely are. When parenting time disagreements, income disputes, and co-parenting tension converge, that dual perspective helps me address what the court needs to see and what my clients actually need to hear. I handle cases in Denver District Court, Arapahoe County, and Boulder County, working with both parents seeking support and parents who need accurate figures established before an order is entered.

My role extends beyond calculating a number. It includes preparing financial documentation, advocating for accurate income characterization, and representing your interests through hearings or settlement conferences. Most parents seeking help are in one of three situations: establishing support for the first time, seeking a modification, or pursuing enforcement of an existing order.

If you have questions about establishing, modifying, or enforcing child support, call (303) 900-5346 to schedule a consultation.

How Colorado Calculates Child Support

Colorado follows the Income Share Model, governed by CRS 14-10-115. Rather than applying a flat percentage of one parent’s income, this model estimates what both parents together would have spent on the child had the household remained intact, then apportions that obligation based on each parent’s share of combined monthly gross income. The number of children and the number of overnights each parent has with the child are primary variables in the calculation. More overnights with the non-custodial parent generally reduce that parent’s obligation because direct spending during parenting time replaces some of the transfer payment.

Under the updated guidelines effective March 1, 2026, the schedule applies to combined monthly gross income up to $40,000. Above that threshold, the court determines support based on the child’s reasonable needs and the standard of living the child would have enjoyed, making accurate income documentation especially important. Adjusted gross income for child support purposes differs from taxable AGI: mandatory retirement contributions, maintenance paid, and child support obligations for other children can all affect the starting figure. The guidelines also account for each parent’s contributions to health insurance premiums and childcare costs, and whether either parent is paying or receiving maintenance.

As a child support attorney in Denver familiar with complex financial situations, I regularly help clients gather pay records, business documents, and evidence of child-related costs. Income characterization disputes involving business earnings, investment returns, and deferred compensation require careful preparation, and getting those figures right before a hearing can be far easier than correcting them afterward.

What Child Support Covers in Denver

Child support is designed to provide for a child’s necessities: food, clothing, medical care, transportation, and education. When one parent has primary residence, that parent typically incurs more daily expenses, and the support payment from the other parent is intended to offset that imbalance. A well-structured order goes beyond basic necessities and addresses educational and extracurricular expenses, medical and dental care, childcare, and any special needs the child has.

I help parents think through practical recurring costs: who pays for after-school programs, how health insurance premiums are divided, and how transportation between homes across the Denver metro area is handled. When these details are worked out in the order itself, it tends to reduce the frequency of future disputes. Custody arrangements affect these calculations directly, and I work to make sure the order issued by the court is one that functions in real life, not just on paper.

Local Courts & the Denver Child Support Process

Child support cases in Denver are typically handled by the Denver District Court or the district court in the county where the custodial parent resides. Each court has its own procedural requirements for financial disclosure and parenting time documentation, and a magistrate may hear child support matters depending on the case.

A great deal of what determines the outcome is decided before a single hearing is held at the Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse or another district courthouse in the area. I help clients organize financial affidavits, parenting time records, and correspondence with Child Support Services so that judges and magistrates have a clear picture of the family’s circumstances. That preparation also makes it easier to negotiate realistic solutions in settlement conferences outside the courtroom.

Working with a Denver Child Support Lawyer

When I take on a new child support matter, I begin by listening to your goals, your concerns about your children, and any history of conflict with the other parent. From there, I explain how Colorado law is likely to apply to your specific circumstances and what to expect at each stage, whether we’re filing in Denver District Court, Arapahoe County, or Boulder County.

Because of my background in both law and social work, I pay close attention to the emotional dynamics that often drive child support disputes, particularly when they overlap with custody or parenting time disagreements. I work with you to gather the financial and parenting information the court will need, explore settlement options that can keep you out of repeated hearings, and prepare thoroughly when a hearing is necessary. My goal is to help you make informed decisions about your children’s stability and your long-term financial position, with a process that stays as clear and manageable as I can make it.

Call (303) 900-5346 to discuss your child support matter. You can also reach me by filling out the online contact form.