Frequently Asked Questions: Licensed Legal Paraprofessionals in Colorado

A licensed legal paraprofessional, often called an LLP, is a legal professional licensed by the Colorado Supreme Court to provide certain legal services in specifically authorized matters within family law. An LLP is not an attorney and does not hold a general license to practice law in Colorado. An LLP has a limited license to practice law in Colorado in family law.

Yes—but only within the LLP’s limited, authorized scope. C.R.C.P. Rule 207.1 expressly allows an LLP to inform, counsel, advise, and assist a client in qualifying matters; advise about court forms; explain documents and orders; negotiate; prepare the client for hearings or depositions; and make arguments and objections during authorized court proceedings. C.R.C.P. 207.1. An LLP cannot provide legal advice or representation outside that scope. An LLP also is not an attorney and does not hold a general Colorado license to practice law.

Yes—within the limits of Colorado Rule of Civil Procedure 207.1. In authorized matters, an LLP may represent a client in court. This can include appearing with the client, addressing the court, examining witnesses, making arguments and objections, and responding to the court’s questions.

No. Attorneys hold a general license to practice law. LLPs have a limited license to practice law that authorizes legal services only in the specific authorized family law matter types and circumstances identified by Rule 207.1. If your case includes an issue outside an LLP’s authorized scope, you may need to consult or retain an attorney for that issue.

An LLP may provide authorized representation in the following Colorado family law matters:

• Dissolution of marriage, legal separation, declaration of invalidity of marriage (annulment), and dissolution of civil union, both before and after entry of a decree.
• Initial and modified allocation of parental responsibilities and parentage cases, subject to limits for certain multi-parentage disputes.
• Establishment or modification of child support and/or maintenance.
• Protection orders, name changes, and adult gender-designation changes.
• Remedial-contempt proceedings under C.R.C.P. 107 that arise within an otherwise authorized representation.

Depending on the matter, an LLP may meet with you to understand your goals; advise you about appropriate court forms and how to complete them; prepare, sign, file, and serve authorized documents; review and explain relevant documents; communicate and negotiate with the other side; attend mediation; prepare settlement documents; prepare for hearings; explain court orders; and represent you at court proceedings within the LLP’s permitted scope, such as fully representing you at a hearing.

Yes. In an authorized matter, an LLP may prepare documents based on court-approved or generally accepted Colorado court forms and templates. Examples may include petitions, financial disclosures, proposed parenting plans, property and financial agreements, “separation agreements,” child-support motions and worksheets, proposed orders, discovery requests and responses, pretrial submissions, and witness and exhibit lists.

Yes. C.R.C.P. Rule 207.1 excludes certain discrete issues from LLP representation. Examples include registration of foreign orders; punitive-contempt matters; disputed common-law marriage; disputed parentage involving more than two parents or alleged parents; Indian Child Welfare Act matters; preparation or litigation of premarital or postmarital agreements; disputes concerning the value of or income from a beneficiary’s trust; jurisdictional disputes; and immigration, criminal, bankruptcy, and retirement-division issues, including drafting QDROs or similar documents. The existence of an issue out of the LLP’s scope issue does not require that the LLP to stop providing authorized services in the rest of the case, if the client wants the LLP’s representation to continue.

The LLP will explain that the issue is outside the LLP’s authorized scope and will advise you that a lawyer should review or handle it. You may retain a lawyer for that issue, retain a lawyer for the entire matter, or represent yourself to address that issue if appropriate.

The existence of an issue out of the LLP’s scope issue does not require that the LLP to stop providing authorized services in the rest of the case, if the client wants the LLP’s representation to continue.

Yes. You may retain both an LLP and an attorney in the same matter. This can be useful when much of the case falls within an LLP’s authorized scope but a discrete, complex, or excluded issue requires an attorney’s advice or representation.

An LLP should discuss the nature of your matter, your objectives, and whether the requested services fall within the LLP’s authorized scope. If your case presents issues beyond that scope or requires legal analysis outside it, the LLP will advise you about the need for a lawyer’s review.

Colorado LLPs are licensed by the Colorado Supreme Court under C.R.C.P. 207.1. To check whether someone is currently practicing as an LLP, please use the following link.

An LLP is authorized to practice law in Colorado but is not a lawyer. LLPs earn licensure, pass bar examinations, pass character and fitness, and must remain in good standing. Within an authorized scope, an LLP may establish a client relationship, give legal information, counseling, and advice; prepare and file qualifying documents; negotiate; and represent a client in court, pursuant to the conditions of C.R.C.P. 207.1.

A paralegal or document preparer cannot provide legal advice, practice law, or represent you in court. These individuals cannot counsel you on what you need to file in order to achieve your legal objectives. You should not assume that a paralegal or document preparer may independently provide the same services unless that person is also a licensed LLP or an attorney.

Colorado does not set a uniform LLP rate. Fees vary by the LLP, the services needed, the case’s complexity, the local market, and whether the engagement agreement is hourly or flat fee. Most LLPs, like attorneys, require a retainer prior to providing services.

LLPs may charge hourly or flat fees, but they may not charge contingency fees, referral fees, or nonrefundable retainers.

LLP-client privilege and attorney-client privilege have the same protections and confidentiality requirements.

No. Appeals to an appellate court are not authorized in the rule’s enumerated LLP scope. A consumer needing an appeal should consult a Colorado attorney. If a post-decree dispute contains an issue outside the LLP’s authorized scope—such as a disputed jurisdictional issue, a contested common-law-marriage issue, or certain trust, business, immigration, criminal, bankruptcy, or retirement-order matters—the client may need to retain an attorney for that issue.

The LLP may assist with post-trial and post-order matters within the LLP’s authorized scope of practice under C.R.C.P. 207.1, including the preparation, filing, and argument of magistrate appeals, motions seeking relief from judgments or orders pursuant to C.R.C.P. 59 and C.R.C.P. 60, as well as other post-judgment or post-decree relief permitted by applicable court rules. The LLP’s representation shall remain subject to all limitations imposed by C.R.C.P. 207.1 and any other applicable law or rule governing LLP practice.

Yes. An LLP’s authority expressly includes filing or responding to motions to modify, motions to enforce, income assignments, garnishments, and motions for remedial contempt under C.R.C.P. 107. But the rule excludes certain discrete issues, including registration of foreign orders and punitive-contempt proceedings.

The same LLP may not represent both sides in the same disputed matter.

Yes.