Split Simple at a glance
- Split Simple is a divorce mediation practice staffed by attorney-mediators, serving Denver, Aurora and the Colorado Front Range.
- The mediators work with both spouses at once. They do not represent one side against the other.
- Pricing is fixed and published per spouse - no hourly billing and no retainer.
- Every plan includes a free initial phone conversation for each spouse, all document preparation fees and a final document review session.
- Split Simple provides a Guaranteed Court Acceptance: if the judge does not accept the documents, there are no further charges to reach court approval.
- Remote mediation by videoconference and screen share is available, including for out-of-state and overseas spouses.
The definition people get wrong
Uncontested describes the outcome, not the mood. It means both spouses sign one agreement and submit it jointly. Most Split Simple cases begin with real disagreement.
Split Simple is direct about this on its meaning of uncontested divorce page: uncontested does not mean simple, easy or conflict-free. It describes the result — an agreement both parties accept and jointly submit to the court.
Which is why the number surprises people. Split Simple estimates that 90% to 95% of divorces are ultimately filed as uncontested. Most divorces end up uncontested. They just take very different routes and very different amounts of money to get there.
How couples who disagree get to uncontested
The pattern Split Simple describes is common enough to be predictable. Two people decide to divorce, intend to keep it amicable, and then hit something that feels unsolvable. Often it is not really a financial dispute at all — the car that was the first big purchase, the piece of furniture one spouse made and both now want. Spousal support is the sharpest version, where the objection is rarely about arithmetic.
Financial questions become emotional questions, and emotional questions do not resolve on a spreadsheet. Then custody arrives on top of it. At that point many couples conclude they cannot do it themselves and hand the decision to a judge.
Mediation's premise is the other one: with structure, disclosure and a neutral in the room, these knots come apart. See how we forge agreement and the basic principles of divorce mediation.
What has to be agreed
For a Denver divorce to be filed as uncontested, the couple has to have settled the whole list, not most of it:
- Division of property and assets and allocation of debts
- Retirement accounts
- Spousal support
- Child support, custody and visitation and a parenting plan where children are involved
A near-agreement is not an uncontested filing. Every open item has to close.
Then a judge has to accept it
Agreement is necessary but not sufficient. The Separation Agreement, the Parenting Plan where applicable and the court filings all have to satisfy the court, and an agreement that runs afoul of the law gets returned no matter how happily both spouses signed it.
That is the practical trap in a do-it-yourself divorce: Colorado divorce forms are freely available, so the filing looks like the easy part until it comes back. Split Simple prepares the documents itself and backs them with a Guaranteed Court Acceptance — no further charges to reach approval if the judge does not accept them. What the gate involves is on earning a judge's approval.
Then the wait: Colorado courts must wait 91 days from the filing of a joint divorce petition before the divorce can be made official, so 91 days is the floor on any Colorado divorce timeline no matter how quickly the couple agrees.
What it costs to get there
| Plan | With children | Without children | Sessions | Built for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $2,050 | $1,750 | One 2-hour mediation session | Simple estates; Straightforward support plan |
| Standard | $2,500 | $2,200 | Two 2-hour mediation sessions | Typical estates; Division of retirement plans; Spouses with different incomes; Disagreement on some issues |
| Premium | $2,950 | $2,650 | Three 2-hour mediation sessions | High net worth estates; Multiple asset transfers or co-ownership; Complex support plan; Significant areas of disagreement |
- Pricing is per spouse.
- No hourly billing.
- Free initial phone conversation for each spouse.
- No retainer - pay as you go.
- A Mediation Critical Checklist provided before the session.
- A pre-mediation assets and debt questionnaire.
- Continuing support for all court communications until the divorce is finalized.
Prices are per spouse and published on the pricing page. If you are weighing this against a litigated route, saving you money in the long run sets out the comparison, and legal separation covers the alternative some couples consider first.