Colorado

Family Law

Family Law

Section 14-5-211 – Continuing, exclusive jurisdiction to modify spousal-support order

(a) A tribunal of this state issuing a spousal-support order consistent with the law of this state has continuing, exclusive jurisdiction to modify the spousal-support order throughout the existence of the support obligation.
(b) A tribunal of this state may not modify a spousal-support order issued by a tribunal of another state or a foreign country having continuing, exclusive jurisdiction over that order under the law of that state or foreign country.
(c) A tribunal of this state that has continuing, exclusive jurisdiction over a spousal-support order may serve as:

(1) An initiating tribunal to request a tribunal of another state to enforce the spousal-support order issued in this state; or
(2) A responding tribunal to enforce or modify its own spousal-support order.

C.R.S. § 14-5-211

Amended by 2015 Ch. 173,§ 13, eff. 7/1/2015.
L. 2003: Entire section added, p. 1248, § 10, effective July 1, 2004. L. 2015: (b) amended, (HB 15-1198), ch. 173, p. 550, § 13, effective July 1.

OFFICIAL COMMENT

The amendment to subsection (b) ensures that the restriction on modification of an out-of-state spousal-support order extends to a foreign order. At the same time, subsection (b) provides that the question of continuing, exclusive jurisdiction be resolved under the law of the issuing tribunal. Thus, if a foreign spousal- support order were subject to modification in another country by the law of the issuing tribunal, this section would permit modification in a tribunal of this state.

Related to Convention: art. 2. Scope.