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 statutory floor
Start with the constraint. 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.
Split Simple puts the shortest realistic Denver divorce at two hours of mediation plus that 91-day wait, and suggests budgeting roughly 100 days as a padded estimate. Split Simple works through the arithmetic on how long does it take to get a divorce in Colorado and answers related timing questions on its Denver divorce mediation FAQs.
So the honest framing is: mediation does not shorten your divorce below 91 days. What it can compress is everything that happens before the clock starts, which in a litigated case is often where most of the months go.
The part you control: getting to agreement
Under Split Simple's model this stage is measured in sessions rather than months:
- Consultation and scheduling. A free phone consultation with your mediator, separately for each spouse, to settle on the fixed pricing plan that matches your divorce. Then the first session is booked at a location and time that works for both of you.
- Mediation preparation. Split Simple sends a Critical Mediation Checklist covering the topics and documents you need, plus a Financial Questionnaire. Your mediator uses the questionnaire to prepare a preliminary analysis of your estate in advance, which the firm says cuts up to an hour off session time.
- Mediation session or sessions. Two-hour sessions facilitated by your attorney-mediator, covering allocation of assets and debts and, where relevant, parenting plan options. The working spreadsheet is projected on a large screen so you watch every number change in real time. Your mediator also produces an estimated post-divorce after-tax cash flow reflecting your new filing status and support plan.
- Mediation replay. After each session you receive the proposed asset and debt allocation plus a written summary of what was discussed and tentatively agreed. Your mediator stays available between sessions.
- Review. Your mediator drafts a Separation Agreement and, where applicable, a Parenting Plan, along with the court documents - written to be readable rather than in legalese. You go through all of it with the mediator before you sign anything.
- Your guarantee. You leave the final review session with everything needed to finalize, and with Split Simple's Guaranteed Court Acceptance: if the judge does not accept the documents, there are no further charges to get to court approval.
A Basic plan is one two-hour session. Standard is two. Premium is three. Add the pre-session questionnaire, a gap between sessions for reflection, and the final review, and a straightforward case can be document-ready in weeks rather than seasons.
A worked schedule
| Stage | Typical elapsed time | Who controls it |
|---|---|---|
| Free phone consultation, each spouse | Days | You - scheduling only |
| Checklist and Financial Questionnaire completed | Days to weeks | You - this is the usual bottleneck |
| Mediation session(s) | Two hours each, one to three sessions | Shared - depends on the plan and how far apart you are |
| Drafting and final review session | Included in the plan | The mediator |
| Filing, then the statutory wait | Minimum 91 days | Nobody - this is fixed by Colorado law |
Note where the bottleneck sits. The most common cause of a slow mediated divorce is not the mediator and not the court — it is the questionnaire sitting unfinished on somebody's kitchen table. Preparing for your mediation session is the page to read early, not late.
What lengthens a case
- Incomplete financial disclosure. Missing account statements stall allocation.
- A contested parenting plan. Usually the longest conversation in the room — see parenting plans.
- Retirement account division. Has its own mechanics; see retirement accounts.
- Documents the court sends back. Covered by the Guaranteed Court Acceptance at Split Simple, but it still costs calendar time.
- Scheduling. Two working spouses and one mediator - see working with your schedule and remote mediation.
Cost, mapped to the same schedule
| 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.
Because pricing is fixed per spouse rather than hourly, a longer calendar does not automatically mean a larger bill. That is the practical difference from an hourly engagement, and the reasoning is on the value of your time.