Privacy may not be at the forefront of one’s concerns as they travel through a Family Law case in the Colorado Court System, but it will come to your attention at some point during the proceeding. While children concerns and financial security concerns will be at the top of your list, you will also worry about the fact that the public can look at the official record of the case.
At the outset, it is important to know that the Colorado E-File System does take some precautions on its own, such as suppressing important financial information and children’s social security numbers. Moreover, the Courts will also suppress any expert reports as it relates to children issues.
However, in cases that encompass grave allegations surrounding the children or critical business financial information, we will also take the extra step of filing a motion or entering into a Stipulation that further limits the public’s access to your official case file.
We will inform the Court that the parties believe it is important and necessary that both personal and financial information be shielded from public scrutiny and that further, that they are concerned about the risk of identify theft, fraud and protecting the proprietary nature of their assets and business interests. We further state that there is no compelling public interest in their Family Law case or Divorce case that outweighs their need for privacy under the circumstances – that the harm to the parties and children would outweigh any benefit associated with public access to the information. This would not apply in the case of a public figure or public official.
We also state that the disclosure of such information to the public could cause the parties’ irreparable harm and adversely affect their interests – such disclosure could be the source of speculation and rumor, or even worse, endanger the children and parties.
Thus, we will take all protective measures that best serve our clients’ interests.
Please contact the Domestic Team at Cantafio & Song PLLC for all of your Family Law needs.