Colorado does have a twenty year statute of limitations for past due child support. Once an order has been entered by a judge for payment of child support, the time begins to run. Twenty years is a very long time for a statute of limitations; it’s an entire generation. Many family law attorneys overlook this statute of limitations because it’s complicated, hard to find, and difficult to apply. 

The family law statutes in Colorado do not contain a statute of limitations for past due child support which is why it is often overlooked by family law attorneys. But whenever a family law judge or juvenile court enters an order for child support, that order automatically becomes an enforceable “judgment.”   That’s often good news because the judgement gives the parent entitled to child support many collection procedures not otherwise available.  But there is also some bad news because there is a statute of limitations for “judgments” and that statue is twenty years. 

How the statute of limitations works is even more complicated. After twenty years of non-payment the entire back due child support is not wiped out or erased, only the portion that is twenty years past due is barred. The portion of child support that nineteen years past due remains collectable. It’s complicated which is why have a good family law attorney like Divorce Matters on your side is helpful.

Colorado does not solely rely on the State Child Support Enforcement Agency to collect past due amounts. For past due child support, private attorneys and collection agencies are permitted to pursue and collect past amounts. Family law attorneys, including Divorce Matters, can pursue past due child support on a percentage or contingency basis. This means the attorneys will pursue the past due child support without any retainer and the attorneys will get paid only if they collect.

Twenty years is a long time and often the parent who was irresponsible and failed to pay court ordered child support becomes a responsible and productive member of society. In Colorado, you can purse that past due support for at least twenty years.