Denver Domestic Violence Lawyer

Wolf Law is your primary resource for Colorado domestic abuse information and legal representation.

Colorado domestic abuse cases move quickly in our court systems; they’re pushed through as “fast-track” procedures, and without legal guidance, it’s common for victims and offenders alike to feel misrepresented or kept in the dark.

What you don’t know about Colorado’s domestic violence laws can hurt you. Call 720-479-8574 for a free consultation with a knowledgeable Denver domestic violence attorney.

Aggressive Representation for Colorado Offenders and Victims

Domestic violence cases have far-reaching implications for victims and offenders:

Victims may not feel represented by the police or district attorney in a domestic violence case, especially if the victim doesn’t decide to file charges against the offender. Victims deserve to have their voice heard.
Offenders may not know enough about Colorado’s domestic violence laws to understand the gravity of these offenses. Even minor offenses carry lifelong consequences.

This is why it’s important for alleged offenders, as well as victims, to understand the nature and implications of domestic violence in Colorado.

Wolf Law has managed hundreds of domestic abuse cases—it’s the area of law where we got started. And while we can’t guarantee a particular outcome for a case, we strive to ensure every client gets the help they need, the representation they deserve, and a fair trial.

Call 720-479-8574 for a free consultation with a Denver domestic violence lawyer.

Colorado Domestic Violence Laws

Domestic violence cases are unique in our legal system. Colorado does not have a specific statute detailing domestic violence the same way our criminal code covers physical assault.

Because of this, domestic violence is not considered a standalone offense and is instead tacked on to other criminal charges. In legal terms, this is called a “sentence enhancer” or an “aggravator.”

According to Colorado revised statutes, “domestic violence means an act or threatened act of violence upon a person with whom the actor is or has been involved in an intimate relationship…”

The criminal code also includes acts of violence against the property; municipal ordinance violations against a person, or his or her property (including animals); and especially when the property is used to coerce, control, punish, intimidate, or exact revenge against a person whom the offender has been involved with intimately.

Colorado defines “intimate relationship” in the following way:

“… a relationship between spouses, former spouses, past or present unmarried couples, or persons who are both the parents of the same child regardless of whether the persons have been married or have lived together at any time.”

Understanding how Colorado defines domestic violence terms will help offenders and victims know what steps to take following a domestic incident.

domestic violence lawyer in Denver, Colorado

Immediate Arrests in Domestic Violence Cases

Colorado enforces a mandatory arrest law in domestic violence cases. This means if the police get called to a residence and they determine probable cause, someone is going to jail.

A minor domestic incident can quickly escalate to serious domestic abuse charges.

For example, if a harassment charge is alleged by a victim, and it’s found the victim and offender were involved in an intimate relationship (past or present), law enforcement is required to make an immediate arrest to ensure the continued safety of the alleger, as well as the safety of other occupants in a home.

There are no “take backs” with regards to domestic violence allegations.

Once a domestic violence incident has been charged there’s no avoiding certain immediate, legal repercussions:

Law enforcement must arrest an offender if they feel there is probable cause that a confrontation involved domestic violence.
Offenders will be taken to jail and may be required to spend the night there; offenders remain in jail until a judge can set a bond amount.
A domestic violence case can’t be dismissed if the accuser doesn’t want to press charges; instead, the prosecuting agency must declare to the court under oath that he or she can’t prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.

If you’ve been involved in a domestic abuse incident and you’re not sure what to do, call Wolf Law at 720-479-8574.

Facts About Domestic Violence in Colorado

Accusations of domestic violence are not rare in Colorado. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), the frequency and severity of domestic abuse can vary dramatically.

Here are some quick facts every Colorado resident should know:

According to the 2024 comprehensive report from the Colorado Domestic Violence
Fatality Review Board, 58 individuals lost their lives due to domestic violence incidents in Colorado. This marks a decrease from the previous year’s record high of 94 fatalities in 2022.
Three of the 47 cases that resulted in 58 domestic violence fatalities in 2023 involved at least one teenager with perpetrators as young as 15 and one victim as young as 14.
A similar 2023 report points out that the majority of domestic violence victims are female, while perpetrators are predominantly male.
Firearms continue to be the most common cause of death in domestic violence fatalities.
A recent 2024 report indicates that domestic violence cases are increasing in Denver and are likely underreported, with approximately 1,600 cases going unreported since 2015.
More than 300,000 people in Colorado are stalked during their lifetime.
1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men in the U.S. have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner.
The presence of a gun in the home during a domestic violence incident increases the risk of homicide by at least 500%.
Nearly 80% of Colorado domestic abuse programs lack important resources to serve victims and their families.

Share these facts about domestic violence with friends and family, and learn to recognize common signs of domestic abuse.

Common signs of domestic violence include:

Bruising or injuries that may have been caused by choking, punching, or being thrown; black eyes and sprained wrists are common injuries suffered by victims
Attempting to hide injuries with clothing or makeup
Making excuses for the cause of injuries; repeatedly blaming injuries on clumsy behavior
Having few friends or purposefully avoiding social interactions with coworkers or family
Having to ask for permission to meet or talk with other people
Having little or no money, no credit cards, and/or limited access to a car

Most relationships go through rough patches, and even happy couples argue now and then. Domestic violence is not a disagreement. Domestic violence is a pattern of abuse used to control the behavior of another.

Signs of domestic abuse can be shadowy, especially domestic abuse against men. If you or a loved one needs help getting out of an abusive relationship, contact the Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV) for relief.

CCADV works with a network of advocacy programs throughout Colorado to aid appropriate and comprehensive responses to family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence. If you’re a victim of domestic abuse, the next call you should make is to Wolf Law.

If you’ve been charged with domestic violence, you need Wolf Law. If convicted of domestic violence, significant federally mandated restrictions and provisions related to gun ownership, security clearances, government employment, military service, and even deportation will follow.

If you have any questions related to domestic abuse, we want to hear from you.

Call Wolf Law at 720-479-8574 for a free, confidential consultation with a Denver domestic violence lawyer or contact us online.

At Wolf Law we handle a lot of domestic violence cases; they are some of the most prevalent in our system. People get charged with domestic violence all the time, and they often need to have an attorney because domestic violence can be very different from most other cases. Some of the ways they’re different is you need to understand that if you are being investigated for, or charged with a misdemeanor or felony domestic violence case, you will be required to spend a night in jail. That’s because the law says that your bond has to be set by a judge in person. So, there are a lot of attorneys out there that tell people they don’t have to go to jail, or they’ll make it so they don’t have to go to jail; they’re wrong! They don’t know what they are talking about. You need to be prepared for that, your attorney needs to be able to help you prepare for that. Another way domestic violence cases are different is that you can’t just expect that if your wife, girlfriend or even a former partner, wants this case dismissed and says it didn’t happen, that the case is going to go away. The law has taken that decision out of their hands. They’ve put it in the hands of the prosecutor, only the prosecutor whether it is a city attorney, district attorney, or any other type of prosecuting agency; they are the only ones that can dismiss a case. They have to be able to stand up in court, under oath and tell a judge that they cannot prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt that is the only way for a case to be dismissed. Another large, large difference in domestic violence cases is that unlike any other case, you can have your prior criminal episodes, prior charges, prior dismissed cases or even allegations when you were never charged or put into the court system can be brought in and used against you. Also, and important to remember is that any domestic violence conviction will trigger the Lautenberg Amendment, a federal law stating that you can never possess a firearm ever again. Your gun rights can be implicated for the rest of your life on a domestic violence conviction. You need to speak with an attorney prior to making any decisions on these cases, because the consequences can be felt for the rest of your life. The reason that I handle so many domestic violence cases is that is where my career started. When I was a public defender at the very beginning of my career the court room I worked in handled all domestic violence cases, all day. Every type of charge you can imagine under the domestic violence statutes are cases I started my career handling. I can’t guarantee an outcome for any of my future clients, but what I can tell you is, is that with my experience in domestic violence, if there is a way out I will find it.

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Best possible outcome!

I was facing felony assault charges for an altercation I got into and needed an attorney. It was self defense but the DA was not seeing it that way. After calling around I found Wolf law and spoke with Colleen Kelley on the phone about my case. From the get go she was very professional and I could tell that she truly cares for her clients and their rights and wants to get the best possible outcome. So many attorneys out there just go through the motions and take peoples money. Colleen is not one of them! She knows the law and knows your rights. She’s very experienced in these types of cases and it showed! We took this case all the way to trial and Colleen was nothing short of exceptional in court! She left no stone unturned and was 110% prepared when my trial date came around. She also did an exceptional job preparing me for trial. I felt very confident going into trial because Colleen was in my corner. Communication was great throughout the whole process. Needless to say we got the result we were looking for and I was found not guilty on all counts. I will forever be grateful to Colleen for her services and I am thankful that I chose her to represent me. If you’re looking for a top notch attorney, pick up the phone and call Colleen!

— Ivan M.

APPRECIATION

I would like to place on record the immense appreciation for Ms Colleen Kelly, Partner at Wolf Law LCC. I had an opportunity as a Solicitor to interact with her on behalf of one of my clients in a DV Matter. Her professionalism and knowledge of law is absolutely outstanding. She is extremely honest and straightforward in her legal advice. She always keeps the interest of the client a priority and safe guards the interest of the client at all times. She is an asset to the legal team and adds value with her expertise and knowledge.

— Nirvikar Singh, Advocate Supreme Court of India

Cares about clients

I’ve had a few attorneys and as most know attorneys mostly care about the money and the payday your case brings them rather than their clients and thats my experience with attorneys.

When I first called Wolf Law they instantly showed their interest in my case and not money. After my initial call to Wolf Law, Jeff Wolf called me back as soon as he had the chance to discuss options and what it would look like if I hired him. He gave great advice and no pressure to use him. That goes along way when looking for an attorney. Jeff and his firm care about their clients and that’s why he will be my attorney moving forward.

— Dylan

DUI Charge Reduced to Reckless Driving

I approached Mr. Wolf due to a first-time DUI charge. He was extremely knowledgeable and professional throughout every step of the legal process. As a result of his diligence in court, the charges against me were reduced to reckless driving. I would recommend Mr. Wolf’s services to my friends and family.

— Gina

Sex offender deregistration

Colleen Kelly and her team, supported me and guided me through the process of getting off the registration . I had attempted over the years to do this on my own and at one point hired another attorney to assist me. These efforts were futile, I ended up with unnecessary years ( decades ) of suffering financially, humiliating encounters with personal relationships, landlords, employers, churches and other organizations.
Colleen and team were very professional and knew the steps that I needed to go through to get the job done. I would highly recommend Wolf Law, for their professionalism and caring.

— Alvin

Excellent Representation!

Jeff was with me from Day 1 after getting pulled over for an accused DUI charge. Jeff’s knowledge of the process and responsiveness to my questions, concerns were impressive. His professionalism to me and in court was excellent. Jeff truly made this stressful and emotionally taxing situation 100 times better. I am grateful he was referred to me. I would definitely recommend Jeff if ever faced with a driving-related charge. Jeff will be my first call in the future for any legal counsel (which hopefully, is never again).

— Scott

Wolf Law and Colleen Kelley are Great

Had the chance to work with Colleen Kelley and found her not only to be a great attorney, but also someone who will fight for you! Highly recommend her…

— Tom S.

Case commitment

Thank you! Cassandra helped me through every step of the way. She was extremely flexible and answered anything i could ask. She was the biggest and nicest help I could ask for, on top of being resourceful she got my case done earlier than the state said. I would highly recommend Cassandra to any one she was amazing.

— Kyler A Witt

Deferred Sentence, Sealed Record For Pot Possession

In July of 2009 I was charged with possession of marijuana. I contacted Jeff with Wolf Law and worked with him to find my best options. Jeff was very knowledgeable, honest and professional. He worked quickly and effectively to get me a deferred sentence and ultimately seal the record of this infraction. I also had a prior charge that was many years old that was also a deferred sentence. Jeff worked to seal that record in order help maintain my privacy. I now have used this ability to change my field of work and pass a background check with no infractions visible on my record. My life is moving onward and upward due to the help that was provided by Wolf Law. Thank You Jeff!

— John

Hit and Run Charges

I had multiple charges stacked against me by the CSP office for a questionable “hit and run” in my office parking lot. Jeff reviewed the video evidence and was able to get the charges reduced from 26 points against my driver’s license down to 4. He was also able to get the fines reduced to the minimum amount! Jeff was extremely knowledgeable and helped ease my fears each time we spoke and explained the whole process and what to expect along the way. Thank you, Jeff!

— Jim M.