Three years ago, it cost $194 to file for a divorce in Colorado, and now it costs $230.
Filing a lawsuit used to be $156 in the district courts. Today it costs $224, a 43 percent increase.
If someone is sued and wants to file an answer to the complaint in district court, they will pay $158; in 2007, it was $90.
Court fees in Colorado have increased in the past three years, raising concerns for cash-strapped people who have trouble paying for access to justice.
You can ask the judge to waive a fee, but it’s up to the judge’s discretion.
Last week, Mike Russo was told he would have to pay $92 to answer a lawsuit filed against him in Denver County Court by a bank seeking foreclosure on his home.
Russo, 47, can’t afford the court fees because he is having trouble paying his monthly $1,155 mortgage.
“I can barely afford it,” he said. “I am trying to stop a foreclosure and I don’t have the money for this situation. It just kills you.”
Most of the fee increases are going toward a state fund to cover construction of the $258 million Ralph L. Carr Justice Center in downtown Denver.
The center, which is expected to be completed in 2013, will house the state Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, judicial officers and the attorney general’s office.
But Russo thinks the new justice center is a waste of money, given the state of the economy. “We didn’t need a new building,” he said.
Colorado Judicial department spokesman Rob McCallum said the justice center will save taxpayer money in the long run by consolidating all of the court’s offices into one building that is owned by the state.
Currently, many state offices such as the attorney general and attorney regulation counsel are in different leased office buildings.
The old Supreme Court building was outdated and a drain on taxpayers, requiring frequent fixes, including a leaking roof and an air-conditioning system that often broke, McCallum said.
In 2008, the legislature passed a bill approving the fee increase, and it was signed by Gov. Bill Ritter. It is expected to generate $14 million a year.
The increase was largely approved because data shows Colorado ranked in the middle nationally for the cost of the court fees, McCallum said. For divorces, Colorado ranked 20th in the nation for costs; it now ranks 17th. The price of filing a civil suit ranked Colorado 27th in the country; it now ranks 18th.
David Cerullo, who said he lives on a disability check of $674 a month, was having trouble appealing a restraining order in Denver County court last week.
The appeal costs $350, and it costs $200 for a transcript deposit and $50 for copies.
But Cerullo and many other indigent people in Colorado qualify for fee waivers. Cerullo says he wanted to be a good citizen and in the beginning tried to pay the fees. But he quickly realized he couldn’t do it.
Eventually, a district court judge excused him from paying the fees.
A judge always has the discretion to waive fees if someone can’t afford to handle their court business, McCallum said.
“Nothing prohibits you from motioning the court,” he said. “The judge will take that under consideration.”
Felisa Cardona: 303-954-1219 or fcardona@denverpost.com
