Zachary S. Roeling Esq.

I bring a solid track record of experience and effective, no-nonsense and compassionate problem-solving to the practice of family law throughout Colorado, whether your issues concern assets, support or children.

I began my legal career a decade ago at the Mediation & Arbitration Clinic at the University of Denver, which led me to my calling assisting families in need. I have been trained by and worked alongside Colorado's most venerated domestic relations attorneys and mediators for nine years, handling cases from simple to complex, amicable to high-conflict - and I especially enjoy mediating with couples motivated to settle without court involvement. I am heavily involved in the Colorado Bar, serving in several elected roles, and have a reputation built from the ground up.

I have extensive experience with complex assets, including businesses, trust interests, executive compensation, as well as difficult custody and parenting time and other child-related matters. I also negotiate and litigate common law marriage claims. My duty is first and foremost to not just my clients but, if applicable, to their children and the mental health of all family members.

I am a skilled negotiator and understand the psychology of conflict and how to navigate what is often a cesspool of drama created by some attorneys and their clients.

I will bring to your case what you need from me and strive to reach a sensible settlement as soon as possible.

I began YouLaw Colorado in 2022 after growing disillusioned with the lack of innovation and adaptation from the legal industry in a rapidly changing world - economic uncertainty, domestic and geopolitical strife, a global pandemic - you name it. I was consistently surprised by the number of clients who wanted a more efficient, affordable, congenial, collaborative approach, and who preferred mediation over most other options. I was just as surprised at the inability of traditional firms to have options and creative choices for clients to reach their goals with dignity. Popular perceptions of divorce and custody battles in our culture have only aggravated this disconnect. I want to provide you with what you really want and need - and it became apparent that I could only do so by founding a new kind of law firm - one focused not on a lawyer's ego or a pyramid scheme - but on YOU.

I litigate cases and have been recognized for my work in the courtroom. However, I also work extensively with couples seeking to avoid costly litigation prior to filing a case with the courts by using my knowledge of the law, the idiosyncrasies of family practice, and common mistakes to resolve private conflicts in mediation between separating spouses and partners even before they file any papers with the court. I have studied and applied numerous conflict-resolution techniques in mediation with many couples over the years. I have learned that many former intimate partners want this kind of service instead of a traditional divorce or custody fight, but they haven't been able to find it. YouLaw Colorado is the firm for them - and thus, I hope, for You.

I also fully represent and consult on an ‘unbundled' basis for select private clients who meet my criteria of mindfulness, integrity, respect and who wish to protect their rights without resorting to damaging, litigious strategies. Some cases require an assertive but settlement-oriented attorney to facilitate their case to a conclusion. If needed, I excel in courtroom litigation - though I believe few couples are well-served by resorting to judges to make their decisions for them.

I listen to my clients carefully, conduct a thorough analysis of the facts, and distill legal concepts into simple, digestible language. I offer a holistic approach and have great success disarming opposing attorneys who do not share my philosophy.

I also recognize that few family law issues are black and white and believe in fostering a calm, non-confrontational atmosphere whenever possible, working to optimize legal outcomes, both in mediation with couples and for my private representation clients, to support their family's emotional wellbeing. I strive to empower them to consider the consequences of a given course of action on their and, if applicable, their children's, emotional, relational and psychological health - not just their legal bottom-line.

I have been recognized as a Colorado Super Lawyers Rising Star for five consecutive years in a row, an award reserved for only 2.5% of attorneys, for my courtroom and analytical ability as well as my style and calm demeanor in a field facing a crisis of professionalism, decency and integrity. I was also elected in 2021 by my peers to serve as Council Member-at-Large of the Executive Council of the Family Law Section at the Colorado Bar Association, the governing body for hundreds of domestic relations practitioners statewide.

I also have experience in drafting estate documents like wills & pre- and post-nuptial agreements and know what makes them more likely than not to be enforceable. I understand well the myriad roles these documents play in divorce. I maintain relationships with my professional colleagues in the Trust & Estates Section of the Colorado Bar Association, and have experience not just in drafting wills, trusts, and other estate documents, but also in litigating probate cases, elective share claims and common-law marriage issues in the estate context. I also have experience in the administration of decedents' estates.

I am a Colorado native, born and raised in Ft. Collins, and have lived in Denver, Boulder, Windsor, and Longmont and visited most counties in the state. I have clients throughout the Front Range as well as our mountain and rural communities.

I am classically trained pianist and studied under the head of the Piano Department at CU-Boulder in high school. In 2009/10, I taught English to secondary school students just west of Paris. I speak French fluently, and when I'm not at work for my clients, you can find me at a park, in the mountains, or on my couch reading contemporary French novel, browsing a magazine, or watching an old movie with my partner and our puppy.

I love nothing more than getting my clients to a better place - YouLaw is about you, your future, and your children's best interests. If you feel at home with my firm's values, I am more than happy to help you and your family.