Nelissa Milfeld took more than 80 cases to trial as a public defender in Colorado criminal law before she ever opened a family law practice. During her eight years in the public defender’s office, she was nominated by her peers for Attorney of the Year among 440 public defenders in 2015. When she launched Milfeld Law LLC in April 2018, she brought that litigation record into a practice area where courtroom experience matters considerably, but where many attorneys have never tried a contested case.
Overview
Milfeld Law LLC is a family law practice in Boulder, Colorado, founded in 2018 by Nelissa Milfeld. The firm focuses exclusively on family law, covering divorce, child custody, child support, spousal maintenance, and related post-decree matters. Milfeld holds a Colorado bar license admitted in February 2009 (Bar #40753), meaning she accumulated nearly a decade of legal experience before opening the firm.
The defining feature of Milfeld Law’s identity is the gap between Nelissa Milfeld’s professional background and the typical path of a family law attorney. Most family law practitioners come to the field through civil law or directly after law school. Milfeld came through the public defender’s office, where her caseload consisted almost entirely of contested hearings and jury trials. More than 80 trials give her a courtroom presence and procedural depth that is unusual in family law, where the majority of cases settle before any hearing.
The firm is a solo practice with one identified attorney.
Practice Areas
Milfeld Law handles the full scope of family law matters in Colorado.
Divorce representation covers both contested and uncontested divorces. Contested divorces, where the parties disagree on terms involving property division, support, or custody, are the scenarios where Milfeld’s litigation background is most directly applicable. The firm also handles high-asset divorces, which involve more complex financial analysis around marital property, retirement accounts, business interests, and real estate. Amicable divorces, where parties are largely in agreement but want legal representation to finalize the process correctly, are also handled.
Child custody matters include both legal custody, which covers decision-making authority for major decisions in a child’s life, and physical custody, which governs where a child lives and the parenting time schedule. Colorado courts apply a best-interest-of-the-child standard in custody determinations, and contested custody cases frequently involve hearings where an attorney’s courtroom skill is directly relevant.
Child support in Colorado is governed by a statutory formula that considers each parent’s income, the parenting time division, and certain additional expenses. The firm handles both the initial establishment of child support and disputes over modification.
Spousal maintenance, also called alimony, covers the financial support one spouse may owe the other after a divorce. Colorado law provides factors for courts to consider in awarding maintenance. The firm represents clients both seeking and opposing maintenance awards.
Common law marriage is a legally recognized relationship status in Colorado that does not require a formal ceremony. Disputes about whether a common law marriage existed, and what the dissolution of such a relationship requires, are handled by the firm.
Post-decree modifications address changes in circumstances after a divorce or custody order is finalized, such as a parent relocating, a change in income affecting support, or a change in a child’s needs affecting custody arrangements.
Attorney Profiles
Nelissa Milfeld is the founder and sole identified attorney at Milfeld Law LLC. She earned her BA from Carnegie Mellon University in 2005 and her JD from the University of Washington School of Law. She was admitted to the Colorado bar on February 24, 2009 (Bar #40753) and has been in active status since. She spent more than eight years as a public defender in Colorado, during which she handled criminal defense cases and took over 80 matters to trial. In 2015, her peers nominated her for Attorney of the Year out of a pool of 440 public defenders. She launched Milfeld Law LLC in April 2018 after transitioning from criminal to family law. She was featured in the Boulder Daily Camera in November 2019 for completing the first female free ascent of El Capitan in Yosemite.
Location and Service Area
The firm’s office is at 1650 38th St., Suite 203E, Boulder, CO 80301. The phone number is 303-990-1953.
The firm serves Boulder and the surrounding areas of Colorado. Specific geographic coverage beyond Boulder is not publicly detailed.
Client Focus
Milfeld Law serves individuals in Boulder and surrounding Colorado communities who are navigating divorce, custody, or support matters. The firm’s litigation-heavy background makes it a particular fit for clients who face contested proceedings or who anticipate that their case may not settle and will require courtroom representation.
The firm handles both straightforward family law matters and complex, high-asset situations where detailed financial analysis and strong advocacy are required.
Language capabilities at the firm are not publicly specified. Consultation inquiries can be made by phone at 303-990-1953 or through the firm’s website at milfeldlaw.com/ Whether initial consultations are offered at no charge is not confirmed in publicly available information.
FAQ
How does Nelissa Milfeld’s criminal defense background affect a family law case?
A significant portion of contested family law, particularly contested custody hearings and divorce trials, involves presenting evidence, examining witnesses, and arguing before a judge. Milfeld took more than 80 cases to trial as a public defender, which means she has more courtroom experience than most attorneys who have practiced exclusively in family law. Whether that background changes the outcome of any specific case depends on the facts, but it does mean she has deep familiarity with contested hearing procedures.
Does the firm handle both contested and uncontested divorces?
Yes. Milfeld Law handles contested divorces, high-asset divorces, and amicable divorces where parties are largely in agreement and need legal representation to complete the process.
What is common law marriage and does it affect how a dissolution is handled?
Colorado recognizes common law marriage, which does not require a ceremony or marriage certificate. If the court finds that a common law marriage existed, the dissolution of that relationship is handled under the same legal process as a formal marriage. The firm handles both the question of whether a common law marriage existed and the dissolution process itself.
Can the firm help modify a child support or custody order that was already entered?
Yes. Post-decree modifications are handled when there has been a substantial and continuing change in circumstances since the original order was entered.
Does the firm represent clients at hearings and trial, or primarily settle cases?
The firm is positioned to take cases to hearing and trial when necessary. Most family law matters ultimately settle, but the firm’s litigation background means it is prepared for contested proceedings when settlement is not reached.
Closing
Milfeld Law’s professional foundation is uncommon in family law: eight years and more than 80 criminal trials in the public defender’s office before a single family law case was filed. That record does not guarantee any outcome, but it does mean that when a contested custody hearing or a high-asset divorce trial is on the calendar, the attorney at the table has been in that position before, repeatedly, and across cases that carried serious consequences.