Chelsea Marie Hillman

From Cincinnati, Ohio, Chelsea grew up the daughter of an Ohio Family Law attorney and followed in his footsteps. Licensed to practice in Colorado and New York, Chelsea has experience in family law with divorce, guardianship, adoption, mediation of high-asset estates, allocation of parental responsibilities, and paternity. She is also experienced with military families and the unique obstacles military persons face in family law. Before making Colorado her home, she worked with the Valparaiso Law School Clinic combating deportation in Chicago, Illinois. She’s also worked with The Legal Aid Society of Cincinnati.

Chelsea has a warm and welcoming personality. She believes reaching a person empathetically will benefit the client’s case because trust is invaluable between attorney and client. Chelsea feels patience and the art of listening greatly benefit both client and attorney. Allowing the client to vent and speak before the attorney begins to develop legal strategies is a way to connect with not just the facts of the case, but with the entire person and their life. Chelsea is all about connectivity and bonding to better serve her clients. She utilizes open communication, explaining realistic expectations a client should have while discussing the heart of the client’s goals and develops fully realized pictures of both the client’s needs, concerns, and legal goals. Chelsea is not afraid to take a client’s case to court—however, she also believes in the importance of settlement and negotiation. It is Chelsea’s goal to make a hard situation a bit easier, and that is through honest and heartfelt connectivity.

Valparaiso University School of Law

2014 - 2017

Activities: Editor of Law Review and Secretary of Jewish Law Student Association

Northern Kentucky University

B.A. (2012) | Anthropology and Creative Writing

2008 - 2012

Honors: Dean's List, multiple semesters.

Activities: Student body President of the Anthropology Society.

Attorney

Modern Family Law

2018 - Current

Certified Legal Intern

Valparaiso Immigration Clinic

2016 - 2017

Selectively chosen to represent asylum candidates in federal Chicago, Illinois Courts overseen by law professor.

Universal Chemistry

Less than Three Press

September 12, 2018

Nominee

Top 40 Under 40

2019

State Bar of Colorado  # 51977

Member

Current

Colorado

Colorado Supreme Court

ID Number: 51977

Since 2018

New York

New York State Office of Court Administration

ID Number: 5632583

Since 2018

• Free Consultation
  Modern Family Law welcomes free, up to one hour, consultations regarding the procedural flow of a case, identification of what kind of case you have and whether or not we feel we are a good fit for your goals. It is also a time to ask what my practice style is and if I am a good fit for your personality and goals too.
• Credit Cards Accepted
  All except MasterCard.

Q. Married in Larimer county in Colorado in 2015, which matrimonial regime applies? What does this regime entail?

August 2, 2023

A: So this is somewhat of a complicated answer.

Fundamentally -- we are an equitable distribution state. That means we assess both separate property and marital property. Generally, any property (including income) acquired during the marriage is marital property. Any property earned or acquired prior to the marriage is separate property.

However! Separate property can be partially marital. For example, if you bought a house in 2014 and got married in 2015, you have one year of "separate property" with your house. The remainder is subject to partial marital property. The way we figure this out is the difference in value at the time of marriage vs the value today. This also applies to retirement accounts too or investments.

So while this is somewhat of a complicated answer -- we can absolutely go "line by line" to figure out what is marital, what is separate, and what is some what of a weird blend. Fundamentally though, marital property is ANYTHING you have amassed during the marriage and anything considered separate property is anything you amassed before the marriage occurred, subject to a few nuances like I said above.

Last thing though, anything that was given to you, and not your spouse, through inheritance, gift, bequeath, or devise should generally be considered separate property entirely. Again, there could be nuance if it is real property like I pointed out above, but is generally separate. ... Read More

Q. Live in california but have a DUI charge in eagle county Would I be able to get a lawyer or paralegal to go to court ?

August 2, 2023

A: If you have a DUI charge in Eagle County, Colorado, and you live in California, you will be able to hire a lawyer, but NOT a paralegal, to represent you in court. However, there are a few important considerations:

1. In any criminal matter, you have the right to see if you qualify for court appointed counsel through the Public Defender's Office. Generally, you are given the application at your first court appearance.

2. A paralegal is not advisable in this circumstance. For a DUI charge, it is generally advisable to have legal representation, as DUI cases can have serious consequences. A qualified attorney can help you navigate the legal process, assess the evidence against you, and potentially negotiate a plea deal or defend you in court. A paralegal is not permitted to practice law and cannot advocate for you in court.

3. Keep in mind that your court appearances will likely be required to be in person due to the criminal nature of the proceeding. While your attorney will be local in Colorado and may be able to handle some appearances without you, or your attorney could ask you be permitted to remotely appear -- you need to be aware that you will likely have to appear in person for some of this case.

4. The local knowledge of your attorney is really a huge advantage. Local attorneys within Eagle (or nearby) have advantages of them being familiar with the local court system, judges, prosecutors, and possible legal strategies employed in Eagle County. For example, if you hire an attorney out of Colorado SPrings -- the attorney is going to be less familiar with the judges in Eagle and will also bill you (most likely) for travel. So finding someone in Eagle has huge bonuses.

Ultimately, where you live matters not. The incident occurred in Eagle County, Colorado, and so the case is going to proceed there. But you should be considering attorneys and NOT paralegals. ... Read More

Q. Does a law firm have to disclose if an "attorney" is not licensed in the state in which they practice law?

August 2, 2023

A: I completely understand your concern and I hope you find this answer helpful.

Attorneys must be licensed to practice law in the state where they provide legal services. While each state has its own requirements for licensing, generally it is not permissible for someone to practice law in a state if they are not licensed in that state. There are exceptions though!

In general, a person who has taken the bar exam but has not been admitted to practice law in Colorado is not allowed to represent clients as an attorney in the state. Being admitted to the bar means that the individual has met all the necessary requirements, including passing the bar exam and meeting character and fitness standards, to practice law in that jurisdiction. If a person has taken the bar exam but has not yet been admitted, they may be allowed to work under the supervision of a licensed attorney or engage in other activities related to the legal profession that do not involve representing clients in a legal capacity. It sounds like that is happening here. However -- nothing prevents you from finding a fully licensed attorney to ensure you feel comfortable with your representation.

Firms must disclose if an attorney (or someone who is about to be approved to be an attorney) is not able to practice within the state. So in this circumstance, it sounds like your attorney (license pending) cannot litigate yet, so someone who is licensed has had to fill in. If you are uncomfortable with that form of representation, it may be better to find an attorney who you know is fully licensed to ensure you feel you are being represented in the best way possible. ... Read More