Paternity Agreement

COLORADO PARENTAGE ACKNOWLEDGMENT PREPARATION AND PARENTING PROPOSAL

(State of Colorado)

CRITICAL — NOT THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT OR A COURT ORDER: Colorado parentage is established through the current state-prescribed Voluntary Acknowledgment of Parentage, Form VR-12, when the statutory requirements are satisfied and the form is filed with the state registrar. This private packet does not replace Form VR-12, does not itself establish parentage, and does not create a custody, parenting-time, or child-support order.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Document Header
2. Definitions
3. Official Acknowledgment Preparation
4. Separate Parenting and Support Proposals
5. Required Disclosures
6. Proposed Cooperation Terms
7. Enforcement Gate
8. Risk-Allocation Gate
9. Filing and Procedure
10. Effect and Packet Signatures

1. DOCUMENT HEADER

1.1 Title

COLORADO PARENTAGE ACKNOWLEDGMENT PREPARATION AND PARENTING PROPOSAL (this “Packet”).

1.2 Parties

This Packet is prepared by:

(a) [FULL LEGAL NAME OF PARENT WHO GAVE BIRTH], residing at [ADDRESS] (“Birth Parent”); and

(b) [FULL LEGAL NAME OF PROPOSED SECOND PARENT], residing at [ADDRESS] (“Proposed Second Parent”).

The Birth Parent and Proposed Second Parent are each a “Party” and collectively the “Parties.”

1.3 Child

This Packet concerns [CHILD'S FULL LEGAL NAME], born on [DOB] in [CITY AND COUNTY], Colorado (“Child”).

1.4 Preparation Date

This Packet was prepared on [PREPARATION DATE].

1.5 Purpose

The Parties wish to prepare the official acknowledgment process described in C.R.S. §§ 19-4-105 and 25-2-112 and separately record proposed parenting and support terms for attorney, agency, or court review. No proposal in this Packet is represented as an enforceable parenting or support order.

2. DEFINITIONS

“Official Acknowledgment” means the current Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (“CDPHE”) Form VR-12, Voluntary Acknowledgment of Parentage.

“Denial of Parentage” means the spouse or former spouse portion of the current Official Acknowledgment when required by C.R.S. § 19-4-105(2)(a.5)(II) and the form instructions.

“Parenting Proposal” means the nonbinding terms recorded in Section 4 for possible use in a separate reviewed court filing or agreement.

3. OFFICIAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT PREPARATION

3.1 Use the Current State Form

Complete Form VR-12 separately. C.R.S. § 25-2-112 requires the state registrar's prescribed form for the applicable birth-record process. The current form requires the Parties to read its advisements, complete the applicable sections, sign voluntarily, and obtain the mandatory witness signatures.

3.2 Eligibility and Parent Role

Under C.R.S. § 19-4-105(2)(a.5), the person who gave birth may sign a voluntary acknowledgment with either:

(a) a person who is or believes themselves to be a genetic parent; or

(b) an intended parent of a child conceived through an assisted reproductive procedure.

Selected role on Form VR-12: [FATHER / COPARENT / MOTHER].

Basis for the selected role: [________________________________].

3.3 Spouse or Civil-Union-Partner Gate

If the Birth Parent was married or in a civil union and the proposed second parent is not that spouse or civil-union partner, stop and obtain legal review before signing. C.R.S. § 19-4-105(2)(a.5)(II) requires the spouse or civil-union partner to sign a denial of parentage. Form VR-12 supplies instructions and a spouse-or-former-spouse signature section for the birth-record process.

Marital or civil-union status from conception through birth: [________________________________].

Required denial or court documentation identified: [YES / NO / REVIEW REQUIRED].

3.4 Form Completion

Use black ink, do not leave blanks, and do not use cross-outs or white-out, as the current form directs. If a field does not apply or the information is unknown, follow the form's instruction for that field.

3.5 Filing

A duly executed acknowledgment takes effect upon filing with the state registrar under C.R.S. § 19-4-105(2)(b). C.R.S. § 25-2-112(3.5) requires a birth institution to provide an opportunity to complete the state form. The current form directs hospital or midwife staff to submit a form completed at birth before registration; it gives separate identification, fee, and mailing instructions for later submissions.

Planned submission route: [HOSPITAL / MIDWIFE / LATER SUBMISSION TO CDPHE / ATTORNEY-REVIEWED ROUTE].

3.6 Legal Effect

Except for the statutory rescission and challenge rules, a compliant acknowledgment filed with the state registrar is equivalent to an adjudication of parentage and confers the rights and duties of a parent under C.R.S. § 19-4-105(2)(d). The current form expressly advises that the acknowledgment does not itself give either parent custody or visitation rights.

3.7 Rescission and Later Challenge

Under C.R.S. § 19-4-105(2)(b), an acknowledgment may be rescinded before the earlier of:

(a) sixty days after execution; or

(b) the date of an administrative or judicial proceeding identified in the statute to which the signatory is a party.

After that period, subsection (2)(c) permits a court challenge only on fraud, duress, or mistake of material fact. The challenger bears the burden of proof, and legal responsibilities continue during the challenge unless good cause is shown.

3.8 Genetic-Testing Notice

Form VR-12 advises the Parties that they may choose not to acknowledge parentage and have the right to genetic testing and a court determination. Resolve any uncertainty before signing. This private Packet creates no testing deadline, waiver, cost award, or automatic rescission procedure.

4. SEPARATE PARENTING AND SUPPORT PROPOSALS

The terms below are proposals for a separate court filing or reviewed agreement. They do not arise automatically from Form VR-12 and are not enforceable merely because this Packet is signed.

4.1 Proposed Allocation of Parental Responsibilities

Proposed decision-making arrangement: [SOLE / JOINT / OTHER].

Reasons and facts supporting the proposal: [________________________________].

4.2 Proposed Parenting Time

(a) Regular schedule: [________________________________].

(b) Holidays and vacations: [________________________________].

(c) Exchange location, transportation, and communication: [________________________________].

(d) Proposed court filing or reviewed agreement: [________________________________].

4.3 Proposed Child Support and Expenses

(a) Proposed payor: [BIRTH PARENT / SECOND PARENT / OTHER].

(b) Proposed monthly amount: $[AMOUNT], subject to the current Colorado child-support calculation and any required order.

(c) Proposed medical, dental, childcare, and activity allocation: [________________________________].

(d) Existing support order or agency case: [NONE / DETAILS: ________________________________].

4.4 Proposed Health-Care Coverage

Proposed responsible parent, coverage source, and uninsured-expense allocation: [________________________________].

5. REQUIRED DISCLOSURES

Each Party shall identify for attorney, agency, or court review:

(a) every presumed, acknowledged, or adjudicated parent known to the Party;

(b) every spouse or civil-union partner of the Birth Parent during the legally relevant period;

(c) every existing parentage, support, allocation-of-parental-responsibilities, protection-order, adoption, or dependency case concerning the Child; and

(d) every order or agreement that may affect the proposals in this Packet.

Supporting records or case information: [________________________________].

6. PROPOSED COOPERATION TERMS

6.1 Official Documents

The Parties propose to cooperate in completing only the official or court documents selected after review.

6.2 Relocation Proposal

[INSERT REVIEWED PROPOSAL OR STATE THAT THE CONTROLLING ORDER AND CURRENT LAW GOVERN.]

6.3 Communication and Information Sharing

[INSERT REVIEWED PROPOSAL OR OMIT.]

6.4 Non-Disparagement

[INSERT REVIEWED PROPOSAL OR OMIT.]

7. ENFORCEMENT GATE

This preparation Packet creates no private default, cure period, fee entitlement, contempt remedy, wage assignment, make-up-parenting-time remedy, or right to modify parental responsibilities. Enforcement depends on the filed Official Acknowledgment and any separate court or agency order.

Issue for attorney, agency, or court review: [________________________________].

8. RISK-ALLOCATION GATE

No indemnity, liability cap, damages waiver, force-majeure defense, life-insurance mandate, or tax allocation is created by this Packet. Any emergency, missed exchange, support issue, or safety concern must be handled under the controlling order and the procedure selected with counsel.

9. FILING AND PROCEDURE

9.1 Official Acknowledgment

Submission route and date: [________________________________].

Identification and fee requirements checked against the current form on: [DATE].

9.2 Separate Parenting or Support Case

County, court, and case number, if any: [________________________________].

Selected petition, stipulation, parenting plan, or agency process: [________________________________].

9.3 Excluded Clauses

No arbitration clause, jury waiver, exclusive-forum clause, electronic-signature substitute, or private injunctive-remedy clause is included. Form VR-12 must be signed and witnessed exactly as the current official form directs.

10. EFFECT AND PACKET SIGNATURES

10.1 Limited Effect

Signing this Packet does not sign, witness, file, amend, rescind, or challenge Form VR-12 or any parentage determination. It does not enter or modify a support, custody, or parenting-time order.

10.2 Packet Signatures

The signatures below acknowledge only that the Parties reviewed this preparation Packet and recorded the proposals above.

OFFICIAL-FORM AND FILING CHECKLIST

• ☐ Downloaded the current CDPHE Form VR-12 from the official CDPHE webpage
• ☐ Read both sides of Form VR-12, including the legal advisements and submission instructions
• ☐ Confirmed whether a spouse or former spouse denial or court documentation is required
• ☐ Selected the correct parent role and completed every applicable section
• ☐ Used black ink and avoided blanks, cross-outs, and white-out
• ☐ Arranged the mandatory witness signature for each applicable signature section
• ☐ Confirmed the current identification, fee, and submission requirements
• ☐ Kept parenting-time, decision-making, and support proposals separate from Form VR-12

SOURCES AND REFERENCES

• Colorado Office of Legislative Legal Services, 2025 Colorado Revised Statutes, Title 19, including C.R.S. § 19-4-105: https://olls.info/crs/crs2025-title-19.htm
• Colorado Office of Legislative Legal Services, 2025 Colorado Revised Statutes, Title 25, including C.R.S. § 25-2-112: https://olls.info/crs/crs2025-title-25.htm
• Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, “Correct or change a birth certificate”: https://cdphe.colorado.gov/correct-or-change-a-birth-certificate
• Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Form VR-12 (Rev. 12/2025), Voluntary Acknowledgment of Parentage: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b2eBDQXGeOs2FSIZ6wEXcY0jVkHl3Zd5/view?usp=sharing