C.R.S. § 14-10-103

14-10-103. Definitions and interpretations of terms. (1) As used in this article, unless the context otherwise requires, the term "decree" includes the term "judgment"; and, for the purposes of the tax laws of the state of Colorado or of any other jurisdiction, the term "maintenance" includes the term "alimony". (1.5) As used in this article 10, unless the context otherwise requires: (a) "Coercive control" means a pattern of threatening, humiliating, or intimidating actions, including assaults or other abuse, that is used to harm, punish, or frighten an individual. "Coercive control" includes a pattern of behavior that takes away the individual's liberty or freedom and strips away the individual's sense of self, including the individual's bodily integrity and human rights. "Coercive control" includes isolating the individual from support, exploiting the individual, depriving the individual of independence, and regulating the individual's everyday behavior. "Coercive control" includes, but is not limited to, any of the following: (I) Isolating the individual from friends and family; (II) Monitoring, surveilling, regulating, or controlling the individual's, or the individual's child's or relative's, finances, economic resources, or access to services; (III) Monitoring, surveilling, regulating, or controlling the individual's, or the individual's child's or relative's, activities, communications, or movements, including through technology; (IV) Name-calling, degrading, or demeaning the individual, or the individual's child or relative, on a frequent basis; (V) Threatening to harm or kill the individual, or the individual's child or relative, including wearing, accessing, displaying, using, or cleaning a weapon in an intimidating or threatening manner; (VI) Threatening to commit suicide or otherwise harm one's own person when used as a method of coercion, control, punishment, intimidation, or retaliation against the person; (VII) Threatening to harm or kill an animal with which the individual, or the individual's child or relative, has an emotional bond; (VIII) Threatening to publish the individual's, or the individual's child's or relative's, sensitive personal information, including sexually explicit material, or make reports to the police or authorities; (IX) Damaging the individual's, or the individual's child's or relative's, property or household goods; (X) Threatening the individual, or the individual's child or relative, with deportation or contacting authorities based on perceived or actual immigration status, withholding essential documents required for immigration, or threatening to withdraw or interfere with an active immigration application or process; or (XI) Forcing the individual, or the individual's child or relative, to take part in criminal activities or child abuse. (b) (I) "Domestic violence" means one of the following committed by a party, whether or not the conduct constitutes a criminal offense: (A) An act or threatened act of physical assault or bodily harm against the other parent or a family or household member, including a child; (B) An act or threatened act of damage to property belonging to the other parent or a family or household member, including a child; (C) An act or threatened act of physical assault or bodily harm against an animal belonging to the other parent or a family or household member, including a child; (D) Stalking; (E) Sexual assault; (F) Coercive control; (G) Economic abuse; or (H) Human trafficking. (II) "Domestic violence" does not mean behaviors that are used by a parent to protect themself; a family or household member, including a child; or property, including an animal, from the harm or risk of harm presented by the other parent. (c) "Economic abuse" means a behavior that is coercive, deceptive, or manipulative, or that restrains, sabotages, or unreasonably controls a person's ability to acquire, use, or maintain economic resources that the person is entitled to, including using coercion, threat of harm, force, fraud, or manipulation to: (I) Restrict a person's access to money, assets, credit, or financial information; (II) Steal or unfairly use a person's economic resources, including money, assets, or credit; (III) Use a person's credit or property without authorization; (IV) Prevent a person from leaving the person's residence to attend school or employment; (V) Exploit the person's resources for personal gain; (VI) Withhold individual resources from a person, such as food, clothing, necessary medications, or shelter; (VII) Cause or attempt to cause a person to be financially dependent by maintaining control over the person's financial resources; or (VIII) Exert undue influence over a person's financial behavior or decisions, including forcing default on joint or other financial obligations; exploiting powers of attorney, guardianship, or conservatorship; or threatening to expose a person's suspected citizenship or immigration status or the suspected citizenship or immigration status of a person's family member to a federal, state, or local agency. (c.4) "Intimate relationship" means a relationship between spouses, former spouses, past or present unmarried couples, or persons who are both parents of the same child, regardless of whether the persons have been married or have lived together at any time. (c.6) "Sexual assault" has the meaning set forth in section 19-1-103. (d) "Unlawful sexual behavior" has the same meaning as set forth in section 16-22-102. (2) Whenever any law of this state refers to or mentions divorce, annulment, or separate maintenance, said law shall be interpreted as if the words dissolution of marriage, declaration of invalidity of marriage, and legal separation, respectively, were substituted therefor. (3) On and after July 1, 1993, the term "visitation" has been changed to "parenting time". It is not the intent of the general assembly to modify or change the meaning of the term "visitation" nor to alter the legal rights of a parent with respect to the child as a result of changing the term "visitation" to "parenting time". (4) On and after February 1, 1999, the term "custody" and related terms such as "custodial" and "custodian" have been changed to "parental responsibilities". It is not the intent of the general assembly to modify or change the meaning of the term "custody" nor to alter the legal rights of any custodial parent with respect to the child as a result of changing the term "custody" to "parental responsibilities". (5) As used in this article 10, unless the context otherwise requires, for purposes of proceedings for allocation of parental responsibilities pursuant to section 14-10-123 (1.5) only, the term "child" means an unmarried individual who has not attained twenty-one years of age. History: Source: L. 71: R&RE, p. 520, § 1. C.R.S. 1963: § 46-1-4. L. 72: P. 595, § 73. L. 73: P. 552, § 1. L. 93: (3) added, p. 576, § 5, effective July 1. L. 98: (3) amended and (4) added, p. 1376, § 1, effective February 1, 1999. L. 2019: (5) added, (HB 19-1042), ch. 55, p. 193, § 4, effective March 28. L. 2025: (1.5) added, (SB 25-116), ch. 212, p. 960, § 2, effective August 6.; L. 2026: (HB1309), ch. 163, § 2, effective May 27, 2026.