James (Jim) S. Bailey

PARTNER

Over the course of almost 30 years, Jim has earned a reputation as one of the best family law attorneys in the state. Presently, Jim limits his practice to litigation, negotiation, and settlement of complex family law disputes involving issues of common law marriage, spousal maintenance, child support, division of property, prenuptial agreements, and paternity matters. Jim is frequently hired to work as a consultant and co-counsel on issues surrounding trusts, prenuptial agreements and business valuation. Finally, Jim works as an effective alternative dispute resolution professional, utilizing mediation, arbitrator and special master proceedings work to find constructive solutions for parties. 

His family includes identical triplet boys and their younger brother. Since their birth, Jim has no free time – with the little free time he has, Jim spends it in the outdoors: he is an avid fly-fisherman, mountaineer and photographer. 

Jim was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, graduating from the University of Colorado with a degree in Economics in 1988. Jim attended the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and graduated in 1992. He was elected to Order of the Coif and was selected as the Valedictorian of his graduating class. After graduation, Jim was honored to serve as a Law Clerk for the Honorable Luis D. Rovira, then Chief Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court. 

Jim has received numerous awards including the Outstanding Graduating Senior Award, the Valedictorian Award, the Amicus Lex, the One L, the Academic Achievement Scholarship and the Trainor, Robinson, Smits & Wade Real Property Award. Jim also received the West Publishing Company Award for 1990-1991, as well as the American Jurisprudence Awards for Bankruptcy, Business Associations, Civil Procedure, Contracts, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Real Property, Remedies, Sales, Torts, and Legal Research and Writing. 

Jim is a frequent author and lecturer on family law issues and trial advocacy issues. In school, Jim was honored to be elected by his peers to serve as Editor in Chief of the Pacific Law Journal. and published “Allocation of Loss for Forged Checks Under Articles 3 and 4 of the Proposed Revisions Thereto,” and co-authored, Comment SB-2638 Review of Selected California Legislation. He was also a Legislative Review Writer, Volume 21, Pacific Law Journal and co-author of the Colorado Continuing Legal Education publication on Marital Agreements. Jim graduated from the National Institute of Trial Advocacy and was a faculty member of the faculty of that distinguished organization for many years. Jim is also a member of the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association and the Faculty of Federal Advocates. Jim is a member of the Legislative Committee, Family Law Section and Probate Section of the Colorado Bar Association.