Senior Associate Attorney – Family Law Litigation
At Thrive Family Law, our name reflects what we want for both our clients and our team: to thrive, not simply survive.
We are a growing Colorado family law firm built around dignity, respect, integrity, collaboration, and genuine work-life balance. We take excellent legal work seriously, but we do not believe being a great attorney requires sacrificing your health, family, or life outside the office.
Our attorneys have autonomy, access to meaningful mentorship, and a team that actually works together. We meet weekly to review cases, strategy, deadlines, and workload so no attorney is expected to operate on an island.
We are looking for another strong litigator who wants to practice law differently.
We are seeking an experienced Senior Associate Attorney to independently manage family law matters while collaborating closely with our attorneys and support team. You will typically build toward 20–30 active cases and approximately 360 billable hours per quarter. Because Thrive has a strong flow of new matters, our attorneys also have greater ability to be thoughtful about the clients and cases they take rather than simply accepting whatever is assigned. You should already understand litigation fundamentals and be comfortable in the courtroom. In return, you will receive hands-on mentorship around family law strategy, negotiation, creative settlement approaches, and becoming an even stronger litigator. Prior family law experience is preferred, but we are also interested in strong litigators from environments such as a District Attorney's or Public Defender's office.
Independently manage divorce, parenting, child support, maintenance, property division, post-decree, and other family law matters.
Develop proactive legal and litigation strategies based on each client's goals.
Draft pleadings, motions, discovery, settlement documents, and other legal filings.
Prepare for and appear at hearings, trials, status conferences, pretrial conferences, and discovery disputes.
Conduct discovery, depositions, witness preparation, exhibit review, and trial preparation.
Counsel clients regarding case strengths, risks, options, and likelihood of success.
Identify creative opportunities to resolve cases through negotiation, mediation, arbitration, or settlement when appropriate.
Maintain strong client communication and appropriate professional boundaries.
Collaborate with attorneys, paralegals, LLPs, experts, therapists, coaches, and other professionals when appropriate.
Participate in weekly team case reviews and strategic discussions.
You may be a great fit if you:
Enjoy litigation and feel confident advocating in the courtroom.
Are proactive rather than reactive in managing cases.
Have strong issue-spotting, writing, negotiation, and strategic thinking skills.
Genuinely enjoy working with clients and other people.
Bring empathy and emotional intelligence to difficult situations.
Can remain composed when clients or opposing counsel are highly emotional.
Are confident in your abilities without allowing ego to prevent you from asking for help.
Own mistakes, communicate early when something goes wrong, and learn from feedback.
Enjoy collaborating instead of operating independently from the rest of the firm.
Want to continue growing professionally while still having a life outside of work.
Requirements
Required:
J.D. from an accredited law school.
Active Colorado Bar license in good standing.
Minimum 3 years of meaningful litigation experience.
Demonstrated courtroom experience.
Strong legal research, writing, advocacy, and client communication skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office.
Preferred:
5+ years of litigation experience.
Colorado family law experience.
Experience with Clio Manage.
Existing caseload, referral relationships, or demonstrated ability to develop business.
Interest or experience in mediation or arbitration.
Benefits
Total compensation opportunity: $120,000–$180,000, depending on experience and performance.
Our anticipated compensation model includes a competitive base salary with additional performance-based earning opportunities.
Hybrid schedule, generally three days in-office and two remote.
Remote Friday mornings with the office closing at noon on Fridays under normal circumstances.
Paid sick time.
One week of paid vacation after six months, with employees encouraged to actually use it.
Paid federal holidays and the day after Thanksgiving.
Firm-wide closure from Christmas Eve through the first business day following New Year's Day.
401(k) eligibility after six months with employer match up to approximately 4%, subject to plan terms.
$250 bimonthly wellness stipend.
Colorado FAMLI contributions paid by the firm.
Monthly chair massages.
Firm-paid Colorado Bar dues.
CLE support and sponsorship to attend the annual Colorado Family Law Institute.
Westlaw and Clio Manage, including available AI tools.
Professional headshots and marketing support.
Support for appropriate recognition on platforms such as Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers.
Opportunities to participate in pro bono and low-bono work.
We are building Thrive for the long term and want someone interested in growing with us.
For the right person, future opportunities may include developing a significant practice within the firm, expanding into mediation or arbitration, mentoring attorneys, helping shape the firm's future, and potentially exploring a long-term partnership path.
Partnership is not guaranteed or tied to a predetermined timeline. It is an opportunity that may develop with the right person after trust, alignment, and a strong working relationship have been established.
You can practice law at a lot of places.
At Thrive, we want you to become an exceptional attorney, earn well, advocate fiercely for your clients, and still have dinner with your family, take a real vacation, enjoy your coworkers, and remember that being an attorney is part of your life, not your entire life.
If that sounds like the kind of legal career you have been looking for, we would love to talk.
Thrive Family Law is an equal opportunity employer.