Attorney-Partner Jolyn Noel Belk of The Harris Law Firm recently authored an article for the September 2026 newsletter of the Boulder County Bar Association Family Law Section, which she chairs.
Colorado’s first Licensed Legal Paraprofessionals (LLPs) were sworn in on June 20, 2024, and that inaugural cohort is now entering its third year of practice. As of the end of 2025, Colorado had 108 LLPs. They are licensed by the Colorado Supreme Court to provide certain legal services in specified family law matters, and their role in the legal community continues to develop.
As a family law attorney, Jolyn regularly works alongside LLPs at the firm and recently served as an attorney mentor at the most recent LLP Practicum in June. The Harris Law Firm currently has 3 LLPs from the inaugural cohort, with 2 actively practicing in the State of Colorado. Lea Ann Lyster and Tara M. White are both active in the LLP Community, assisting with pro bono LLP representation clinics, speaking engagements, and serving on various boards and committees. In her article, Jolyn examines how LLPs are changing family law practice and what the profession looks like for those who hold the license.
The article discusses the following and more:
- What Licensed Legal Paraprofessionals are, and the Colorado Supreme Court rules that govern them;
- The two pathways to licensure and the examination, ethics, and character requirements;
- The December 2025 rule change that allows LLPs to examine witnesses in court;
- The limits of an LLP’s license, including the matters LLPs cannot handle;
- The professional conduct rules and continuing legal education LLPs must follow;
- The ways LLPs work with clients, from full scope representation to limited scope and unbundled services.
One of the most notable developments is the rule change that took effect on December 1, 2025. Before the rule change, LLPs were limited in their assistance to their clients in Court by only being allowed to give opening statements, closing arguments, and objections on behalf of their client during the presentation of evidence in Court. The clients had to handle direct and cross-examination of witnesses on their own. Now LLPs can conduct those witness examinations. The change matters because, as the Colorado Judicial Branch has reported, almost 75% of people in family law cases proceed without representation. LLPs help close that gap by offering more affordable representation and by serving clients in communities with limited access to attorneys.
“LLPs have stepped into this new role with professionalism and effective representation,” Jolyn writes in the article, and she encourages the legal community to welcome them “with civility and professionalism.”
The Harris Law Firm is honored to support the growth of this profession and to mentor those entering it. Jolyn also welcomes conversations with attorneys and firms interested in incorporating LLPs into their practices. We appreciate the Boulder County Bar Association for providing a platform to share resources and information with Colorado legal professionals.
To read Attorney Jolyn Noel Belk’s full article in the BCBA September 2026 newsletter, click here.
