Mike Miner has been practicing law for 37 years and has specialized exclusively in divorce and family law matters in Boulder County for more than 28 years, making him one of the most experienced family lawyers in Boulder County. His clients include business executives, physicians, lawyers, entrepreneurs, and their spouses.
Mike graduated in the top 10% of his class from the University of Colorado School of Law, where he was selected for membership in the “Order of the Coif,” a national law school honorary scholastic society, served as an editor of the University of Colorado Law Review and wrote an academic article that was selected for publication in the Law Review. Upon graduation from law school, Mike worked for the Denver office of a national law firm, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, practicing commercial litigation. In 1990, he joined the Boulder law firm of Hutchinson Black and Cook, LLC, where he was a partner until 2001 when he left to open his own law office, which he successfully maintained for over 22 years.
With a background in commercial litigation and trial practice and many years of experience in family law, Mike is a strong advocate for his clients in cases that often involve complex legal and business issues. In addition to complicated and high-asset financial cases, Mike has extensive experience in child custody, child support, maintenance (alimony), and common-law marriage cases. Mike also has substantial experience with premarital and marital agreements (prenuptial and postnuptial agreements). He has drafted and reviewed premarital and marital agreements for many clients and has litigated challenges to premarital and marital agreements.
Mike believes it is important to settle family law matters and works hard to achieve good settlements for his clients, but in those rare occasions where settlement cannot be achieved, his many years as a trial lawyer make him an effective advocate for his clients.
Practice Areas:
- Divorce
- Child Custody
- Child Support
- General Family Law – including premarital and marital agreements.
Education:
- University of Colorado School of Law, Boulder, Colorado.
- Juris Doctor – 1986 (Order of the Coif)
- Associate Editor, University of Colorado Law Review, 1984-1986
- Author, “Palmer v. A.H. Robins Co.: Problems with Punitive Damages in Products Liability Actions,” 57 University of Colorado Law Review, 135 (1985)
- University of Texas, Austin, Texas.
- B.A. – 1981
- Major: Economics
Bar Admissions:
- Colorado, 1986
- United States District Court, District of Colorado
- United States Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
- United States Tax Court
Professional Associations:
- American Bar Association, 1986 to present, including Family Law Section
- Colorado Bar Association, 1986 to present, including Family Law Section
- Boulder County Bar Association, 1990 to present, including Family Law Section
- Boulder Interdisciplinary Committee on Child Custody, 1995 – 2013
Speeches and Activities:
- Member of Family Law Task Force for State Judiciary (task force developed the first set of pro se forms available for public use in family law cases) 1996
- Special Advocate Statute, presented to Family Law Section of Colorado Bar Association and Boulder County Bar Association 1997 – 1998
- Representing Parents with Mental Health Issues in Custody and Parenting Time Cases, presented to Boulder Interdisciplinary Committee on Child Custody 2001
- Discovery and Case Management in Dissolution of Marriage Cases, part of a series,
“Nuts & Bolts of Family Law,” presented by Boulder County Bar Association Family Law Section 2002
- Direct Examination Skills, part of a series on Trial Skills, jointly presented by Boulder County Bar Association and the National Institute for Trial Advocacy (“NITA”) 2004
- Managing Clients’ Expectations, presented to Boulder Interdisciplinary Committee on Child Custody 2005
- Panelist, Law & Justice, public education television program on divorce law produced by Boulder County Bar Association 2006
- Colorado Legal Aid Foundation Boulder Campaign Committee 2009 – present
- Colorado Legal Aid Foundation Board of Trustees 2016 – 2018
- Served as mentor for new family lawyers 2000 – present
- Active volunteer, Boulder County Legal Services’ Pro Se Clinic for family law cases 2003 – 2011
- Active volunteer, Boulder County Legal Services 1991 – present
Awards:
- Martindale-Hubbell rating: AV “Preeminent” Attorney
- “Best Lawyers in America” – 2014 (including 2014 “Best Law Firm”), 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 (including 2023 “Family Lawyer of the Year” for Boulder, Colorado)
- “Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year” 1993, Boulder County Bar Association
- “John Robert Marshall” award (for pro bono work) 1993, Boulder County Bar Association
