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CO · rules

C.A.R. 5

Entry of Appearance and Withdrawal

activein force · 2022-07-01 – presentact-effective-date

(a) Entry of Appearance. An attorney enters an appearance in any matter before an

appellate court when the attorney files an entry of appearance or signs a document filed

with the appellate court. An entry of appearance must identify the party for whom the

appearance is made and provide the attorney’s office address, telephone number, email

address, and attorney registration number. An entry of appearance by an attorney who is a

member or an employee of a law firm, professional corporation, or clinic relieves other

members or employees of the same law firm, professional corporation, or clinic from

needing to file an entry of appearance in the same proceeding unless the court indicates

otherwise. An attorney who enters an appearance and wishes to withdraw must comply

with this rule.

(b) Withdrawal without Leave of Court. An attorney may withdraw from a case

without leave of the appellate court by filing a notice of withdrawal confirming that the

withdrawing attorney has complied with all outstanding appellate court orders and one of

the following applies:

(1) the party represented by the withdrawing attorney will continue to be represented

by co-counsel who has already entered an appearance pursuant to subsection (a); or

(2) the notice of withdrawal includes a substitution of counsel, signed by both the

withdrawing and replacement attorneys, containing the information required for an entry of

appearance under subsection (a) for replacement counsel; or

(3) the withdrawing attorney is a member or employee of a law firm, professional

corporation, or clinic, and another attorney from the same law firm, professional corporation, or clinic will represent the party. Withdrawal of an attorney pursuant to this subsection relieves the other attorneys of the same law firm, professional corporation, or clinic

from needing to file an entry of appearance or withdrawal in the same proceeding unless

the court indicates otherwise.

(c) Withdrawal with Leave of Court. If not covered by subsection (b), an attorney

may withdraw from a case only with the appellate court’s approval. Such approval rests in

the appellate court’s sound discretion, and will not be granted until a motion to withdraw

or a Form Motion to Withdraw [JDF Form 1905 SC] has been filed and served on the client

and the other parties of record or their attorneys and either (i) both the client and all

counsel for the other parties consent in writing at or after the time of service of the motion,

or (ii) at least 14 days have expired after service of the motion.

Every motion to withdraw must contain the following advisements to the client:

(1) that the attorney wishes to withdraw;

(2) that the appellate court retains jurisdiction;

(3) that the client has the burden of keeping the appellate court and other parties

informed where notices, pleadings, or other documents may be served;

(4) that the client has the obligation to prepare for all appellate proceedings, or secure

other counsel to so prepare;

(5) that, if the client fails or refuses to meet these burdens, the appellate court may

impose appropriate sanctions, including dismissal of the case;

(6) of the dates of any proceedings and that the holding of such proceedings will not

be affected by the withdrawal of counsel;

(7) if the client is not a natural person, that it must be represented by counsel in any

appellate proceeding unless it is a closely held entity and first complies with section

13-1-127, C.R.S.;

(8) of the client’s last known address, telephone number, and email address and that

process may be served on the client at the client’s last known address; and

(9) of the client’s right to object within 14 days of the date of service of the motion to

withdraw.

(d) Objections to Motion to Withdraw. The client and opposing parties have 14 days

after the service of a motion to withdraw within which to file an objection to the

withdrawal.

(e) Notice of Limited Representation Entry of Appearance and Withdrawal. An

attorney may undertake to provide limited representation to a pro se party involved in a

civil appellate proceeding. Upon the request and with the consent of a pro se party, an

attorney may make a limited appearance for the pro se party to file a notice of appeal and

designation of transcripts in the court of appeals or the supreme court, to file or oppose a

petition or cross-petition for a writ of certiorari in the supreme court, to respond to an order

to show cause issued by the supreme court or the court of appeals, or to participate in one

or more specified motion proceedings in either court, if the attorney files and serves with

the court and the other parties and attorneys (if any) a notice of the limited appearance

prior to or simultaneous with the proceeding(s) for which the attorney appears. At the

conclusion of such proceeding(s), the attorney’s appearance terminates without the necessity of leave of court, upon the attorney filing a notice of completion of limited appearance

in the appellate court in which the attorney appeared, a copy of which may be filed in any

other court, except that an attorney filing a notice of appeal or petition or cross-petition for

writ of certiorari is obligated, absent leave of court, to respond to any issues regarding the

appellate court’s jurisdiction. Service on an attorney who makes a limited appearance for

a party shall be valid only in connection with the specific proceedings(s) for which the

attorney appears. The provisions of this C.A.R. 5(e) shall not apply to an attorney who has

filed an opening or answer brief pursuant to C.A.R. 31.

(f) Termination of Representation. When an attorney has entered an appearance,

other than a limited appearance pursuant to C.A.R. 5(e), on behalf of a party in an appellate

court without having previously represented that party in the matter in any other court, the

attorney’s representation of the party shall terminate at the conclusion of the proceedings

in the appellate court in which the attorney has appeared, unless otherwise directed by the

appellate court or agreed to by the attorney and the party represented. Counsel may file a

notice of such termination of representation in any other court.

History

Source: Entire rule added August 30, 1985, effective January 1, 1986; (b)(2) amended and effective April 7, 1994; (b) amended and effective April 5, 2010; (b)(9) and (c) amended and adopted December 14, 2011, effective January 1, 2012, for all cases pending on or filed on or after January 1, 2012, pursuant to C.R.C.P. 1(b); (e), (f), and Comment added and effective October 11, 2012; (e) amended and adopted October 26, 2017, effective January 1, 2018; (a) to (d) amended February 24, 2022, effective July 1, 2022 (Rule Change 2022(05)). COMMENT The purpose of C.A.R. 5(e) is to establish a procedure similar to that set forth in Colorado Rule of Civil Procedure 121 Section 1-1(5). This procedure provides assurance that an attor- ney who makes a limited appearance for a pro se party in a specified appellate case proceed- ing(s), at the request of and with the consent of the pro se party, can withdraw from the case upon filing a notice of completion of the limited appearance, without leave of court. The purpose of C.A.R. 5(f) is to make clear that when an attorney appears for a party, whom he or she has not previously represented, in an appellate court and the proceedings in that court have concluded, the attorney is not obligated to rep- resent the party in any other proceeding on remand or in any review of the appellate court’s decision by any other court. Nothing in this provision would prevent the attorney from en- tering a limited or general appearance on behalf of the party in another court (for example, on a writ of certiorari to the supreme court), if agreed to by the attorney and the party. ANNOTATION Law reviews. For article, ‘‘How Judges Can Encourage Unbundling’’, see 48 Colo. Law. 10 (Apr. 2019).

Provenance

Source
content.leg.colorado.gov
Retrieved
2026-09-15
Edition
2026-09-15
Content hash
1c045199339661d60c55db8e8a29ccfe30b58ce2cad47cd08709dadd0ae22b26
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C.A.R. 5 — Entry of Appearance and Withdrawal · binding.law