Elizabeth Bonanno

Elizabeth is a Partner at Gebhardt Emerson Moodie Bonanno, LLC, and is named one of ten 2024 Best Divorce Lawyers in Denver by Forbes. Elizabeth practices exclusively in family law, having served hundreds of clients during her tenure with their divorces, parenting, and child support cases. Elizabeth’s family law practice has focused on asset and business valuation, income valuation, complex divorce, parental responsibilities, child relocation, and child support matters, among others. Elizabeth speaks both Spanish and Italian and uses these skills to assist non-native speakers in navigating through domestic matters.

Elizabeth’s outstanding legal work and professionalism has been recognized by her selection as a 2017-2024 Colorado Super Lawyer® “Rising Star”, her inclusion in The Best Lawyers In America© 2021-2024 for both Family Law and Family Law Arbitration, by the judicial officers of Arapahoe County, who invited her to serve on their Best Practices Committee, and by Law Week Colorado, who named her as one of only seven “Up and Coming Lawyers” for 2015. She was also a finalist for the Gary McPherson outstanding young lawyer of the year award from the Colorado Bar Association in 2016.

Elizabeth graduated from the University of Colorado Law School with Honors in Juvenile and Family Law. Elizabeth practiced family law for seven years at Griffiths Law PC, and was a partner at the firm from January, 2017 through July, 2019, joining the GEM family on August 1, 2019. She received additional family law experience as a law clerk to Judge Norman D. Haglund on the domestic docket in Denver District Court.

Elizabeth trained in trial advocacy under Colorado Supreme Court Justice Nancy Rice (Ret.) and displays confidence and poise in the courtroom, having run many hearings and trials – Elizabeth is one of the foremost family law litigators. However, she is also a firm believer in mediation and alternative dispute resolution, assisting clients in settling matters before they reach the courthouse. Elizabeth is trained in Collaborative Law, whereby parties commit to resolving their dissolution of marriage cooperatively and without the court’s involvement.

Along with her law practice, Elizabeth has authored articles for publications and has presented at seminars on family law topics. She is a member of several professional organizations, including the Executive Council of the Colorado Bar Association, Family Law Section, Past President of the Metro Denver Interdisciplinary Committee, the Denver Bar Association, the Colorado Judicial Institute and the James E. Doyle American Inn of Court, and is a member of the Arapahoe County Best Practices Committee, an invite-only group of judicial officers, clerks and attorneys focused on improving family law in Arapahoe County.

Education

University of Colorado Law School, J.D., Honors in Juvenile and Family Law

Truman State University, B.A., Political Science and Spanish (magna cum laude)

Honors & Distinctions

The Best Lawyers In America© 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, Family Law and Family Law Arbitration
Colorado Super Lawyer® “Rising Star”, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
“Up & Coming Lawyers” by Law Week Colorado, 2015
Colorado Bar Association’s Gary McPherson Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year finalist, 2016
Honors in Juvenile and Family Law, University of Colorado Law School, 2012
10.0 AVVO rating

Memberships

Colorado Bar Association, Family Law Section, Executive Council

Metro Denver Interdisciplinary Committee, President

Arapahoe County Domestic Relations Best Practices Committee

Denver Source for Collaborative Divorce Practice Group

Colorado Women’s Bar Association • Circle of Minerva

Denver Bar Association

Colorado Judicial Institute

Doyle’s American Inn of Court

Authorship & Presentations

“Truth, Lies, and Consequences in DR Cases, Part II,” Metro Denver Interdisciplinary Committee, co-presenter, November 2023.

“All is Fair in Love and Trust Law,” Colorado Bar Association Family Law Section, co-presenter, September 2023.

“Orders Orders Orders: Why We Need Them and Who We Are Working With,” Domestic Relations and Probate Judicial Institute, co-presenter, June 2023.

“Trust, Lies, and Consequences in DR Cases,” Metro Denver Interdisciplinary Committee, co-presenter, May 2023.

“Resist and Refuse: It’s a Family Problem. Reintegration Therapy and Family Court,” Domestic Relations and Probate Judicial Institute, co-presenter, June 2021.

“Understanding and Intervening: When Children Refuse Contact with a Parent,” Colorado Association of Family and Conciliatory Courts, panel discussion, October 2019.

“Collaborative Law: Debunking the Myths, A Current Perspective on Adding the Collaborative Model to Your Toolbox,” Colorado Family Law Institute, co-presenter, August 2019.

“The Holistic Divorce: How to Separate the Family Unit Without Destroying It,” ColoradoBiz, December 2018.

“Trial Tips – Pet Peeves and Best Practices,” Colorado Judicial Institute, co-presenter, March 1, 2018.

“How to Get Your Social Media, Email and Text Evidence Admitted (and Keep Theirs Out),” National Business Institute Continuing Legal Education Program, co-presenter, December 2017.

“QDROs Boot Camp,” National Business Institute Continuing Legal Education Program, co-presenter, July 2017; July 2016.

“Calling All Spanish-Speaking Lawyers” by Elizabeth Bonanno, The Docket, February 2015, Vol. 37, No. 2.

Our Courts of Colorado, Presenter for the Colorado Bar Association and Colorado Judicial Institute’s joint public education project.