Congressman Ed Perlmutter and wife Deana have officially filed for divorce, the congressman announced today.

What follows is a joint statement released to the media:

"Since making the decision to separate in 2005 we have continued to work on our marriage, including counseling, however over the past year we have come to the difficult but mutual decision to file for divorce.

"After being married for 27 years, we make this decision with the utmost respect for one another and a shared commitment to the best interests of our three daughters who are ages 26, 21, and 16. We remain close friends and will continue to be involved in each other's lives and will share parental responsibilities for our daughters while maintaining our separate residences in Golden.

"We ask for respect of our family's privacy regarding this decision and hope that everyone will understand that we will have no further public comment on this personal matter."

Perlmutter and his wife met at the Berenbaum, Weinshienk & Eason law firm, where he worked after graduating from the University of Colorado. There he has specialized in bankruptcy, construction and real-estate litigation. Deana was his secretary. They married in 1980.