Albuquerque Divorce Lawyer Blog

Two unique facets of the New Mexico law governing divorce make the process of getting a divorce in New Mexico very different from other states. First, New Mexico does not have a waiting period that must be observed before filing for divorce. This means that parties who have been married for one day have the same standing to file a petition for dissolution of marriage (the document filed with the court that begins the divorce process) as parties who have been married for 25 years.

However, it is important to note that even though there is no official waiting period, the party filing for divorce must still meet the jurisdictional requirement of the New Mexico courts, which requires the party to have lived in New Mexico for at least six months prior to filing for divorce.

The second major difference between New Mexico and other states is that New Mexico is a No Fault divorce states. This means that the courts here will grant a divorce on the basis of incompatibility alone and do not require, for instance, that one party show that the other has committed adultery or any other wrong against the marriage.

Only one party needs to plead incompatibility for the New Mexico courts to begin the divorce process. Typically, the family law judges will not hear arguments about infidelity or bad behavior by one party unless they directly affect custody or some aspect of property and debt division essential. Neither will the court entertain counter arguments to incompatibility.

Many parties find the No Fault policy unsatisfying because the court does not hear about all of the hurtful things their spouse may have done. However, the positive side of a No Fault divorce is that embarrassing information about the parties' personal habits or sexual proclivities can be kept private and will not necessarily need to be debated in open court. For these reasons, conflict is also reduced. This too speeds up the divorce process and results in substantial reduction of emotional and financial costs to the parties.

Even though the lack of a waiting period and the policy of No Fault make the process of divorce in New Mexico somewhat simpler than other states, it is still very important that parties to a divorce proceeding consult an attorney as early as possible in the process so that they can make sure all that they understand all of their rights and responsibilities under the law.

Sarah Armstrong
Albuquerque Attorney
www.CollinsAttorneys.com

With the enormous technological advances and explosion of the internet during the past few decades, New Mexicans are able to exchange more information and communicate more effectively than ever before. Access to the internet can be an amazing tool, for instance, it can help you research a variety of legal topics, including family law blogs like this one. However, the posting of personal information on blogs and social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace can sometimes pose a problem in family law cases. This is particularly so in contested divorce and child custody cases.

Imagine two parents engaged in a fierce child custody battle wherein each parent alleges that the other is unfit to raise their children. If one parent, or their friends, posts pictures of a weekend party with that parent consuming alcohol, or engaging in other potentially dangerous or unsavory behavior, that post could easily find its way into the hands of the other parent. In fact, one is safe to assume that it will.

In turn, that post can be presented a custody evaluator or Guardian Ad Litem in charge of making a recommendation to the court with respect to custody. Likewise, the evidence will eventually be presented to the judge if the case makes its way to trial. This is also true of negative comments made about the other spouse on a blog or during a Facebook chat. The opposing party may even be able to find out the other party is misusing community funds or hiding assets based on what they say in internet postings. Just as the internet can be a great way to research legal topics or sports trivia, it can be an excellent way for opposing parties in court cases to investigate each other's habits, friends, associates and activities.

Any party to a family law proceeding, whether it is a divorce, a paternity action or a renewed dispute over child custody and/or child support, should consult an experienced divorce and family law attorney immediately. As part of that consult, parties should advise their attorney of any information about them that may be available on the internet. Some attorneys advise parties to completely discontinue use of blogs and social networking sites until a divorce action is completed, or at the very least make sure that privacy settings are set as high as possible. Remember that everything a party posts on the internet has the potential to be reviewed by the public and, in turn, is most likely admissible in family court proceedings, which can be very damaging. The best policy is to resist the urge to share on social networking sites. As good as it might feel to share your innermost thoughts, the internet is not an intimate conversation. Instead, it is a public forum and should be treated as such.

Sarah Armstrong
Albuquerque Attorney
www.CollinsAttorneys.com

One of the questions most frequently asked by divorce and family law clients is "How long is this going to take?" There is no easy answer to that question. The first question is where in New Mexico are you filing your divorce, paternity or family law action? The case load for the courts that cover Albuquerque, Rio Rancho and Santa Fe are pretty heavy, so it generally takes several months to get a hearing date in those areas. This wait applies to each and every hearing.

Hearing dates are important because that is the time when parties go before the judge on specific issues related to their divorce when they cannot resolve the issues themselves. Thus the fastest way to conclude the process is through early settlement and/or mediation. If the parties can agree on a the division of property and debt, child support and child custody, and other issues related to the divorce, then they can incorporate those decisions into a marital settlement agreement which upon filing with the Final Decree of Dissolution of Marriage will conclude the process. This can be completed in a matter of weeks when the parties are so motivated.

Often this is not possible for any number of reasons, some legitimate, some not. In many cases, each every step of the divorce is a struggle requiring the intervention of the Court. Each time the court's assistance is enlisted by way of a Motion, the process if further delayed due to long wait necessary to get a hearing on a Motion. Finally, after what could be months extending into years, the parties must at some point go to trial. A trial setting takes even longer to get than a Motion hearing.

In sum, the most efficient way to complete a divorce or family law matter in New Mexico is to understand your rights and responsibilities. Then hope that the other party has done the same. If both parties can behave rationally and reasonably, the process can move pretty quickly. In the absence of reason and rationality, the process can take a very long time. In the case of a high conflict divorce or family law proceeding, the duration of the process is probably the least of your problems. Keep this mind before declaring war on your ex.

Sarah Armstrong
Albuquerque Attorney
www.CollinsAttorneys.com

The court rules governing divorce and family law in New Mexico provide that, whenever a petition for dissolution of marriage is filed, the district court shall enter a temporary domestic order, or TDO. In Albuquerque, Rio Rancho and Santa Fe, the TDO is automatically issued by the court along with the summons when the petition for dissolution of marriage is filed. The TDO applies to both parties to the divorce action and should be personally served upon the respondent, along with the petition for dissolution.

The language of the TDO order may vary from county to county. However, the underlying purpose of the TDO is to ensure that the parties maintain the status quo while the divorce action is pending. This means that neither party can make the other leave the marital residence and neither party can run up debt or sell off assets. The TDO also forbids both parties from removing their children from the state or to otherwise interfere with the children's relationship with the other party.

Parties often disregard the TDO as unimportant, generic paperwork issued by the court. In fact, they may not even read the TDO, which is a big mistake. Violation of the TDO is treated the same way as any other violation a court order and can result in a holding of contempt against the offending party. A contempt finding may result in fines and even jail time.

Due to the potentially severe consequences of violation, any deviation from the terms of the TDO must be approved by the Court prior the action being taken. Given that the TDO applies from the moment a petition for dissolution of marriage is entered, the parties to a divorce action should contact an experience divorce and family law attorney immediately in order to ensure that they understand their rights and responsibilities under the TDO.

Sarah Armstrong
Albuquerque Attorney
www.CollinsAttorneys.com

One of the most complicated and contentious issues in a divorce is the division of marital property and debt. The first great challenge is often identifying and valuating the marital property. Given that New Mexico is a community property state requiring equal division of all marital property and debt, both parties have a significant interest in making sure that all marital assets are properly identified and valued.

Unfortunately, sometimes one or both spouses will try to manipulate assets or asset values. They may try to classify community property as separate property. Other times, one or both parties will try to distort the value of the property, up or down, depending upon motive. Worst case, one or both parties will try to hide assets.

So what can be done if a spouse suspects that the other spouse is hiding assets? The first step is to use the tools available under the New Mexico Rules of Civil Procedure and begin the discovery process. Discovery is the system devised by the courts for the exchange of information in court cases and it can include written requests for information (called interrogatories, requests for production and requests for admission). In a divorce case, the main focus of discovery is getting both parties to accurately identify all of their debts and assets. The discovery process also allows the parties to hold depositions, which is an interview, held under oath at which the spouse being interviewed can be required to answer questions about the existence of assets. Parties can also be required to bring documents to depositions.

If the parties have engaged in the traditional discovery process and one spouse still believes that the other is hiding assets, it may be time for that party to think about hiring an investigator. Such investigators are typically certified public accountants who are trained in reviewing financial records to look for evidence of missing assets. Basically they are looking for a paper trail connecting various deposit and receipts and tracing where all of the marital income went. Sometimes the investigator is appointed by the court as an expert charged with reviewing the financial records provided during discovery.

Hiring an investigator or asking the court to appoint an expert can be very expensive. Neither party is advised to go down this road unless it is absolutely necessary. Often a good forensic accountant will charge more per hour than the attorney. Often a basic review of the documents provided during discovery will show where all of the parties' marital income has been spent and that there isn't' anything to hide. An experienced family law attorney may be able to trace that money and dispel fears of hidden assets without having to hire an expert. Therefore, if a spouse believes that another spouse is hiding assets it is very important to review that claim with an attorney before proceeding.

Under New Mexico law, a victim of domestic abuse can file a petition for order of protection asking the civil court to issue a restraining order (called the Order of Protection from Domestic Abuse) preventing the restrained party from contact with the abused party. The order of protection is an important mechanism available to protect victims of abuse. Unfortunately, as pointed out in recent columns in the Albuquerque Journal, the order of protection is often misused.

For instance, as part of a divorce proceeding, one party will often file a petition for order of protection even though no domestic abuse has occurred. The filing party may do this to prevent the other party from seeing their children or to force the other party from the marital residence. Or the filing party may just file the petition to cause the other party trouble because they then have to hire an attorney and miss work to appear at the hearing on the order of protection. Worse yet, the tactic can be used to literally ruin the other party.

The improper use of the order of protection can cost parties more than just time and money. A temporary order of protection is entered as a result of most petitions and although the temporary order does not make a finding of domestic violence, it is still part of the public record and may hinder the restrained party's ability to find employment or pass a background check. A finding of domestic violence has consequences far beyond the order of protection itself.

This misuse of the legal system is not only hard on the parties involved, but it puts the hearing officers and judges that review petitions for order of protection in a very difficult position. If the hearing officer issues a petition against a party that has not really committed domestic violence, then the restrained party can suffer serious and unfair consequences. On the other hand, if the hearing officer does not issue an order of protection and there really is domestic violence, then the life of the abused party could be in danger.

Given the frequent abuse of domestic violence proceedings, it is very important that parties on both sides consult an attorney prior to filing or immediately after being served with an order of protection. An innocent party's failure to do so may result in the entry of a bogus order of protection. A dishonest person filing a domestic violence action for wrongful purposes if found out by the court, can be facing numerous penalties including loss of child custody and time-sharing and findings of contempt with fines and awards of attorney fees. It is very dangerous game and should be treated as such by all.

Sarah Armstrong
Albuquerque Attorney
www.CollinsAttorneys.com

Being served with divorce papers is extremely stressful and emotional. Often times, the person served has no idea what to do once served. Though the divorce process can be confusing, the initial steps are pretty straight-forward.

The first legal step in a divorce action in New Mexico is the filing of a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, which must be personally served to the opposing party. Once you have been served with the Petition, you have 30 days to file your response, which is called an Answer. At the Second Judicial District Court in Albuquerque, all responsive pleadings, including the Answer, must be filed with the clerk on the first floor of the Bernalillo County Courthouse. Likewise in the Thirteenth Judicial District in Rio Rancho, the Answer must be filed on the first floor with Sandoval County District Court Clerk.

If you are served with a Petition, it is a good idea to meet with a lawyer as soon as possible in order to discuss your rights and responsibilities during the divorce process. Even if you are unable to meet with a lawyer, it is imperative that you file an Answer to the Petition. If you don't, you run the risk that a default judgment will be entered against you. A default judgment means that the Court grants the divorce, including dividing property and debt and deciding child custody and child support, without your input.

The Petition itself is a pretty basic document that simply notifies the Court that the parties are incompatible and that at least the filing party wants a divorce. It will include information about when the parties were married, whether or not they have any children, whether or not one party is entitled to spousal support or alimony and will ask the Court to divide all community and separate property and debt.

Thus, your Answer can be pretty simple too. The Answer should include a line responding to every line in the Petition that states whether or not you agree with each and every statement in the Petition. The Answer does not need to include the details of why you agree or disagree or details about what you want in terms of property or custody. The final details of the divorce will be spelled out in the Marital Settlement Agreement and the Parenting Plan, both of which are filed later on. Keep in mind that your Answer is binding and may be used against you later. As such, you need to be very careful about what you admit or deny.

On the other hand, it is far better to leave details out of the Answer. The details are addressed later through litigation, discovery, mediation, settlement and so. These details are then set forth either by the parties through the Marital Settlement Agreement or Parenting Plan if they are able to work together, or the court if they are not. Even if you have to file the Answer without an attorney, you should definitely discuss the details of the Marital Settlement Agreement and Parenting Plan with a New Mexico divorce lawyer because these documents will affect your rights long into the future.

www.CollinsAttorneys.com

What happens if you file a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage in New Mexico asking the court for a divorce and your spouse never responds? Generally, if a party to a civil case does not respond within the prescribed period of time the Court will award what's called a default judgment granting the petitioning the party the relief it has requested. However, the New Mexico courts do not favor default judgments because it denies the opposing party its day in court. This is especially true of the Second Judicial District family law courts in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho. Often, even if a default order is entered, the court will overturn that order when and opposing spouse finally shows up to protest.

So what should you do in this situation? Even though the New Mexico courts don't like default judgments, filing for a default may be your only option if the opposing party simply refuses to respond. Filing a request for default can also have the added bonus of showing the opposing party that you are serious about pursuing your divorce case and prodding that party into action. Finally, the civil rules of procedure are binding on family law courts just as any other court and those rules do not favor setting aside a default more than a year after the default has been entered. Thus, if the opposing party fails to respond within a year of default, even the family courts will be extremely reluctant to set the default aside absent fraud or other wrongful behavior.

Before the court will grant a default, you must show that the opposing party has been property notified of the pending divorce action. Without proper service, the Court lacks jurisdiction. This can be done by filing an affidavit (a sworn statement) from the sheriff, or process server, that personally served the opposing party, which gives the court proof that the party was served. If you have been unable to personally serve the opposing party because you don't know where he or she is or because they are purposely avoiding service, you can ask the court to allow you to publish notice of the divorce lawsuit in the local paper, which must be done for multiple, consecutive weeks.

After providing proof to the court that notice was either served or published, there are several documents that must be filed to obtain the actual default, including an affidavit that the opposing party is not currently serving in the military, a petition explaining the details of the relief you are requesting and a certificate from the court clerk assuring the judge in your case that the opposing party has not responded. Given the many documents that must be filed to properly obtain a default order, it is important to consult a New Mexico divorce and family law attorney before beginning that process.

www.CollinsAttorneys.com

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act was enacted by Congress to protect members of the armed forces from having to defend against civil suits while on active duty. Given that it is a federal law, the Relief Act applies across the country, but it affects many New Mexico divorce and family cases due to the many service members stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base or Sandia National Laboratory in Albuquerque as well the other military installations across New Mexico.

The Relief Act applies to members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and some members of the National Guard and other government agencies. As you might imagine, the Relief Act, which can be found at 50 U.S.C. App. §§ 501-596, is lengthy and addresses a very wide scope of issues facing servicemembers. Its primary affect on divorce and family law cases comes in Sections 521 and 522, which allow the courts to stay any civil proceeding against a service member for at least 90 days and sometimes longer.

A stay means that the Court essentially puts a case on hold and takes no action for the length of the stay. This means that the Court will place a hold on divorce cases including the division of property and debt, alimony, child custody determinations and awards of child support until the stay is lifted.

For example, two parties to a divorce action live in Albuquerque with their children and the mother is an active duty with the air force and stationed at Kirtland. The parties have decided to get a divorce, but before they file any action, the mother is deployed to serve in Iraq. While mother is serving in Iraq, the father is the primary caregiver for the children, but mother is not paying any of the family bills or child support. Further, when the mother returns from Iraq, she is being transferred to another base outside of New Mexico and threatens that she is taking the children with her. What can the father do in this situation? The answer is that his options are limited by the Relief Act.

Normally, the father would file for divorce by filing a petition for dissolution of marriage to get the divorce case started and ask the court to award interim support and temporary custody. The father can still file the petition, however, it is very difficult to personally serve the mother with the divorce paperwork whiles is serving in Iraq. Further, even if the mother does get proper notice, she can request a stay and the court will not order any support or custody for at least 90 days, leaving the father without any interim financial support or child custody.

The Relief Act and its effect on a family law case can be very complicated. Whether you are a service member involved in a divorce and/or custody dispute or a civilian, it is very important that you contact an attorney as soon as possible after such a dispute begins in order to discuss your rights and limitations under the Relief Act and other relevant laws.

www.CollinsAttorneys.com

A variety of complicated emotional and legal issues arise when a person dies. And those issues get even more complicated when the deceased is involved in a pending divorce action. Does one party's death end the divorce proceeding? Does the surviving spouse serve as personal representative of the deceased spouse's estate? How does the Probate Code (the body of laws governing the estate of a deceased person) interact with the statues governing Domestic Affairs? The New Mexico Court of Appeals addressed these questions in two 2009 cases.

These questions are very important in a divorce action which is after all a dissolution of marriage. A dissolution of marriage means a division of property and debt. All community property and debt must be divided according to the law. It also means that the separate property and debt must be identified and divided as such. The division of property and debt has significant consequences for the parties. The division may also raise claims by creditors against the community property by creditors including mortgage companies, credit card companies, and even the IRS. As such, the fact that divorce legally survives the death of one of the parties is no trivial matter.

In Karpien v. Karpien, a case that arose in Sandoval County, the wife died during the parties' divorce proceeding which is commenced upon filing the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage. The district court appointed the wife's parents as the personal representatives of her estate (the personal representative is the party in charge of distributing the assets and addressing the outstanding obligations of a deceased person). The husband objected to the appointment of the wife's parents and argued that the wife's death essentially ended the divorce proceeding and that he was entitled to his inheritance as the surviving spouse under the Probate Code. The Court of Appeals disagreed with the husband and ruled that, upon the death of a spouse during a divorce proceeding, the divorce proceeding continues and the personal representative is charged with representing the interests of the deceased spouse.

But what if the will of the deceased spouse appoints the surviving spouse as personal representative? Just this situation arose in a case out of Albuquerque known as Oldham v. Oldham, in which the husband died during a divorce proceeding. The husband's will appointed his wife as the personal representative of his estate, which would have meant that the wife was charged with representing the husband's interest against herself in the divorce proceeding. The Court of Appeals overturned that appointment and ruled that such a situation created an inherent conflict of interest on the part of the personal representative, who in this case was the opposing party in the divorce action. The Court of Appeals sent the case back to the district court with instructions that the district court appoint another appropriate person to serve as the personal representative so that the divorce proceeding could be concluded.

When a family member dies, it is always important to consult an attorney about the probate process. And when that death occurs during a divorce, it becomes even more important to consult an attorney to make sure that all parties involved are compliant with both the Probate Code and the Domestic Relations statutes.

www.CollinsAttorneys.com

After an alleged victim (the Protected Party) of domestic violence has filed a Petition for Order of Protection and the Temporary Order of Protection has been entered preventing the alleged abuser (the Restrained Party) from any contact with the alleged victim, the court holds hearing to determine whether or not the Petition provides enough information for the court make a formal finding that domestic abuse has occurred.

These petitions are often filed in the context of a divorce or custody battle. However, they can be filed by any "household member" as defined under the statute. The Family Violence Protection Act statute defines household member as follows:

"household member" means a spouse; former spouse; family member, including a relative, parent, present or former stepparent, present or former in-law, child or co-parent of a child; or a person with whom the petitioner has had a continuing personal relationship. Cohabitation is not necessary to be deemed a household member for purposes of this section."

A parent can also file a Petition in order to protect their minor child. The court must find that a preponderance of the evidence provided at the hearing shows that an act of domestic abuse has occurred.

According to the Family Violence Protection Act, the definition of domestic abuse is very broad, but it basically defined as an incident by a household member against another household member and includes things like actual physical harm, severe emotional distress or just making a threat that causes the Protected Party reasonably think that the Restrained Party might harm them.

A finding of domestic abused can have serious implications. The court records of these civil domestic violence Petitions are not accessible to the public in New Mexico, however, all Orders of Protection are reported to the database maintained by the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), which is accessible to all law enforcement agencies in the country. A finding of domestic violence results in registry in the database as a domestic violence offender.

Registry as a domestic violence offender has numerous severe consequences. The full faith and credit clause requires that every state recognize and enforce the Orders of Protection issued by another state. Many employers, especially for jobs that require any kind of security clearance, will request that a potential employee report whether or not any findings of domestic abuse or violence have ever been made against them. And, under the federal gun control regulation, a finding of domestic abuse will prevent a Restrained Party from ever owning or possessing a firearm. This includes firearms used in hunting. It also includes firearms used in the course of law enforcement and the military effectively barring domestic violence offenders from law enforcement and military service in the absence of waivers. Finally, a finding of domestic violence serious immigration consequences including immigration removal proceedings for deportation and exclusion of the domestic violence offender from the United States.

Due to the severe consequences of a fidnign of domestic violence and the rather liberal burdens and rules of evidence in domestic violence hearings, the parties to a Petition may want to enter into a Stipulated Order of Protection, in which the Restrained Party agrees to comply with an extended Order of Protection, but a full evidentiary hearing is not held and there is no finding of domestic abuse. Both the alleged victim and the alleged abuser benefit from this arrangement particularly in cases where there are support issues. After all, it does little good to have family's provider fired from his job or worse, deported from the United States.

A party facing the a Petition for Order of Protection from Domestic Violence should discuss the implications of a finding of domestic violence and a Stipulated Order of Protection with their attorney or the court itself at the prior to the beginning of the hearing.

www.CollinsAttorneys.com

A Domestic Violence Order of Protection is a type of restraining order issued to protect victims of domestic violence and abuse, which is authorized by the Family Violence Protection Act. In New Mexico, including Albuquerque, Rio Rancho and Santa Fe, anyone can file a Petition for an Order of Protection at the Domestic Violence office on the second floor of the Second Judicial District Courthouse. It is not necessary to have an attorney to file a Domestic Violence Order of Protection.

By statute, the Court cannot charge the alleged victim (called the Protected Party) for filing the Petition and the sheriff's office cannot charge a fee for serving the alleged abuser (called the Restrained Party) with Petition and Temporary Order of Protection.

A Domestic Violence Order of Protection is separate from criminal domestic violence charges that are filed in metropolitan, magistrate or district court. In cases of criminal domestic violence actions, the police or district attorney's office will file domestic violence criminal charges based on an alleged incident of abuse in a criminal case. In a Petition for an Order of Protection from Domestic Violence is filed by the alleged or his/her attorney. ,

It is possible for criminal charges and an Order of Protection to arise from the same incident. These Petitions for Order of Protection Against Domestic Violence are often filed during a divorce proceeding or a custody dispute. Unfortunately, these petitions are often used as a weapon in a divorce or custody matter with no real basis for the petition. A party accused of an act of domestic abuse may file a response to the Petition or may also file a Counter-Petition against the party alleging the abuse.

The standard required to file a Petition is very low. Essentially, a Protected Party just has to swear to the court that they have been a victim of domestic abuse and describe the abuse in the Petition. Then the court will issue a Temporary Order of Protection, which means that the Restrained Party cannot have any contact with the Protected Party.
The Petition and Temporary Order must be personally served on the Restrained Party and the Order will set a hearing when the alleged abuser must appear before the court.

Many jurisdiction, including Albuquerque's Second Judicial District and Santa Fe's First Judicial District, have appointed designated domestic violence hearing officers or special commissioners to hold the hearings on Petitions for Orders of Protection. The hearing officer or special commissioner will hear all the evidence and issue all the findings at the hearing and then issue a report that the presiding district court judge will approve.

All testimony at these hearings is on the record and under oath. Either party may have an attorney, but unlike criminal proceedings, an attorney is not provided for you by the State. The Protected Party has the burden of showing the court by a preponderance of the evidence that an incident of domestic abuse has occurred. Preponderance of the evidence basically means that it is more likely than not that domestic abuse occurred. This is a fairly low burden unlike the burden in criminal cases. In addition, the rules of evidence and procedure can be a little lax in domestic violence hearings. It is therefore necessary to defend the actions pretty aggressively if the allegations are without merit.

Should the hearing officer find that domestic violence has occurred, an Order of Protection will be issued for a 6 month period. These Orders can be extended for an additional 6 months through the filing of a Motion to Extend Order of Protection upon a showing of good cause.

Either party may file objections to the Hearing Officer's findings and report within 10 days of the issuance of the report. The matter will then be reheard before a District Court Judge.

www.CollinsAttorneys.com

There are a variety of reasons why a couple might seek an annulment rather than a divorce, ranging from religious values to the fact that they just don't like the sound of the word divorce. The purpose of an annulment as opposed to a divorce is that an annulment renders a marriage void, as if it never happened, whereas a divorce dissolves the marriage. Unfortunately, those who seek an annulment in New Mexico are most likely going to be disappointed.

Unlike a divorce, which can be filed in New Mexico for any reason or no reason at all under the "no-fault" divorce doctrine, an annulment can be filed for only very limited reasons. In New Mexico, a marriage can only be annulled by the Court if the marriage violated one of the requirements for a valid marriage from the beginning of the marriage.

For instance if one of the spouses was not old enough to property consent to the marriage, then the marriage is invalid as a matter of law. A person must be 18 years old to consent to a marriage unless they are 16 or older and have parental consent. A person younger than 16 is only allowed to marry by an order of the New Mexico Children's Court. Likewise, a person may lack the mental capacity to consent. Other legal prohibitions making the marriage invalid from the inception are the presence of incest or bigamy.

The presence of fraud can also be a grounds for annulment. However, this typically relates back to one of the aforementioned criteria. While it is conceivable that another situation might lead the Court to grant an annulment on the basis of fraud, the grounds for an annulment are very narrow. Unfortunately, fraud does not include such grounds as "he/she said he/she was rich," or "he/she is a completley different person now that we are married." That's not fraud. It's just bad luck, bad taste or bad judgment.

www.CollinsAttorneys.com

In New Mexico, the divorce process begins with the filing of a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage with the District Court of the County where one or both spouses have lived for at least six months prior to that filing. In order for the Courts of New Mexico to have jurisdiction over the case, one of parties must have lived in the State for at least six months.

While there are multiple grounds on which the Court can grant a divorce, New Mexico has what is often referred to as a "no fault" divorce policy, which means that the Court will grant a divorce based solely on the incompatibility of spouses. The vast majority of divorces in New Mexico are granted on the basis of incompatibility.

The Petition is a basic document, in which one spouse requests the Court enter an order dissolving the marriage. The Petition must include the following information: the date of the marriage; the names and ages of any children born to the marriage; and the date of the separation of the spouses. Primarily, the Petition also asks the Court to: divide and distribute the spouses' community property and community debt; identify and award any separate property and separate debt; determine child custody of any children born the marriage; determine child support for those children; and, award spousal support, also called alimony, if appropriate.

In most cases, after the filing of the Petition begins the process, the other major documents left to be filed with the Court are called: the Marital Settlement Agreement, often referred to as an MSA; the Parenting Plan; and, the Final Decree. The MSA is a detailed agreement that identifies and divides the community property and debt of the parties. The Parenting Plan, which is often incorporated into the MSA, specifically outlines custody and visitation arrangements for any children born to the marriage and will include a Child Support Worksheet explaining how child support will be paid between the spouses. The Final Decree is the final order of the Court adopting the contents of the MSA and Parenting Plan and granting the spouses a divorce.

Of course, in a complicated and/or contentious divorce there can be countless other documents filed with the Court as the spouses try to settle the issues division of property and debt, alimony, child custody and child support. There may be many other issues along the way such as domestic violence and orders of protection.

However, every divorce action will begin with a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage and end with some final order of dissolution of the marriage. There are many possible roads from one point to the other. The shortest and least contentious route is generally the best for the parties, the children and if that is not enough, the parties' money.

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Unfortunately, prior to or during a divorce or custody action, one of the parents will sometimes relocate with the children to another state, often leaving without obtaining the permission of the other parent. Whether a parent leaves New Mexico for another state or the parent relocates to New Mexico with one of the children, the innocent parent needs to understand their rights, which largely are dependent upon which state's courts have jurisdiction over the children to the marriage or relationship.

Jurisdiction generally describes a court's power to decide a case or issue. A court cannot decide a case when it does not have jurisdiction over the people involved in that case and the subject matter of the case. State courts generally have the power to decide family law issues such as divorce, property division, child custody, and child support. It is important to remember that custody refers to more than just the physical location of the children and their visitation with the other parent, it includes decision-making power over issues such as where the children go to school, the children's religious practices, important medical decisions concerning the children, and even what extracurricular activities the children will participate in.

In New Mexico and most other states, the courts do not gain jurisdiction over the issue of child custody until the child has legally resided in the state for a period of six months or more. The phrase "legally resided" means that the child has not been brought to New Mexico or removed from New Mexico in violation of an existing Court Order or in violation of the other parent's rights. Thus, the second state to which the children have been relocated, whether it is New Mexico or another state will not have jurisdiction over the issue of child custody until the child has lived in the new state for six months. The state from which the children were removed will retain jurisdiction during this six month interim period.

In the absence of jurisdiction, any court actions filed in the new state should be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. The only pleading you should file in the new State is a Motion to Dismiss for Lack of Jurisdiction. You should file no other pleadings and avoid asking the court for any other relief. Filing of other motions or enlisting the assistance of the Court in enforcing other matters may be construed as consent to the Court's jurisdiction. Unless this is your intention, then you need to be very careful in responding to any actions filed in the new state.

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