This the Part II of our blog discussing reasons that you may want to obtain legal advice and/or retain legal representation if you are facing the prospect of a New Mexico divorce. It is worth noting that most attorneys who get divorced in New Mexico retain an experienced New Mexico Divorce Attorney so it makes sense that a layperson is usually not best served by trying to handle his or her own divorce. Anyone without knowledge of matrimonial law, courtroom rules and procedure, the rules of evidence and experience with factual scenarios takes an enormous risk by not entrusting a trained legal professional with critical issues like custody of their children, spousal maintenance and the equitable distribution of property. If you have not yet read Part I of this blog post, Click Here to do so now.
A New Mexico divorce lawyer can help you obtain a favorable custody arrangement.
When the parties to a divorce disagree on timeshare and other custody arrangements, this determination by a judge is based on the best interest of the child based on a long list of factors. This is a highly fact specific inquiry so experience with how judge weigh and evaluate the importance of parental involvement in school, the parent-child bond, contact with extended family, issues of parental fitness and more can substantially impact the outcome of a custody case both in divorce and paternity actions. The court has many options when constructing custody arrangements so representation by someone who has the experience to advocate for realistic and/or creative alternatives given your situation can be invaluable. Because our New Mexico child custody attorneys may have represented parents in front of the judge hearing your case, we often can suggest a range of custody arrangements that the judge is likely to impose to facilitate informed decisions during child custody negotiations.
Experienced divorce attorneys can assist you in obtaining the property distribution you are entitled to receive.
While spouses involved in a divorce have a fiduciary duty to provide financial disclosures to a spouse regarding the extent of one’s marital assets and debt as well as the value of the property. Sometimes spouses try to game the system by hiding assets, making inappropriate transfers to family or friends and otherwise being less than candid and forthright when negotiating a property settlement. Our New Mexico divorce lawyers conduct careful discovery, analyze bank and credit card statements, scrutinize business documents and otherwise investigate to protect our clients from inappropriate deception that could result in an unfair division of community property.
The above information is provided to illustrate general principles of law and should not be interpreted as a specific legal opinion on an individual case. You should contact experienced legal counsel to get specific legal advice that is based upon your specific circumstances.
We invite you to review the prior (Click Here) and succeeding parts of this blog post for additional reasons why you need an attorney when you are involved in a New Mexico divorce. The New Mexico Divorce Law Firm of Jay Goodman & Associates offers a free consultation in our centrally located offices in Santa Fe and Albuquerque so that we can discuss your options. Call us today to schedule your free consultation at (505) 989-8117 to learn about your rights and options.
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