Custody cases, like any other case, requires witnesses to testify about important facts. This testimony can occur in a trial or hearing where evidence is taken for purposes of the court making a decision on …
How to Establish Paternity
Paternity issues are governed in New Mexico by the Uniform Parentage Act. Paternity means fatherhood. Establishing paternity gives your child a legal father. This is important because it establishes rights to inheritance, custody and child …
How to Terminate Parental Rights
Termination of parental rights in New Mexico is a tricky subject. We often have people who have no relationship with a child, owe a tremendous amount of back support and seek to terminate their parental …
What is Emancipation?
The idea of emancipation arises in two contexts under New Mexico law. First, a child who has reached the age of 16 and who is living on their own and can prove that they are …
Do Grandparents Have Rights?
We often hear people contacting us to discuss grandparents rights. While we understand what they are asking the requests are really wrong. This is because in a strict sense, grandparents do not have “rights” to …
What is the Difference Between Children’s Court and Family Court
Sometimes there is confusion over the difference between children’s court and family court. After all aren’t children part of a family? That is a common misunderstanding but there is a tremendous difference in the two …
How to Handle a CYFD Investigation
One of the worse things a parent can go through is coming face to face with a CYFD investigation. The humiliation, fear and intimidation that comes from a CYFD investigation may feel overwhelming. Here are …
What To Do When Your Child Has Bruises
Imagine this event. You send your child to the other parent’s house for the weekend, per your parenting agreement. The child never has had a problem going before but this time seems different. The child …
What Does Sole Legal Custody Mean
There is a lot of misunderstanding about sole legal custody and joint legal custody. In New Mexico when you talk about legal custody all you are really talking about is who makes the the major …
How to Overcome Sole Legal Custody
Some people are living with a custody situation where the other party was granted sole legal custody. This is a challenging situation whenever one is faced with such a dilemma. This is especially true in …