What is an Order to Show Cause

Most family law cases involve situations where one side believes that the other side has violated a court order. Whether purposeful or not, a violation of a court order can cause disruption to both parents, …

What is Parental Alienation

Parental alienation is the process, and the result, of psychological manipulation of a child into showing unwarranted fear, disrespect or hostility towards a parent and/or other family members. It’s a real concern in many custody …

When Should Child Support be Modified

New Mexico law allows for child support to be modified whenever there is a material and substantial change in circumstances. There is a presumption that there is a material and substantial change in circumstances whenever …

Key Witnesses in a Custody Case

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 …