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Jay Mueller: Posted on Saturday, April 14, 2018 7:51 AM
Top 10 Things NOT to Do When You Divorce
Here
are the top 10 tips onwhat to avoid when filing for divorce.
1. If you’re a woman, don't get pregnant.
If you’re a man don’t get anybody pregnant.
Having a new baby during the pendency
of your divorce is problematic. Not only is not healthy for you or the baby,
but it can be off-putting to the Court should the judge find out. Likewise, if you’re
a man, don’t get anybody pregnant. Although New Mexico is a no-fault state, the
Court won’t be happy to hear that Dad has a new family in the making before he’s
even divorced. |
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Posted on Tuesday, March 27, 2018 10:19 AM
Eight Important Things to Do Before Filing for Divorce or
Separation People often rush to moving out for filing for divorce without
thinking it completely through. Here’s Eight Important Things to Do Before
Filing for Divorce/Separation or Moving Out.
1.
If possible, remain in the marital residence for
as long as possible. In most cases, both spouses have equal rights to the home
until the issue has been ruled on by a judge. It’s easier to keep that which
you have always had rather than fighting for a home you haven’t lived in for months. |
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Jay R Mueller: Posted on Friday, November 03, 2017 9:39 PM
In my fifteen years of experience, I have found that courts (not always to be sure) try to make child custody decisions
based on what is in the child’s best interest; simple as that.
Typically, the judge weighs a number of various interrelated factors. While the factors vary from state-to-state, they may generally include: - The strength of each parent-child relationship. This is called "bonding". Sometimes a judge will hear evidence about the parent-child bond through a therapist's testimony;
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Jay R Mueller: Posted on Friday, November 03, 2017 9:21 PM
If your custody case is OUTSIDE of Bernalillo County, chances are, at some point someone will mention an Advisory Consultant. In Bernalillo County, oftentimes families/parties are referred to the Court Clinic. The Court Clinic plays an integral part in custody decisions in many cases. However what happens when you don't live in Albuquerque?
If your case is in Valencia County, Sandoval County, or Cibola County you don't have access to a court clinic to help determine custody arrangements. Instead when parties reach an impasse they may be ordered to meet with an "Advisory Consultant". |
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Jay R Mueller: Posted on Friday, November 03, 2017 4:08 PM
One question people ask me is whether they need an attorney to represent them in their child custody and/or family law matter. Short answer...Nope! You do not need a lawyer to represent you.
In the United States and New Mexico specifically, you do not need a lawyer to represent you. You have a right to represent yourself in court. You can go to court, file pleadings, and argue your case. Many people do. I know this because they hire me to fix the mess.
Truth be told, many people have represented themselves in court and some folks have done pretty well for themselves. |
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Jay R Mueller: Posted on Friday, July 17, 2015 11:25 AM
What is the difference between joint and sole custody?
Custody is a legal term and refers to whom, whether parent(s)
guardian, state, or otherwise, has the legal ability to make decisions on
behalf of the child(ren). Custody is not exactly the same as where the kids
live. The details of where the kids will spend their time, which schools they
will attend, which churches if any they will attend, extracurricular activities
etc. are governed by the parenting plan. Generally speaking, custody can be
divided into two broad categories: joint custody and sole custody. |
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Jay R Mueller: Posted on Tuesday, June 16, 2015 5:37 AM
Where
do Child Custody and Child Support Laws Come From?
People
ask all the time, where do child custody and child support laws come from? Are
the laws in each state completely different? Are these laws even
constitutional? Let’s find out.
Family
law in the United States comes from several sources. Primarily, family law is a
state affair and much of the laws governing child custody and child support are
state statutory law. These laws are found in each states’ codified statutes
and/or codes. In New Mexico, we have Chapter 40 of the New Mexico Statutes
Annotated 1978. |
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Jay R Mueller: Posted on Tuesday, June 09, 2015 4:01 PM
What
to Do If the Other Parent Isn’t Paying Their Child Support Obligation
First, Get It
in Writing!
In
all fifty states, child support obligations are created by court orders. You
probably got your child support order as part of a divorce or previous child
custody/child support case. Even if you didn’t go to court in person—which can
happen in cases where the parties reached an out of court stipulated agreement,
there should still be something in writing. That’s your starting point. Even if
you’d rather resolve the issue out of court, a court order gives you something
to legally enforce. |
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Jay R Mueller: Posted on Monday, June 08, 2015 1:14 PM
Most people would agree that parents
should be financially responsible for their children at least to the best of
their abilities. Child support amounts can be modified if situations warrant. In
most jurisdictions and New Mexico is no exception, child support can be
modified whenever there is a change in circumstances. The parent alleging the
change in circumstances has the burden of proving that there has been a
"significant change in circumstances."
In New Mexico, anytime there is a
significant change in custody, you should have an attached child support
worksheet. |
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Jay R Mueller: Posted on Monday, June 01, 2015 10:04 AM
How to
Guarantee that You Won’t be the Custodial Parent
Before you read any further, I realize what I’m about to
present is plain common sense. I’m not trying to insult your intelligence but
you would be utterly surprised at the number of times intelligent people do
rather dumb things when it comes to their personal lives and especially when a
court hearing is on the calendar. So I am going to take a different approach
because some folks benefit more from hearing what they shouldn’t do rather than
what they should do. |
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