DNA Testing & Abatement of Child Support

As a guardian ad litem (GAL) and domestic relations mediator in New Mexico, I occasionally meet men confronting the question of whether they can or should seek belated DNA testing to either challenge, or avoid a child support order.  As a mediator I can only provide legal information (if competent to do so), not legal advice, so I cannot answer that question directly.  However, I often encourage the parent to think of this as not just a legal question, but a personal and moral one

Ok if Court Can't Determine WHICH Parent Abused Child

As a guardian ad litem (GAL) and domestic relations mediator in New Mexico, I take special interest in unusual court cases involving children.  In an important child welfare case, the New Mexico Court of Appeals has recently reaffirmed that adjudication of child abuse is not dependent on a finding of which parent abused the child, despite some changes to statutory language.  Since abuser parents often act in complicity if not concert, this ruling significantly advances child welfare in New Mexico.

Is Media Making Our Kids Too Sexy Too Soon?

As a domestic relations mediator and child protection worker (CASA and GAL)--and a parent--I have occasion to wonder if the media is making our kids too precocious too soon.  In So Sexy So Soon (2008), authors Diane E. Levin, PhD and Jean Kilbourne, EdD weigh in and conclude that is the case.  While I do not agree with all of their premises or prejudices, there is still considerable merit to their book

Hard Times Get Tougher?

I am an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Professional in New Mexico, and I wrote earlier in the year on another blog about "the new normal" of low, slow growth.  Recently, the Chief Economist for the Bank of New York Mellon, Richard B. Hoey, suggested that the situation could now be quite worse.  

The Intersection of Bankruptcy and Divorce

Increasingly when couples come to me today seeking to mediate their New Mexico divorce, it quickly becomes apparent that they need to consider bankruptcy.  Although an attorney, I do not do bankruptcies, so I generally insist that they take a time out from the process (a few days or weeks) to confer with or consider conferring with a bankruptcy attorney.  In New Mexico, the State Bar generally conducts a Consumer Debt/Bankruptcy Workshop every 4th Wednesday of each month, at 6:00 p.m., at the State Bar offices at  5121 Masthead NE, Albuquerque. (To sign up, call 505.797.6094.)  

Here's is a very brief and superficial overview of bankruptcy, and bankruptcy issues arising in divorce.