Child Custody Lawyers Albuquerque NM

Child Custody Lawyer Albuquerque

Going through a child custody battle is stressful. It can be an incredibly emotional experience for any parent. When your child's wellbeing and future are at stake, you want to make sure you have the best legal support on your side. This is where working with an experienced Albuquerque child custody lawyer can make all the difference. When you search online for the search term, child custody lawyers Albuquerque NM, the lawyer to come to is Anthony Griego, the managing member of The Law Office of Anthony Griego, LLC, and one of the best child custody lawyers in Albuquerque,  because he provides the best dedicated legal support you need to help you secure your child's future.

As a parent in New Mexico, it's important to understand how the family courts in the State determine custody arrangements. Their primary goal is upholding the best interests of the child. The court will consider factors like the child's relationship with each parent, their mental and physical health needs, and their ability to adjust to different home environments. Older children may have more say in expressing their preferences to the judge, but is not necessarily the deciding factor.

Throughout this complex legal process, a knowledgeable lawyer will advise and guide you to help show why you are a capable, loving parent well-suited to meeting your child's needs. With strong legal advocacy on your side, you can feel empowered to fight for the custody outcome that allows you to remain an active, positive force in your child's life.

The Basics of New Mexico Family Law Court

New Mexico family law courts aim to make child custody decisions based on preserving the wellbeing, stability, and development of the child. When making a determination on custody, the court relies on specific factors, like:

• The mental and physical health of parents and children
• The relationship dynamic between family members
• The child's adjustment ability across different home environments
• Parental ability to provide financially and emotionally.

Children older than 14 have more influence in expressing their custody preferences directly to the judge.

No matter the custody arrangement, the court strives to ensure it aligns with the child's best interests. However, when parents cannot agree, this can spur court-mandated counseling or mediation sessions first aiming to resolve conflicts out of court.

Paternity Case

For unmarried parents, establishing paternity often comes first before tackling child support or custody discussions. Getting clarity on legal parentage from the outset helps provide direction on next steps. Once paternity is determined, parents can file petitions seeking arrangements on:

• Child custody and visitation schedules
• Child support assessments and payments
• Shared custody where both parents split major child-rearing decisions.

Relocating with Your Child

As a parent, you always want what's best for your kids, even when that means difficult changes like moving to a new home in another town or state. In New Mexico, relocating with your child brings some extra-legal considerations, whether the move is temporary or more permanent.

For short-term moves like vacations, providing basic travel details to your co-parent may suffice. But for a bigger relocation across state lines, approval gets more complicated, especially if you share custody. Unless you have sole legal custody awarded by the court, relocating out of state requires notifying your co-parent and likely the court.

An experienced child custody lawyer can help guide you on proper relocation protocols. They’ll review your custody order and situation to advise if court permission is mandatory or if you might reach an agreement directly with your co-parent first. With so much on the line, you need caring legal experts supporting you through this transition process.

The Law Office of Anthony Griego, LLC

At the Law Office of Anthony Griego, their New Mexico child custody attorneys offer compassionate yet strong advocacy to our clients throughout the state. They take time to understand your unique situation and goals as a parent.

Child custody cases can quickly become complex, overwhelming, and high stakes. But you don’t have to tackle this alone. Their legal team stands ready to review your case details, maintain diligent organization, anticipate key issues and defend your rights at every turn.

When your child’s future hangs in the balance, you need more than just representation. You need allies who will fight tooth and nail to help you achieve a fair, equitable custody arrangement allowing you to remain an active, loving force in your kid’s daily life.

Legal Custody of Children

In child custody cases, New Mexico family courts typically default to joint legal custody agreements, believing two involved parents makes for a child's healthiest upbringing.

Legal custody means the right to make important life decisions about a child's well-being - where they attend school, healthcare choices, religious upbringing and more. If parents share joint legal custody, they have equal say and must collaborate on major choices impacting their child.

Sometimes, sole legal custody gets awarded to only one parent in certain situations:

• Concerns about drug abuse
• History of domestic violence
• Significant criminal offenses
• Child abuse findings
• The inability of the parties to co-parent effectively.

With sole custody, one parent retains full authority over legal decision-making regarding that child. However, the other parent usually still gets arranged visitation rights barring safety issues.

Joint Legal Custody

Joint legal custody embodies the idea that children benefit most when both parents play an active, equitable role in raising them. Parents collaborate on making big decisions about their child’s healthcare, education, religious upbringing and general welfare.

The court assumes separated parents will share joint legal custody together in alignment with a time-share schedule where physical custody rotates relatively evenly. Judges believe this equal involvement from both mom and dad provides kids with the healthiest childhood with greater emotional stability, balanced perspectives and consistent nurturing.

However, some complex situations may warrant sole legal custody to better shield the affected child. For example, if one parent struggles with substance abuse or domestic assault charges, the judge must protect the vulnerable minor by limiting the other party's legal authority. Child abuse allegations similarly cannot be ignored when determining custody.

Physical Custody and Visitation

In child custody cases, physical custody determines how much time kids spend with each separated parent. Courts refer to these blocks with each parent as “periods of responsibility.”

If one parent has significantly more physical custody, they become known as the “primary custodian” while the other parent typically receives scheduled visitation rights. However, physical custody agreements vary widely based on factors like:

• Child age & development needs
• Both parents' schedules and availability
• Maintaining healthy bonds with both mom and dad

The court's top priority is upholding the child's best interests when approving any physical custody and visitation arrangements between parents.

Factors to Consider When Determining Child Custody

In contentious custody battles, tensions understandably run high between separating parents. But staying child-focused remains absolutely essential for their wellbeing.

New Mexico family courts determine all child custody matters based on that steadfast “best interest of the child” standard. Specific factors judges’ weigh include:

• Child's age & existing relationship with each parent
• Primary caregivers and closest emotional bonds
• Any history of parental substance abuse
• Physical/mental health of all parties
• Parents' ability to cooperate and communicate.
• Work schedules allow family time.

With so many unique variables in every family, custody arrangements end up highly customized on a case-by-case basis. Definitions of “best interest” adapt to each child's evolving needs.

Bottom line - children require stability, security, affection and support to thrive. So parents must put their own interests and egos aside to pursue solutions upholding those crucial elements first and foremost.

Why The Law Office of Anthony Griego, LLC?

At the Law Office of Anthony Griego, their New Mexico child custody lawyers appreciate how gut-wrenching these cases feel for parents. Divorce takes its toll on everyone.

That's why their attorneys actively search for common ground - custody compromises allowing both mom and dad to remain positively engaged in their children’s daily lives with minimal conflict. This child-centric mediation approach aims to avoid exacerbating an already challenging transition for the kids.

Every family's story is different. Their legal team strives to resonate with each parent’s perspective, goals and heartaches while also uplifting the child’s best interests at every step. Compassion plus pragmatism guides their counsel.

If you seek caring New Mexico child custody advocates ready to help you secure a fair, balanced solution, contact the Law Office of Anthony Griego today at 505-417-2729 for a consultation. Put their decades of trusted family law experience on your side.