Do you remember when your child said their first word? No matter what it was, we bet it was a cause for celebration!  You were probably excited that your baby wanted to connect with you. Sad they were growing up so fast. And relieved that they would soon be able to tell you what was wrong instead of just crying. All that from a one or two syllable exclamation!  It just goes to show you how powerful words are, particularly when they help bond with our family members. The desire for this connection does not diminish even when our relationships with family members change. Communicating ..read more

Television shows and movies about the legal process often culminate in a dramatic courtroom scene where the good guys win, the bad guys lose, and everyone walks out the door satisfied that justice was served. Outside of Hollywood, the legal system works a little bit differently. Most family law disputes in the Albuquerque area are not resolved in public trials. Instead, families work with their attorneys to negotiate divorce settlements, child custody agreements, and support payments behind closed doors. Those plans are then presented to a New Mexico family court judge for approval. This syste ..read more

Mark Twain once quipped, “The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin.” Albuquerque area parents who are filing their taxes for the first time post-divorce are likely to agree.  Making sure your taxes are done properly after splitting up with your child’s other parent can be a painful process because you must ensure child support payments are correctly accounted for, and double check that the appropriate parent is claiming the child as a dependent. A slip up could get you in trouble with the IRS, or threaten your ability to get income-ba ..read more

Back in the 1970s, David Bowie warned us that sometimes you have to “turn and face the strange” when it’s time to make some ch-ch-ch-ch-changes. It’s good advice to keep in mind if ch-ch-changes in employment, income, marital status, health, or your children’s needs necessitate a modification to the terms of your existing child support agreements.  At Matteucci Family Law, Attorney Bob Matteucci helps New Mexico families who need to modify their existing child support order find a path forward while meeting their children’s needs.  When Can Child Support be Changed in New Mexico?&nbs ..read more

When David Letterman was the host of the Late Show he used to do this bit where he would read a top ten list of items that related to a common theme. The first list ever was “The Top Ten Words That Almost Rhyme With ‘Peas’” and things only got more absurd from there, with the lists often skewering popular culture or current events.  Though Letterman himself was no stranger to the family court system, the Late Show featured shockingly few Top Ten Lists dedicated to the topic. To remedy that, here is a list of the Top 10 Benefits of Choosing Divorce Mediation Over Litigation. 10. You’re Not ..read more

Splitting up with your child’s other parent is never easy. Even when you know it is the right thing to do, it is still an arduous process.  Setting up separate households, shuttling your kid back and forth, and trying to co-parent as you negotiate a custody agreement and parenting plan is tough. You and your former partner both want what’s best for your child, but figuring out what that means can be a challenge.  With all this going on, you may be under the assumption that coming to an agreement on child support payments will be another tense conversation. However, calculating child ..read more

Those of us who are a bit more… mature… are often baffled by the slang we hear the younger generation using. We can never remember if “no cap” is good or bad, and we “fr fr” are a bit concerned about “rizz.”  But young people aren’t the only ones with their own language. Lawyers are just as bad — or worse! — about using acronyms, Latin phrases, or words that have a distinct meaning in family law cases, without considering if the people we are talking to know what we are talking about.  At Matteucci Family Law, we go out of our way to ensure our clients in the Albuquerque area fully u ..read more

As children, we were all told the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. In case you need a refresher, it’s the one where a young girl named Goldilocks breaks into the home of three bears, riffles through their belongings, then falls asleep in the littlest bear’s bed. When the bears return they either eat her, chase her off, or help her find her way home — depending on which version you are reading. Kids love the story because they like the idea of exploring a bear family’s home, but they also identify with Goldilocks and her pursuit of things that are “just right.” Driven by their innate cu ..read more

If you have business experience, you know the law of supply and demand is not the only regulation you need to be concerned about. There are a number of rules that govern everything from your outdoor signage to what posters you display in the employee break room. We’ve reached the point where running a business actually means running a complex compliance program.  You can take this same paradigm and apply it to New Mexico’s child custody laws. Acting in the best interests of your child is the bedrock principle, but there are a number of laws that have been passed to explain what policymake ..read more

Figuring out how to co-parent with your former partner is never easy. While you both want what is best for your children, you likely will disagree about what that means. Whether you are figuring out who gets primary physical custody, where your child is going to celebrate Christmas, or what sports your kid is allowed to play, having a formal child custody agreement in place is important.  At Matteucci Family Law, Attorney Bob Matteucci helps couples in Albuquerque and across the state of New Mexico negotiate a parenting plan that fairly apportions physical custody of their child and addre ..read more