When you are preparing for divorce in New Mexico, it is about more than just getting your assets and finances in order. Finding the right lawyer is incredibly important. After all, it’s your lawyer who will be representing your interests and helping you pull together your team for the proceedings. A divorce case is usually not entirely straightforward, requiring support from other professionals as it unfolds. Financial advisors, mediators, accountants, real estate agents and parenting experts can all have a strong impact on the outcome of your case. When you decide on your family law attorney, you also need to understand the importance of getting a team together for your divorce who will be able to give you the guidance and resources you need.
The Potential Members
In an ideal scenario, your divorce team will support your legal objectives, financial limits, personal wishes and parenting goals as your case moves along. There are many people who could end up a part of your team, including:
• A divorce attorney and his or her team, which may include other legal professionals
• Counselors and therapists
• Mediators and parenting evaluators
• Private investigators
• Tax professionals, appraisers, accountants, real estate agents and financial advisors
Your divorce team, however, will not be composed entirely of professionals. Some of those people should be personally enriching, such as family members, trusted friends, religious leaders from your faith, and therapists both you and your children are comfortable with. If you do have children, finding support for them from family members, teachers and even their regular babysitter is important, too. Parenting experts can also help, especially if you may need some creative solutions for your child custody arrangements.
The divorce can also be expensive, even when the case is relatively straightforward. You’re also going from one household with two incomes to one income. To help prepare for legal expenses, the financial changes divorce brings and your financial future, you may want to work with tax professionals, financial advisors and accountants. If you have a lot of assets or your financial situation is complex, you may need a team of financial experts to ensure your interests are protected and that everything is accounted for.
Although your divorce attorney will provide most of your support, you may need other experts to help reach the outcomes you are hoping for in your case, avoid problems and defend all of your assets. If, for example, you think your spouse may be hiding some assets from you, a private investigator or forensic accountant can help search for those hidden assets or accounts. Real estate appraisers and agents may be helpful during the property distribution part of your divorce involving real estate, and other appraisers might be needed for high-value items. New Mexico is a community property state, so the court will divide your assets and debts 50-50. Therefore, it’s important you have a full understanding of all assets and debts in your divorce so you are not shortchanged in any way.
Be Sure to Build the Right Team
When you are working with an experienced divorce attorney in New Mexico, he or she will help you create the team you need for your particular divorce case. This can make a big difference in how your case goes, especially if you own a businesses, have children or have assets that you want to protect. Give your attorney all of the details about your current situation so that he or she has the complete picture of your case and can help you assemble the team you will need as you go through the proceedings.