Practice Area

Family Law

Compassionate, experienced representation in divorce, custody, and every chapter of family change.

30+

Years of family law practice

1,000+

Families represented

100+

Children represented as GAL

60–90

Days for uncontested divorce

Overview

How we help families like yours

For more than 30 years, our attorneys have guided New Mexico families through the most personal and consequential legal matters of their lives. Whether your case calls for collaborative resolution or fierce courtroom advocacy, we bring the depth of experience, the personal attention, and the steady judgment your family deserves.

Sheryl L. Saavedra

Lead attorney

Sheryl Saavedra →

What we handle

Areas of representation

Tap any service to see how we approach it.

Includes

  • ›Marital Settlement Agreements (MSAs)
  • ›Equitable division of community property and debt
  • ›Spousal support (alimony) modeling and negotiation
  • ›Legal separation as an alternative to divorce

Includes

  • ›Joint and sole legal custody
  • ›Detailed timesharing and holiday schedules
  • ›Relocation petitions and objections
  • ›Modifications based on changed circumstances

Includes

  • ›NM Worksheet A and B calculations
  • ›Imputed income and self-employment cases
  • ›Enforcement through wage withholding and contempt
  • ›Modifications when income changes

Includes

  • ›Acknowledgments of paternity
  • ›Genetic testing petitions
  • ›Presumed parent and de facto parent claims

Includes

  • ›Kinship Guardianship Act petitions
  • ›Coordination with CYFD when applicable
  • ›Termination and modification of guardianship

Includes

  • ›Best-interests investigations
  • ›Court reports and recommendations
  • ›Representation in abuse and neglect proceedings

Our process

How we work with you

  1. 01

    Confidential Consultation

    60 minutes

    We listen. We learn what matters to you, what outcome you're hoping for, and where the friction is.

  2. 02

    Strategy & Plan

    Within 1 week

    We outline the legal path, the realistic timelines, and the choice points — collaborative, mediated, or litigated.

  3. 03

    Filing & Discovery

    30–120 days

    We prepare and file petitions, exchange financial disclosures, and gather what we need to negotiate or try the case.

  4. 04

    Resolution or Trial

    Varies

    We negotiate strong settlements when possible and try cases skillfully when they cannot be resolved.

Come prepared

What to bring to your consultation

Don't have everything? Come anyway. This is just to make the most of our time.

  • ✓Marriage certificate (if applicable)
  • ✓Recent pay stubs and last 2 years of tax returns
  • ✓List of assets and debts (rough is fine)
  • ✓Existing court orders or parenting plans
  • ✓A short written summary of your goals

Client voice

"Sheryl walked us through the hardest year of our lives with calm, clear advice. She fought when she had to and settled when it served us. We never felt alone in the process."

— Former divorce & custody client

Plain-language glossary

Key terms, demystified

Community Property
Assets and debts acquired during marriage in New Mexico, generally divided equally on divorce.
Timesharing
The schedule that determines when each parent has the children, including holidays and vacations.
Worksheet A / B
New Mexico child-support formulas — Worksheet A for primary custody, Worksheet B for substantial shared timesharing.
Guardian ad Litem (GAL)
An attorney appointed by the court to represent the best interests of a child in a contested matter.

Frequently asked

Questions families ask us

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