Exit Strategy
By David Steinberg / For The Journal
Sunday, November 8th, 2015 at 12:02am
Some might remember Tammy Wynette singing the song “D-I-V-O-R-C-E.” It speaks of heartbreak: “Our d-i-v-o-r-c-e becomes final today/Me and Little J-o-e will be going away/I love you both and this will be pure H-E-double-L for me/Oh, I wish that we could stop this d-i-v-o-r-c-e …”
Divorce is as emotional a legal process now as it was when the song came out in 1968. The process can be anguishing for the litigants, painful for the extended families and upsetting for friends.
“Divorce is a very scary process for anyone going through it. It’s unclear, unfamiliar to the litigant,” said Sandra Morgan Little, one of the four authors of the new book “Divorce in New Mexico.”
It’s a resource book for people considering a divorce or going through one in the state, Little said.
And it can be valuable for families and support systems as well, added Roberta S. Batley, another of the authors.
Seventeen chapters cover a multiplicity of issues relevant to the process. The information in each chapter is presented in clear, easy-to-understand questions and answers. In all, there are 360 legal questions answered.
Here are a handful of chapter titles with a sample question from each of those chapters:
• “Working with Your Attorney” (Q. Should I hire a ‘bulldog” – a very aggressive attorney?)
• “Child Custody” (Q. I am seeing a therapist. Will that hurt my chances of getting custody?)
• “Division of Debts” (Q. How is credit card debt divided?)
• “Emergency: When You Fear Your Spouse.” (Q. I’m afraid my spouse is going to take all the money out of the bank accounts and leave me with nothing. What can I do?)
Litigants or potential litigants can use the questions and answers to shine a light on their own situation and to help them in raising and expanding on matters with an attorney.
“We did the book because there was no book with current information on the subject for the general public,” Morgan Little said.”Each of us worked on different parts of the book. We all edited each other’s work for accuracy and truthfulness and style. We needed it to be … in a style for the general public to understand.”
Not only does the book offer readers information, but it is neutrally presented.
All four Albuquerque-based authors – Morgan Little, Batley, Jan Gilman-Tepper and Tiffany Oliver Leigh are veteran practitioners in family law in New Mexico.
“The book touches all four corners of our state. We felt it was valuable to the New Mexico community at large,” Batley said.
The book is available on the LGT Family Law.com website for $14.00.
“Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value I had a great experience at Batley Riley Family Law. They assisted me with my case. They were excellent and ensured that my case was handled as efficiently as possible and always made me feel informed. This firm helped me through a stressful time. Would absolutely recommend this law firm.”
J. A.
“Thanks for everything yesterday! I had a very informative and meaningful consultation with Batley Riley Family Law. I can tell that they are compassionate and strong which I admire in a law firm. Their firm has written a great book on New Mexico Divorce Law and they had recommendations for books to help my kids in this process! Thanks for the great gifts as well. I look forward to working with them in the process that lies ahead.”
M.F.
“Bobbie Batley is unquestionably the top family lawyer in New Mexico, largely because of the amazing team she leads. This firm cares about their clients, and puts those needs out front. I will never hesitate to refer to this firm!”
E.K.
“Batley Riley Family Law is an excellent place to work. I enjoy coming in everyday. It is clear to see how much our attorneys value New Mexican families. They work their hardest to advocate for their clients on a daily basis.”
K. W.
“Batley Riley Family Law provided me with excellent advice and service to effectively and efficiently resolve an issue with my best interests in mind. They did this with a great deal of compassion. I would highly recommend this firm.”
E. F.
“It became very clear, VERY fast that having a respected legal team in the community makes all the difference. Despite the craziness of my case, they were cool, calm and collected every step of the way. What struck me about this team was how they connect on a human level – they truly saw me for the person that I am and that resonated in the courts. I got everything I asked for and more – If it wasn’t for this team, I don’t know where I’d be right now.”
J.C.
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Batley Riley Family Law Firm
316 Osuna Road Ne #301
Albuquerque, NM 87107
Email: office@batleyfamilylaw.com
Phone: (505) 576-7296
