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Pro Se Divorce Clinic
by: New Mexico Legal Aid

Pro Se means doing it yourself

In the Pro Se Divorce Clinic you learn how to go to court. You learn how to represent yourself in a simple, uncontested divorce.

Volunteer attorneys teach you how to do this They do not go to court with you.

Petition for Dissolution of Marriage. (Asking for the marriage to be dissolved)

Volunteer attorneys will teach you how to fill out the forms. They will teach you how to go to court to get a divorce.

Filing your petition with the Court

The clinic will teach you which Court to use and how to file your divorce.

Serving your Spouse.

You will learn how to serve your spouse with the Divorce Petition.

Appearing in Court

The clinic will teach you what to do at your court hearing.

Finalizing your Divorce Decree

The clinic will teach you what you need to do to finalize your divorce decree.

The Pro Se Divorce Clinic is offered monthly. You must attend two sessions, which are scheduled over a two week period.

How To Qualify for the Pro Se Divorce Clinic

In order to take part in the Pro Se Divorce Clinic:

at least one party must live in Bernalillo County and must have been living there for at least six months;
you must be low-income and be a legal resident or citizen of the United States;
there must be agreement on issues like:

custody,
visitation,
child support,
community property, and
debt division.

If you don't have agreement on these, you have to be very sure your spouse will not come to court. Then you will receive the divorce because he wasn't there.

Neither party can have real estate or retirement pensions.

Neither party can be in the military; participants must be able to read and write and have the ability to follow written and verbal instructions.

How To Apply

Call New Mexico Legal Aid at 243-7871, or visit the office and fill out an application

Our address is:

500 Copper SW, Suite 300
Albuquerque, N.M. 87102

On Copper between 5th and 6th Streets

Special Needs

If you are a person with a hearing impairment, you can call New Mexico Legal Aid through the New Mexico Relay Network (1-800-659-8331 [voice] or 1-800-659-1779 [TTY]). If you need a sign language interpreter, please let us know in advance and one will be provided for you during the clinic.

If you have other special needs, please advise New Mexico Legal Aid when you apply for the clinic.

Last Reviewed On: 05/19/04

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LawHelp New Mexico is a project of the New Mexico Legal Aid.

LawHelp New Mexico lists legal aid and pro bono programs in New Mexico as well as provides general legal information and community resource referrals for low- and moderate-income New Mexico residents.