Divorce New Mexican Style: 1

A Pro Se Primer

Not sure if Justice is blind, but it sure is slow.

I have been in New Mexico since 1992, and I am quite a fan of the state and those who live here.

Because New Mexico is one of the poorest state in the U.S. – ranked anywhere between fifth and seventh in 2007, depending on the study – its residents are some of the most resourceful people I’ve ever met.

Case in point: a few years ago, my son was given a 1976 Dodge Dart – the only problem is that it had blown a rod, so it wasn’t running. In addition, it had been sitting in the middle of a field about five miles away; it had no brakes, and its tires were down to the rims.

However, the car was a gift and potentially a colllector’s car, so my son and I figured out how to get it to our house. To tow it would have cost nearly $150, money we didn’t have, so we asked our next door neighbor Joseph what he could do for $50.

Joseph said, ‘no problem.’ He’d tow the Dart with his van. So my son and I headed over to the field with Joseph and his son following behind. By the time we got to the field, it was clear that a van would not tow a 1976 Dart that was sitting on its rims.

Joseph never blinked an eye. He’d said he’d help, and he meant it. So he put a tire on the front of his van and told his son to push the Dart out of the field and the five miles back to our house while Joseph ‘drove.’

And he did.

My son and I followed behind, praying that there would be no red lights and that God would watch over all of us.

God did.

Joseph hit no red lights, and the Dart made it back to our house, where it now sits in the garage waiting still for a new engine.

I admire the resourcefulness Joseph showed, just as I admire any resourcefulness, any refusal to give up because of lack of money or knowledge or skill. When there is a need, the people I’ve met in New Mexico always manage to meet that need.

For quite some time, I was seriously considering doing this divorce pro se. Probably a bad idea.

Blame it on inherent arrogance – or, more kindly, attribute it to self reliance – that I’d ever think that I could learn the law in less than a year without benefit of law school or professors.

Yet, I’ve been a New Mexican since 1992. I like to think I’m resourceful.

So in the interest of a more realistic approach to my own resourcefulness and in the interest of providing a service for those who may need such a service, I will periodically post tips for those considering a do-it-yourself divorce in the Land of Enchantment.

Because I was an instructor for 14 years, I’ll be certain that whatever I post will be as clear as possible. However, if at any point, I’m losing you, drop me a line, let me know where I’ve been unclear, and I’ll try to re-explain.