Overview

The Second Judicial District Court has a specialized Family Court that has been in existence for over 30 years.

Cases include divorce, parentage, custody and visitation, child support, domestic violence, adult adoption, and kinship guardianship. There are four judges and eight Domestic Relations Hearing Officers. The Honorable Jane Levy serves as the Presiding Judge. In addition to the judges, Family Court has three divisions: Domestic Violence, Child Support, and the Court Clinic. The Family Court also has a specialized clerk division known as the Domestic Relations Clerk Division. The Family Court is located on the second floor of the Downtown Courthouse.

Domestic Relations Division

There are several types of Family Court cases that can be opened at the District Court to resolve specific domestic relations issues. 

The Domestic Relations Division (DR) is responsible for filing into and managing the Court records for Family Court cases, which include:

  • Divorce/Dissolution of Marriage
  • Legal Separation
  • Annulment
  • Parentage/Custody
  • Kinship Guardianship of a Minor Child
  • Child Support
  • Domestic Violence/Restraining Orders

In a divorce or legal separation case, parties may ask the judge for orders that include child custody, visitation, child support, spousal support, the division of assets and debts, and restraining orders. Parentage cases involve resolution of issues regarding the child or children of the parties only. Annulment information is available at the UNM Law Library.

After a divorce or annulment is granted, the parties will again have the status of unmarried persons and may legally remarry. Legal Separation usually establishes a separation of property and debt and any custody, visitation and support issues, but does not dissolve a marriage and return parties to unmarried status.

Domestic Relations clerks may assist customers with procedural information for filing requirements. If a party to a DM case does not understand the forms, his/her legal rights, or the legal issues of a case, the DR Division suggests he/she seek assistance from a qualified legal professional. A list of community resources can be found here.

Attorneys must use the Tyler E-File and Serve program except in specific situations involving reduced fees. More information about e-filing is available here.

Domestic Violence (DV) restraining order cases are filed in the DV Clerk’s Office, also on the Second Floor of the Downtown Courthouse, in Room 274. More information about DV cases is available here.

Select prepared packets for Domestic Matters cases are available for purchase through both the DR Clerk’s Office and at the Center for Self Help and Dispute Resolution on the First Floor of the Downtown Courthouse in Room 119. Most Family Court forms are also available for download and printing here.

Additional information about Clerk’s Office procedures and services is available by contacting the Domestic Relations Division by telephone at 505-841-7421.

Address

400 Lomas Blvd. NW
Room 240, 2nd Floor
Albuquerque, NM 87102

Office Hours
Monday through Friday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Public Service Windows Hours of Operation
Monday through Friday: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Phone: 505-841-7421