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Legal Information: New Mexico

Custody

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Laws current as of April 3, 2025

What happens if I have joint custody with the other parent but we can’t agree about a major life decision?

If the parents cannot reach an agreement about a major life decision, they have several ways to resolve the dispute. The parents can decide major life decisions by:

  • using counseling or mediation services;
  • having an arbitrator make a final, binding decision;
  • deciding that only one parent will have decision-making authority over a particular major decision area;
  • ending joint custody and giving one parent sole custody;
  • referring the dispute to a court master; or
  • filing an action with the district court.1

1 N.M. Stat. § 40-4-9.1(J)(5)

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