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Nelson v. Nelson

Citations

  • 878 P.2d 335
  • 118 N.M. 17

How courts have described this case

Verbatim parenthetical descriptions written by other courts when citing this decision. Ranked by citation-network relevance.

  • refusing to “establish an absolute bar to a divorce action which would effectively leave an incompetent spouse at the mercy of the competent spouse”
  • most courts that have addressed the issue hold that, without specific statutory authority, a guardian may not bring an action for divorce on behalf of the ward
  • a guardian has the broad “rights, powers, and duties respecting the ward as a parent has respecting a child,” which may include the right to obtain a divorce
  • “[M]ost minority-rule courts construe existing statutes authorizing the guardian to pursue and defend civil claims in the interests of their ward to include authority to bring an action for divorce.”
  • “Jurisdictions deciding this issue in recent years have increasingly adopted the minority view.”
  • “[S]tates may bar a divorce action prosecuted entirely by the guardian but allow the action to go forward when the ward is capable of understanding the nature of the action and of expressing a desire to end the marriage and does so.”

Source: CourtListener parenthetical corpus (CC0).

Judges: Pickard, Apodaca, Hartz

Read full opinion on CourtListener

Cited by

8 cases in this archive cite this case.

Cites

15 cases in this archive are cited by this case.

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This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.